Allies

Ethan found her on the highest terrace of the castle, where the cold wind cut through the silence. The princess stood there alone, watching over the city. When he approached, she didn't even turn.

"You came to ask, didn't you?" Her voice came out calm, almost amused. "You took longer than I expected."

"I want to know how," Ethan replied directly. His eyes locked on her, studying every move.

She turned her face slowly, meeting his gaze without fear. A small smile appeared. "Ancient magic. Chains of control that bind my mana to their soul. Not all of them, of course… but enough."

"And no one suspects?" Ethan asked, though the answer was already clear in her confident eyes.

"You're here, aren't you?" She stepped forward without hesitation, stopping so close he could smell the faint perfume of her hair. "But don't get me wrong. I don't hide because I fear being discovered… I simply saw no point in explaining until now."

There was something almost hypnotic in her coldness. An empty beauty, almost cruel. Ethan kept his tone calm. "And why tell me all this?"

"Because, Ethan," she said, rolling his name on her tongue as if savoring it, "I want you on my side. I can feel it, you're no ordinary fool… it would be a waste to get rid of you."

The wind stirred her hair, revealing cold eyes that now gleamed with a hint of excitement. Like someone who had found a new toy. Ethan noticed.

"You think you can use me," he said, a small smile curving at the corner of his mouth.

"I can," she replied, blunt and without hesitation. "But it's not just that. You intrigue me, Ethan. The way you walk, how you watch everything around you, even your mana."

For a moment, there was only silence between them. He stepped even closer, until he could almost touch her. She didn't step back.

"And what if I were a threat to you?" he teased.

"That would be fun," she said, and behind her calm tone was something genuine, a twisted, almost childlike curiosity. "But I doubt you are. I don't see fear, anger, or even disgust in your eyes, Ethan. And I love that."

Then she placed a cold hand on his chest, over his heart. "Not even now are you nervous. Even after finding everything out."

Ethan held her hand, neither pulling it away nor squeezing too tightly. "And you're so confident you think I'd never try anything."

"You could try," she whispered, her lips close to his ear. "But you'd fail."

The warmth of her breath contrasted with the cold wind. Ethan simply returned the smile, sharper this time.

"You really are confident," he said. "Tell me more. I want to know exactly how you do it."

"Of course," she said, stepping back but keeping her gaze locked on his. "After all… if we're going to be allies, there's no point in secrets, is there?"

Ethan suppressed the urge to laugh. That coldness, that almost blind confidence… He hadn't expected someone who'd come this far to be so foolish.

They descended from the terrace and walked through an empty corridor. The sound of their footsteps echoed softly, filling the quiet space. Until the princess broke the silence, almost sounding bored:

"You want to know how I control them all? It's simpler than it seems."

Ethan looked sideways at her, interested. "Explain."

"Mana. But not the way ordinary mages use it," she said, twirling a finger in the air as if shaping something invisible. "I mold my mana into webs. Thin threads of energy that link my commands directly to their souls. If one breaks, another takes over."

She spoke as if discussing the weather. There was a strange emptiness in her voice: no guilt, no pride, just facts. Ethan noticed that even more than the words themselves.

"And how many do you control like this?" he asked, keeping his voice calm.

"Hundreds. Maybe more, if I pushed myself," she answered with the same coldness. "Most don't even know. It's easy to manipulate those who live in fear."

"And what about those who don't feel fear?"

"Those ones I replace," she said, staring straight ahead. She didn't even blink. "The king, for example. He died a long time ago. What sits on the throne now is just a puppet with scraps of consciousness."

Ethan didn't show surprise, only nodded. He had already expected something like that. "Are you sure it's wise to tell me all this?"

"It's not like it will change anything," she repeated, turning to face him. Her eyes gleamed, cold but curious. "And honestly… because it's fun. I could order you killed right now, but I see no point."

She smiled, a beautiful smile, but it still didn't reach her eyes. Ethan returned it, more restrained. "And what if I wanted to take control of you?"

"I'd let you try," she answered, without hesitation. "But I doubt you'd succeed. It took me a long time to master this technique."

There was a silence. Ethan used it to observe her: the perfect posture, every gesture calculated. There were no easy gaps, but there was something he understood now: she wanted someone who would challenge that monotony. Someone who wouldn't be just another pawn.

"You don't feel fear, do you?" he asked, almost teasing.

"Fear?" She tilted her head, curious. "Maybe… curiosity. That's the closest I get to it. It's natural for me."

The corridor ended at a broad archway overlooking an inner courtyard.

"You like having someone like me around?" he asked in a softer tone.

"More than you can imagine. You don't obey me without question," she admitted. "And you never look away from my eyes. That's not common, you know?"

She stopped, turned fully toward him, letting her gaze travel over his face, studying his features. "And I confess I also enjoy trying to figure out what goes on in that head of yours."

Ethan smiled. "And do you think you've discovered anything?"

"Only that you're playing your own game too," she replied, still calm. "I suppose that's what they call… cute."

Their eyes met, and for a moment there were no words. Just a heavy silence where their intentions and secrets brushed against each other.

Then she sighed, almost wearily. "Come on. There's still more I want to show you."

Ethan nodded. "Lead the way."

She walked past him, so close that he caught the faint scent of her perfume again. Ethan watched, attentive, not only to what she said, but to what she left unsaid.

She probably already guessed, but Ethan's mind had already begun to plan his next steps.

They left the inner courtyard and moved through another wing of the castle, where old tapestries told stories of dead kings. Now Ethan could easily imagine that many of them had truly died long before the people even realized.

She spoke as she walked, her voice calm, almost indifferent:

"Ruling a kingdom isn't that hard when everyone is already used to kneeling."

Ethan followed silently. The shadows in the corridor grew longer, and the air felt heavier there.

"And what's the next step?" he asked, voice neutral.

She stopped before a large wooden door decorated with carvings of dragons. Glancing at him, her beautiful face was so calm it was unsettling.

"To expand," she said. "Some borders are already weak. If we control the right people, the rest will fall on its own. We just need the right excuse."

"You want everything," Ethan commented, without accusation in his tone.

"I do," she confirmed, as simply as breathing. "And you, Ethan? What do you want?"

He shrugged, a lazy smile on his face. "My goals are beyond your understanding."

She laughed softly, though her eyes still looked empty. "You never answer anything directly."

"And you like that," he shot back, unblinking.

"I really do," she admitted, her gaze drifting over him from head to toe. "But don't think you fool me, Ethan. You're here for something too."

He neither denied nor confirmed. He just walked beside her as the door opened on its own with a dry creak.

Beyond it lay an oval room, its walls covered in cracked mirrors. At the center, a vacant throne of black stone.

"This is where I keep the 'king' most of the time," she said, approaching slowly.

The throne seemed to react, and a figure rose, as if pulled by invisible strings. It was the king: glassy-eyed, mouth half-open, murmuring incoherent sounds.

Ethan watched in silence. His stomach didn't turn. He felt no fear, no disgust, only a cold curiosity.

"His flesh still lives," she explained, resting her hand on the throne's armrest. "But his mind… that has belonged to me for a long time."

She turned her gaze to Ethan, almost teasing: "Scared?"

"Not at all," he replied, honestly.

She seemed almost pleased by that. "Good."

Ethan stepped closer, until he was only a few steps from her. The king murmured incoherent sounds, but Ethan didn't look away.

"And what if I say I accept?" he asked in a low voice.

She raised an eyebrow. "Accept what?"

"To be part of this," he said. "But don't think you can treat me like just another piece."

She stared at him for a few seconds. Then she smiled, a smile without warmth, yet real in its own way. "I don't usually make deals, Ethan. But know that I'll keep it in mind."

She extended her hand without hesitation. Ethan took it. Her fingers were cold as marble.

"So we're allies?" he asked, his voice soft but steady.

"We are," she said, her gaze sharp as a blade. "But don't forget: I have eyes and ears everywhere."

"I was counting on that," Ethan replied, almost amused.

Ethan was truly pleased by this agreement. Not because the idea of becoming the princess's ally excited him, but because now he had the perfect chance to observe her magic up close.

He could easily kill her and end it all right then and there, but to waste the opportunity to learn a magic like that? He'd have to be insane.