STATE OF SIEGE

Darian had many enemies in his life. Generals had tried to outsmart him. Assassins had tried to kill him. Demons from his past haunted him.

But nothing—nothing—had prepared him for the siege Sophia waged inside his own castle.

Three days. Three damn days she hadn't left her room.

On the first day, the servants brought food to her door. No one knew if she had even taken it, as there wasn't the faintest sound to indicate she had. On the second day, one of the maids tried to peek inside, but the door suddenly flew open, and a bowl of soup flew out, landing on the poor guard, who swore never to go near that room again.

By the third day, Darian had had enough.

He stood in front of her door, arms crossed over his chest, while the guard looked at him with an expression that screamed, I'd rather be anywhere else than here.

"Open the door," he ordered coldly.

Inside, there was silence. Then he heard movement, as if Sophia was stepping closer. Darian had hoped that, finally, she would act rationally, but then he heard her voice:

"Get lost, you ice-cold creature!"

Darian blinked. Then blinked again.

He wasn't sure he had heard that right.

"WHAT?"

"I heard you perfectly well, I just have no intention of answering! Get lost, I said!"

His jaw tightened. "Sophia—"

The door suddenly swung open, and his face almost collided with hers. She stood there, hands on her hips, hair messy, and her gaze resolute.

"What do you want?" she asked in an icy tone.

"To get you out of your room," he replied just as coldly.

"I won't."

"You will."

"I WON'T!"

"Sophia," he said, taking a deep breath, "you're acting like a child."

"And you're acting like a jerk! Arrogant, heartless, unbearably boring jerk! And you know what? YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO—"

BAM! The door slammed right in his face.

Darian blinked a few times, then slowly turned to the guard, who was struggling to hide a smile.

"If I hear you laugh, you'll end up in the dungeon," he said in a voice as cold as ice.

The guard immediately straightened up.

Darian turned back to the door. He punched the wood, but not too hard.

"Sophia! Stop this! Are you a child or an adult woman?"

"It depends! If you expect me to act like a lady, then I'll be a child for the rest of my life!"

Darian gritted his teeth. "Haven't you eaten in the last three days?"

"I've eaten! Enough not to die! And that's thanks to the maids, not you!"

The maids. Of course. She had obviously teamed up with them against him.

Darian took a step back, took a deep breath, and tried a different approach.

"Sophia… can we at least talk?"

The door opened again, but this time only a crack. Her eyes peeked through the gap.

"Oh, now you want to talk? When was the last time you talked to someone without it being an order?"

Darian rolled his eyes. "No one's ever called me chatty."

"Well, maybe it's high time that changed!" she snapped, slamming the door shut again.

Darian sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This wasn't going anywhere.

"Fine," he finally said. "You'll stay in there as long as you want. But when you're ready to stop acting like a child, you know where to find me."

Silence. This time, there was no door slamming, no insults. Just silence.

Darian turned and walked down the corridor, ignoring the stares from the guards and maids. But even as he walked away, he felt something new stirring inside him.

Maybe he really should talk to her a little more.

Darian was a man of patience. Or at least, that's how he liked to think of himself. He had control over his emotions, knew when to act, and when to wait. But Sophia was breaking all of his boundaries.

On the fourth day, she hadn't left her room.The fifth day, the same.By the sixth day, Darian was on the verge of ordering the guards to break down the door. However, something inside him stopped him. It was an unfamiliar feeling—something between frustration and... amusement?No, it wasn't amusement. There was no way he could enjoy the fact that a small, stubborn woman was driving him to the edge of his nerves. Could he?So, he decided to change tactics.He ordered the servants to bring her the finest clothes, the most delicious treats, everything she could possibly want. But there was no reaction. The food was eaten, but only at night, when no one was around. The dresses remained untouched. It was as though she was rejecting everything that came from him, yet at the same time, showing that she could survive without his help.

Finally, on the seventh day, he decided it was time for a different approach. He walked up to the door and took a deep breath."Sophia," he said calmly. "If you want, I can order everyone to leave the hallway. You can walk around. Anything. We don't have to talk. Just don't sit locked inside like a prisoner."On the other side of the door, there was silence. Then, a soft sigh."You know what's funny?" she said. "Everyone says you're a monster, that you're ruthless and cold. But you, Darian, you're not a monster."Darian raised an eyebrow. "I'm not?"The door finally opened. Sophia leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed."No. You're just a stubborn man with a serious control problem. Now tell me, what do you really want?"Darian watched her. She was exhausted, yet still defiant. Honestly, he was impressed by how much energy she had, even when it was clear she was worn out."I want to talk," he finally replied.Sophia looked at him as though she was analyzing him. "Okay. Then start with the truth. Why do you get a new girlfriend every year?"Darian froze. He hadn't expected her to jump straight to that. He wasn't ready to tell her the real truth."It's part of a deal with the kingdoms. Political games," he said vaguely.Sophia rolled her eyes. "Lies. I might not know much about this place, but I can tell when someone is hiding something. What's the real truth, Darian?"He fell silent. Then, he ran his hand through his hair, the first sign of nervousness."It's not something I should tell you... yet.""Yet?" Sophia stepped forward, and Darian had to fight the urge to take a step back. "So, there's something you're hiding."Darian sighed and sat on a nearby bench in the hallway. He looked at her, his eyes darker than usual."There are things you can't understand, Sophia. Things you shouldn't know."She just shrugged. "Well, now that you've told me that, of course I'm going to try to find out."Darian felt a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. The first sign of a smile in days. "Of course you will."Sophia nodded determinedly. "Now, if you're done with your wise puzzles, I'm going back inside. Let me know when you decide to be honest."She slammed the door behind her.Darian sighed and ran his hand over his face. This was only the beginning.She wasn't giving up. And the problem was—he was starting to enjoy it.