CHAPTER NINE

The ride back to the castle was silent. The only sound was the pounding of hooves and the occasional crackle of fire still burning behind us. My mind was spinning, but Kaelen didn't seem inclined to explain what the hell had just happened.

When we finally reached the gates, the guards bowed low not just to Kaelen, but to me. It still felt strange, like wearing a crown made of thorns. I wasn't royalty. I didn't belong here. But the mark on my wrist said otherwise.

Kaelen dismounted without a word. I stayed on my horse a moment longer, watching him stride toward the castle like nothing had happened like he hadn't just murdered someone with a flick of his wrist.

"What are you?" I whispered, but the night didn't answer.

By the time I caught up to him, he was already issuing orders to his advisors in clipped, cold tones. I stood at the edge of the room, unsure if I was supposed to be there but no one asked me to leave.

"Strengthen the borders," Kaelen was saying. "If the House of Vorel thinks they can challenge me, they'll soon learn otherwise."

"And the prisoners, Your Highness?" one of the men asked.

Kaelen's face didn't change. "We'll get them back. All of them."

He made it sound so simple. But I remembered the smoke and the screams. Nothing about this was simple.

"Is it always like this?" I asked when the advisors finally filed out.

Kaelen didn't look at me. "Like what?"

"The fighting. The fear."

He shrugged out of his cloak. "It's the way of this world."

"But it doesn't have to be." The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Kaelen's eyes finally met mine. There was something dangerous in his gaze but also something curious. "You think you understand this world?"

"No," I admitted. "But I understand fear. And I know it makes people desperate."

For a long moment, he just watched me. Then, to my surprise, his lips curled into something almost like a smile. "You're braver than I expected."

"Or stupider."

"Perhaps both." He stepped closer. "But if you want to survive here, you'll need more than bravery."

The air between us shifted. My heart pounded faster, but I refused to back down. "Then teach me."

His brow lifted. "What?"

"Teach me," I repeated. "If I'm stuck here, I need to know how to fight. How to defend myself."

For a moment, he didn't say anything. Then "Very well. But don't expect me to go easy on you."

"I wouldn't dare."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Good. We start at dawn."

I should have been scared. But all I felt was anticipation.

I regretted my decision by sunrise.

Kaelen wasn't just a harsh teacher he was relentless. Every time I hit the ground, he made me get back up. Every time I made a mistake, he corrected it with cold, cutting precision.

"Again," he ordered, as I wiped blood from my lip.

"I'm starting to think you enjoy this," I muttered, pushing myself to my feet.

He didn't deny it. "You asked for this, remember?"

"Remind me to stop asking for things."

But I kept going. Because every time his eyes met mine, I saw something there something that told me he wasn't just testing my body. He was testing my will.

And I refused to break.

When we finally stopped, I was bruised, bloody, and exhausted. But I was still standing. Barely.

Kaelen studied me for a long moment. "You did better than I expected."

"That's almost a compliment."

"Don't get used to it."

Despite everything, I smiled.

That night, I couldn't sleep. The castle was too quiet the kind of quiet that felt dangerous. I found myself wandering the halls, my mind still buzzing with everything that had happened.

I didn't mean to find the war room. But when I heard voices inside, I stopped.

"can't keep him here." It was a woman's voice, sharp and familiar. "He's a liability."

"He's mine," Kaelen's voice replied,

My breath caught.

"You're letting him distract you," the woman said. "And you can't afford distractions, not with Vorel making their move."

There was silence. And then Kaelen spoke again. "If they come for him, they'll learn what true fear is."

My heart pounded so loudly I was sure they'd hear it. I turned away before I could hear anything else but Kaelen's words followed me.

He's mine.

And I didn't know if I was more afraid of his enemies or of him.