The first meeting

The Grand Palace was as imposing as its reputation suggested. The towering spires and ornate carvings spoke of old power, one the twin kings had claimed for themselves.

Marina, still speckled with sawdust and not yet in uniform, felt out of place among the polished marble floors and gold-adorned walls. The gathered nobility whispered, some smirking behind their hands, relishing the humiliation they expected would follow.

The twin kings lounged on their thrones, one golden, one cold as ice, their amusement clear.

Ruyi leaned forward lazily, his smirk widening. "You came here like this?" His golden eyes swept over her form, deliberately pausing at her dust-covered clothes and disheveled hair.

Marina straightened her shoulders. "I didn't expect to be summoned today."

Ruyel, more reserved but no less condescending, tapped his fingers against the armrest. "A governor should be prepared at all times."

But as Marina stood before them, unwavering, something unexpected struck Ruyel. There was no nostalgia in her gaze, no flicker of recognition for the past they once shared. To her, they were nothing more than obstacles—two rulers to contend with, not the boys who had once been part of her life.

It did not wound him. Ruyel had long discarded the need for sentimentality. But Ruyi? Ruyel stole a glance at his brother, watching for even the smallest crack in his mask.

Ruyi was still lounging lazily, his smirk intact, but there was something sharp in his golden gaze, something flickering beneath the surface.

Ruyel almost smirked himself. Ah. So he does feel it.

He wondered, not for the first time, just how far Ruyi would let this charade go. How long before his amusement cracked and something far more dangerous slipped through?

They spoke exclusively in Aegerian, their tone laced with mockery. Marina had been learning under Leslie's tutelage, but some of their phrasing was complex. She answered where she could, and when the conversation grew beyond her, Leslie smoothly translated. The twins' amusement flickered into displeasure.

"A governor who needs her aide to translate?" Ruyel observed. "Decorative, aren't you?"

Ruyi let out a sigh, feigning boredom. "all tits and no wit."

Marina ignored the crude remark, keeping her expression neutral. "My team is more than capable. The documents are in the Imperial tongue, and two of my staff speak fluent Aegerian. I'll manage."

Ruyi chuckled, his gaze dropping to her chest with blatant disrespect.

"Buoys," he mused. "Befitting a naval background. Are you sure you're not a whale-shifter rather than a wolf?"

The nobles chuckled, the room filling with hushed laughter at her expense. Marina clenched her jaw, her knuckles white against the fabric of her sleeves. But before she could respond, Ruyi rose from his throne, sauntering toward her.

His steps were slow, deliberate, his golden gaze locked onto her as though she were prey. When he stopped in front of her, he leaned in slightly, inhaling deeply. "Lavender?" he murmured, voice dripping with something dangerous.

She stiffened as he reached out, his black-gloved hand brushing off an invisible speck of dust from her shoulder. The motion was slow, deliberate, but instead of withdrawing, his gloved fingers trailed downward, skimming the curve of her back, lingering at her waist before boldly sliding lower.

His touch, dulled but still firm through the leather, brushed against her hip, then continued downward, grazing the curve of her buttocks in a mockery of assistance.

Ruyi leaned in, his voice a husky whisper. "You seem tense, Governor."

Her subordinates stiffened, but Marina lifted her chin, forcing herself to remain still. She would not give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

"Are you done?" she asked coolly.

Ruyi smirked but did not step back. Instead, his hand suddenly lifted to her chest, his black-gloved palm pressing against her, fingers squeezing experimentally. The room went still, the air thick with anticipation and silent amusement from the nobles watching.

Marina inhaled sharply, her breath catching in sheer disbelief.

Her mind reeled at the audacity.

He was supposed to be a king.

A ruler.

Someone who held power with dignity. But this? This was lawless. This was degradation.

The prince she remembered had been full of life, fierce yet brilliant, untamed but never crude.

Now, that glimmer of nobility was long gone, replaced by a man who ruled over a kingdom of debauchery and excess. And here he was, aiming right at her modesty, reducing her to nothing more than a spectacle for his amusement.

Gasps and laughter rippled through the court, eager whispers filling the space as nobles leaned in, some jeering, some delighting in her humiliation.

Marina's subordinates tensed, their hands twitching toward their weapons, barely holding themselves back. She could feel their anger, their struggle not to retaliate and give the kings an excuse to punish them.

Ruyi cocked his head, his golden eyes gleaming with cruel mirth. "Ah, so they're real," he mused, pressing down slightly, as if confirming his assessment.

That was it.

Marina's hand shot out, gripping his wrist in a vice-like hold, her nails digging into the smooth leather of his gloves. The shift in the air was immediate.

The smirk on Ruyi's face flickered—brief, fleeting surprise—before it melted into a grin, wider, sharper, more entertained than before.

"Finally showing some fire?" he mused, voice dripping with amusement.

Marina's hazel eyes burned with fury, her grip tightening. "If you need to confirm reality, I suggest you find a mirror, Your Majesty."

Ruyel, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. "That's enough, Ruyi."

The room fell into stunned silence. Ruyel never interfered with his brother's indulgences. His disinterest in women was well-known, yet now he was watching Marina with an unreadable expression. That alone sent ripples of murmurs through the court.

Ruyi chuckled, finally stepping back and shaking out his wrist as though unimpressed. "Fiery. But remember, Governor, we don't tolerate disrespect."

Marina scoffed. "And what, exactly, was disrespectful?"

Ruyi's smile widened. "Coming before your appointed time. Aeger has its own laws, Governor. It would do you well to follow them."

Marina exhaled slowly, reigning in the fury boiling inside her. She knew this was deliberate—an attempt to provoke her or her subordinates into reacting, to force them to act against Aeger's archaic laws and provide the kings with an excuse to punish them.

If she lost control now, she would lose far more than just dignity.

Ruyel, as if sensing she was reaching her limit, signaled a servant. "Bring it here."

A servant approached with a neatly folded uniform, bowing as he presented it. Ruyel took it, barely sparing it a glance before holding it out to Marina. "This is for you. A functional uniform, not a decoration."

His gaze swept over her, lingering longer than expected. He shifted slightly in his seat, his fingers drumming against the armrest. "You may need alterations. We were expecting a standard woman. Not one with… built-in buoys."

Marina took the uniform without hesitation, her grip firm. "I'll manage," she said, her tone unwavering.

Ruyel's icy-blue eyes lingered on her a moment longer before flicking away, unreadable. Ruyi, still smirking, leaned back into his throne, his golden gaze never leaving her.

"The guesthouse will be provided for your people," Ruyel finally said. "You will stay there for now."

Ruyi's smirk returned. "Stay out of our way, Governor. Or this palace may not be so welcoming next time."

Marina turned on her heel and strode out of the throne room, her posture rigid, her heart pounding with barely contained rage. Behind her, her team followed, their restraint barely holding back their fury.

Laughter followed them out the doors.

She knew this was just the beginning.