The Taming of Fire

The scent of blood never fades. 

It lingers. Stains. Clings to the skin like an unwanted memory. 

In the darkened halls of Tenebris Noctis, whispers curled like smoke, hushed voices carrying the weight of what had transpired in the feast hall. The princess had been tested. 

And she had refused. 

A choice had been laid before her—a life for a life. Kill or be broken. But the blade had remained untouched. Unused. 

And now, the consequences had begun. 

---

Somewhere in the Depths of the Palace…

A heavy door slammed shut. Cold stone pressed against my back, and I gasped, disoriented. "Tell me, little one," Kaizer's voice coiled around me like a serpent. "Was it defiance?" Fingers traced the length of my throat. "Or mercy?" 

My pulse was frantic when he touched me, and my body vibrated, but I forced my voice to steady. "You wanted a monster. I am not one." 

He chuckled, low and dangerous. "Not yet." 

The room was dimly lit, the only glow came from the torches lining the walls. It was his private chamber.

I had an uneasy feeling. This was no accident. 

Kaizer's golden eyes gleamed in the shadows. "You embarrassed me before my court, Redgold." 

I lifted my chin, despite the way his grip tightened. "I saved a man's life." 

"Saved him?" He smiled lightly, a flash of amusement on his lips. "Oh, princess. You only delayed the inevitable." 

A sharp shudder ran through me. "Then why bring me here?" His gaze dragged over me, slow and deliberate. "Because I am not done with you." 

A hand pressed against the wall beside my head, caging me in. Heat radiated from his body, suffocating and intoxicating all at once. 

"You fight me at every opportunity," he murmured, his lips just inches from my ear. "You defy me, test my patience—" His teeth grazed my jaw. "And yet, you tremble." 

I hated him. I hated how easily he unraveled me. 

"Let me go," I whispered. 

His smirk deepened. "Not until you understand what it means to be mine." 

A sharp knock echoed against the heavy doors. 

Kaizer exhaled, frustrated, before stepping back. 

"You were spared tonight," he said, voice edged with something dark. "But next time, mercy will not save you." 

The doors swung open, and Aleron entered. His gaze darted between us. 

"The Shadow Veil Court has sent word," Aleron said. "They want to negotiate." 

Kaizer stayed still. The tension in the air shifted. Then, without another glance at me, he turned on his heel. I should have felt relieved. But as the doors closed behind them, I realized something unsettling. 

Kaizer was losing patience. And that made him more dangerous than ever. 

---

The Aftermath of the Feast 

The corridors of the palace had never felt so endless. The blade had remained on the table. Untouched. Unused. And Kaizer had not taken my refusal lightly. The silence in the hall had stretched, thick with unspoken tension. A decision had been made at that moment—one that marked me as a challenge rather than a victim. 

He had let me live. 

But I had seen it in his eyes. This was far from over. 

Aleron had escorted me from the feast, his grip firm but lacking the cruelty I had expected. "Why are you helping him?" I asked, voice raw. 

Aleron didn't look at me. "You assume I am." 

I frowned. "Aren't you?" 

A shadow crossed his features, something strange and unclear in his gaze. "My loyalty is not yours to understand, princess." 

I wanted to push further, and demand answers, but exhaustion weighed down my limbs. My body was still reeling from the games, the fear, the hunger. 

So, I remained silent... for now. 

---

Back to the Present – A New Threat 

The Shadow Veil Court. 

A name whispered in the darkest corners of the kingdom. A force neither friend nor foe. 

They had sent word. And that meant trouble. 

Kaizer's war council had gathered, their murmurs filling the chamber as maps were unrolled, names exchanged, and strategies debated. 

I wasn't supposed to be here. But Kaizer had brought me anyway. 

I stood near the edge of the room, watching, listening. 

"An alliance is what they propose," Aleron reported. "But their conditions remain unknown." Kaizer scoffed. "The Shadow Veil Court does not negotiate. They manipulate." 

A nobleman shifted uneasily. "And yet, they ask for an audience." 

A flicker of something dark crossed Kaizer's expression. "Then we give them one." 

The decision had been made. But I could feel it—a shift in the air, a change in fate. 

The game was no longer just about Kaizer's obsession. Something far more dangerous had entered the battlefield. And I was still at its center. 

The fire in Kaizer's gaze burned hotter than before. 

"The princess will accompany me," he declared, his voice final. 

Aleron hesitated. "Is that wise?" 

Kaizer's smirk was wicked. "Let's find out."