❄️❄️ Taming his cold heart ❄️❄️

🎀 CHAPTER THREE🎀

King Edric sat stiffly across from Lord Asher. The tea had been brought, steam curling faintly from the cups, but Edric couldn’t bring himself to drink. His hands rested on the table, rigid, as if the weight of the world had settled there.

“I believe you know why I’m here,” Lord Asher said, lifting his teacup slowly, sipping with calm. His eyes never left Edric.

“Of course,” Edric muttered, swallowing hard. How could he forget?

He had borrowed a fortune from Lord Asher. Not because he wanted to—but because he had no choice.

Edric had never wanted to borrow from him. But war repairs, failing trade routes, empty coffers—there had really been no other choice.

And today was the deadline.

Everyone knew one thing about Lord Asher: he never gave extra time. Not a day. Not an hour.

This man was known for having no mercy. A man who did not forgive. A man who could end a life without blinking—and sleep peacefully after.

He was wealthy beyond measure. A lord who ruled without a crown. A name people never spoke twice. They called him the Golden-Eyed Demon—because when anger touched him, his eyes burned gold, cold and deadly.

Many had died for less.

Edric swallowed. He had thought of borrowing from neighboring kingdoms to pay him back. Owing them felt safer than owing this man.

“Just… give me seven days,” Edric said at last, his voice low. “I will pay it all. I swear.”

Lord Asher lifted his teacup again, Calm. Unbothered. He sipped as if they were discussing weather, not a debt that could ruin a king.

His face showed nothing. No anger. No pity. No mercy.

That was the most frightening part.

You could never tell what Lord Asher would do next.

King Edric leaned forward slightly, trying to keep his voice steady. “Seven days is all I ask,” he said again. “I will borrow from other kingdoms if I must. I will sell land, treasures—anything. I will not fail you.”

Lord Asher did not answer right away.

He set his teacup down with care, his fingers steady. His eyes stayed on Edric, calm, unreadable. The silence stretched, heavy and sharp, pressing against Edric’s chest.

“You borrowed knowing the terms,” Asher said at last. His voice was low, even. “You knew I do not wait.”

Edric nodded quickly. “I know. And I accept my fault. But I am a king. If I fall, my kingdom falls with me.”

Asher tilted his head slightly, as if considering something unimportant. “That is not my concern.” He picked up his tea cup again.

Edric’s breath caught. His mouth went dry. “Then… what do you want?” he asked carefully.

For a moment, there was nothing.

Then—

The teacup slipped from Lord Asher’s hand.

It hit the floor and shattered.

The sound echoed through the room like a sentence being passed.

Lord Asher rose slowly to his feet. His eyes fixed on Edric, cold and sharp.

“Give me your daughter,” he said flatly.

Edric froze.

“Princess Zayla,” Asher continued. “Give her to me as my wife, and the debt is gone. Forgotten. Your kingdom remains untouched.”

Edric’s blood ran cold.

Lord Asher turned away as if the matter was already settled. “Refuse,” he said calmly, “and by tomorrow, you will have nothing left to rule.”

The room fell silent.

And King Edric knew—

this was never a request.

“My daughter…” he began, his voice tight, eyes meeting Asher’s. “This was never part of the contract.”

Asher moved closer, slow, deliberate. “Who do you think you are?” he asked.

He signaled to the man who had accompanied him—though Asher himself needed no guard. Kai stepped forward, carrying a scroll. Asher dropped it onto the table, eyes never leaving Edric.

“If one cannot pay,” Asher said casually, almost bored, “they hand over something… precious. That is the rule.”

Before Edric could react, the scroll burst into flames, smoke curling into the air, ashes scattering across the polished floor.

“I… I cannot hand my daughter to you,” Edric said, his voice firmer now, a spark of defiance in his eyes.

Asher’s smile sharpened. “So you’d rather I make an example of her.”

He leaned in slightly, voice dropping. “I’ll end her slowly, painfully. Let you hear every sound. Let the palace learn what happens when a king forgets who he owes.”

His gaze never wavered.

“Say the word, Edric. I can start tonight.”

Edric’s breath came shallow now. His hands tightened against the table, knuckles whitening.

“She’s all I have,” he said hoarsely. “When my wife died, she was all that remained. You’re asking me to destroy myself.”

Lord Asher looked at him for a long moment. “With respect,” he said, calm and precise, “I didn’t come here to spare you.”

He stepped closer, stopping just short of the table. “You mistake me, Your Majesty. I am not taking something from you.” His eyes lowered slightly. “I am collecting what is owed.”

Edric shook his head. “There has to be another way.”

Asher’s gaze hardened, thin as glass. “There was,” he replied. “You missed it.”

Silence pressed in.

“You keep speaking as though your feelings change the outcome,” Asher continued. “They don’t. They only tell me how long you intend to suffer before you comply.”

Edric swallowed. “If you touch her—”

Asher cut him off without raising his voice. “If I touch her,” he said evenly, “it will be because you forced my hand.”

He straightened. “And understand this clearly—if I am forced, I will not be gentle. I will not be quick. And I will make certain you live with the knowledge that you chose this end for her.”

A beat.

“You are a king,” Asher added. “Act like one. Kings sacrifice. They don’t beg.”

His eyes locked onto Edric’s.

“Choose,” he said. “Her life under my name… or her death under your roof.”