로그인I didn't let him change the subject with a charming smirk or a clever warning this time.The broken pieces of the assassin's sword were still cooling on the scorched floorboards by the smashed window, and the shattered frame of the wardrobe was lying in a heap across the room.There was no hiding it anymore. He wasn't just a regular man who happened to carry a bit of extra body heat, and he certainly wasn't a fragile cripple who needed a wooden chair to get around the palace.I turned away from the debris, walking right up to him where he stood tall amid the mess, and crossed my arms over my chest."Alright, Rowan," I said, my voice dropping any trace of playful teasing as I looked straight into his burning golden-flecked eyes. "Let's stop playing games for five minutes. You just caught a razor-sharp steel blade with your bare palm, melted it like wax, and threw an armed assassin through an entire piece of heavy furniture like he weighed nothing. Normal human kings do not do that. Si
The midnight air in the lower courtyard was freezing, but the panic in Silas's voice had cleared out any remaining warmth from our chambers."Cassian brought the royal guards?" I asked, stepping toward the door while adjusting the cuffs of my dress. "At midnight? What absolute losers. Doesn't that man ever sleep?""He's not just calling an assembly, My Queen," Silas said through the wood, his breath sounding heavy. "He claims an intruder breached the inner seal chamber. He's demanding an immediate search of the private residential wing…starting with your chambers."Rowan rolled his chair back from the table, his face turning hard as stone. "He's forcing the issue. If the guards search these rooms, they'll find the draft ledgers and start asking questions we don't want to answer.""Then we don't let them search," I said, a dangerous grin spreading across my face as I grabbed my dagger from the bedside table. "Let Cassian bring his guards. I've been looking for an excuse to test how sha
We were back in our private chambers before I finally let the whole thing go. Or rather, before I decided to bring it up again because it was bothering me more than I wanted to admit.Rowan had already dismissed Silas and wheeled himself over to the small table near the fireplace. He picked up a stack of reports, looking entirely unbothered by the fact that half an hour ago, some blonde noblewoman had been trying to paw at his sleeves and babbling about old memories.I paced back and forth across the stone floor, my arms crossed tightly over my chest, my boots clicking rhythmically against the rugs."You know," I started, stopping right in front of his desk and glaring down at him, "that woman has zero self-awareness. Calling you by your first name? Trying to touch your arm? She acts like she's still invited to family dinners."Rowan didn't look up from his papers right away. He slowly turned a page, a tiny, annoying hint of a smirk touching the corner of his lips."Are you talking ab
Calista didn't just leave the parlor because her pride was bruised. I knew how noblewomen operated…when they stomped out of a room looking like they wanted to murder someone, it usually meant they were running off to hatch some pathetic little scheme.So, instead of heading back to our chambers with Rowan, I took a little detour down the east wing corridor an hour later.The eastern corridor was quieter, lined with tall stained-glass windows and heavy tapestries that muffled the sound of footsteps. As I approached the alcove near the old portrait gallery, I caught the sound of hushed voices coming from around the corner.I slowed my pace, keeping my footsteps light as I crept closer to the stone pillar and peeked around the edge.Calista was standing right there by the window ledge, her hands tightly clutching a small leather pouch. But she wasn't alone. Standing right in front of her was none other than the King himself…or rather, the King playing his part. Rowan was sitting in his
I didn't bother hiding the smirk on my face as I walked past the arched entrance into the parlor. Calista was still leaning slightly toward Rowan’s chair, holding a velvet-bound document like it was a sacred gift, her eyes glowing with absolute devotion."Your Majesty," She said, her voice dropping into that soft, delicate tone that rich noblewomen reserved for sick puppies or dying kings. "I brought the ledger for the eastern border tax relief myself. I knew how tiring the council meetings can be, so I wanted to make sure you didn't have to deal with Lord Cassian’s shouting all morning."I almost choked on my own laughter right there by the door."Oh, look at that," I said, stepping fully into the room and letting my heels click loudly on the marble floor. "The noble lady is acting like a saint today. Should we light a candle for her, Rowan, or just give her a medal for carrying a piece of paper down the hallway?"Calista’s posture went rigid for half a second before she smoothed he
Cassian took a sharp step back, his cane clattering against the stone floor as his eyes darted nervously up toward the heavy, heat-warped chandelier.The other council members were muttering under their breath, fanning themselves with their official scrolls as if the room had suddenly caught fire."Meeting adjourned," I announced with a wide, mocking grin, resting a hand on my hip while looking at the sweating lords. "Unless anyone else wants to discuss taking away the King's garrisons while the ceiling is literally melting?"Nobody said a word. Cassian snatched his papers off the long marble table, glaring at us with pure venom before turning on his heel and retreating toward the double doors with the rest of the council trailing behind him like scared mice.Rowan remained completely still in his wooden chair until the last council member had scurried out. The unnatural heat slowly began to bleed out of the air, leaving only the faint scent of singed iron behind."Well played, husba







