A Dance for Two

Ethan never liked wasting time. In the days that followed, he turned every moment by the princess's side into an opportunity. She probably guessed he was plotting something, but seemed to treat it all as a game of teasing and laughter, though her smile never looked truly real.

They talked during walks through dark stone corridors, at private dinners where only the light of golden candelabras separated their faces, and even on balconies where the wind carried her secrets away. She spoke, always with her completely empty expression, as if she saw no reason to hide anything. Little by little, Ethan managed to analyze and understand more and more about how her magic and kingdom worked.

He discovered that her kingdom kept fragile alliances with two neighboring realms, both still indebted from old wars. The courts were full of arrogant nobles, but with no real ambition, which left room for her to act without opposition. That was how the princess, using her mind domination magic, placed the most influential nobles in key positions, turning them into seemingly intact puppets. They didn't need to kneel before her; it was enough that they obeyed on critical matters.

She also showed a lot of interest in the supposed new hero who had appeared. She believed that having someone like him under her control would bring more political power than a few foolish nobles. This made Ethan wonder if that had always been the princess's goal in the novel.

In the original story, the hero killed her. Her questionable choices and the fact that she had started a war enraged him to the point of driving his sword through her heart.

A lovesick princess who made the wrong choices and ended up killed by the one she loved because of them. But each day he spent by her side, the more certain he became that the truth behind that story was far from what it seemed.

Ethan, for his part, listened patiently. His calm smile never wavered. She noticed that, and it seemed to amuse her. Between sips of wine, she explained the limits of the power she wielded. "Despite everything, it's not absolute control," she said one night, as the moon lit half her face. "At least not over the living. It's more like… planting ideas, strengthening insecurities, twisting wills until they choose what I want."

The princess's gaze seemed far away as she recalled scenes from the past. "I increase the guard's sense of loyalty and duty to protect this kingdom and the royal family, while also weakening any desire they might have to rebel." She swirled the wine in her glass. "With the servants, I simply deepened the fear they already had of failing me, something they had in abundance."

Ethan replied with a compliment and a brief touch on her hand, noticing how proud she was of her own choices and plans. The princess was cold, but not immune to the fascination she felt for Ethan. Over the days, he tested how close she would allow him to get. But so far, it didn't seem like he had reached that limit yet.

When she asked about him, Ethan said little. He left deliberate gaps, feeding her curiosity without revealing anything that truly mattered. Throughout those days, she drew closer too, as if testing his limits as well.

To outsiders, they might have looked like nothing more than a couple hiding their romance from those who would want to end it. A princess and a stranger? The king would never allow it.

Ethan just kept his usual smile while his mind worked. Every new piece of information about neighboring kingdoms, loyal servants, weaknesses in her magic, all added up in his mind. Each night, lying alone, he reviewed everything, mentally planning his next moves and what else he still needed to uncover.

The princess asked nothing of him except his company. So it was easy to see and hear everything she heard. But he still couldn't understand what benefit she truly gained from that.

In the days that followed, Ethan stayed close, closer, bolder, but never let his guard down. And the princess seemed to open more and more doors to him. Not just the doors of the castle, but also secrets that had never before left her lips.

They wandered through locked rooms, hidden corridors, and chambers used only by her inner circle. Ethan feigned casual curiosity but memorized every detail: escape routes, hidden guards, and the meeting points of messengers loyal to the princess.

She explained, in a monotone voice still laced with pride, how she had organized everything, how she spread controlled rumors and veiled threats to keep everyone around her in constant fear or debt. "People always obey when they believe the choice is theirs," she once said, eyes fixed on the horizon beyond the window. Ethan merely nodded, absorbing the true weight of it.

At times, Ethan felt like an imaginary friend, or even a therapist, to her. As if she kept him around just to have someone to talk to.

All the while, the two maintained their provocative dance. Subtle flirting, understated compliments, fleeting touches that seemed casual. The princess kept her empty smile, while Ethan wore his own false one, different from his usual smile.

Carefully, he steered their conversations toward what really mattered, for example, how exactly her magic worked. She never seemed to mind explaining. The magic depended as much on words and presence as on the mana she channeled. The stronger the target's emotions, the easier it was to manipulate them.

"It works best on those who already fear something," she said plainly. "Or on those who want something so badly they don't notice the hand guiding them." Ethan smiled, pretending fascination. Inside, he was already thinking how to use that against someone who seemed to have no emotions at all.

In between, Ethan kept just enough distance so she never forgot he wasn't hers. That balance, between interest and refusal, seemed to only spark her curiosity more, and perhaps even her attraction.

And then, on a gray afternoon, Ethan stopped before a dimly lit corridor, staring at an old cracked portrait on the wall. By now, he knew every room, every secret she had shared… and what that meant.

He exhaled slowly, his gaze beginning to sharpen. It was time to act. The next step wouldn't just be listening, it would be to move the very pieces she herself had placed on the board. And as she spoke behind him, Ethan, without turning around, merely murmured to himself:

"It's time."