ANMELDENRagnar’s POVI should have been working.The reports covering my desk were important. Border disputes, military movements, trade agreements, mana reserve inventories. Normally I would have finished reading them hours ago, but tonight I found myself staring at the same page for several minutes without absorbing a single word.I already knew why.My gaze drifted toward the closed guest chamber door across the room before I looked away again with a frown. The fire burned steadily nearby, casting warm light across the stone walls of my chambers. Outside, the palace had grown quiet. Most of the court had retired for the evening, leaving only guards and servants moving through the halls.Everything should have felt normal.Instead, my thoughts kept returning to Lior.Or whatever had taken his place.Before his arrival, I had read every report available on him. They all described the same person. A weak Omega prince who spent most of his life avoiding attention. Someone ignored by his family
Aziel’s POV“So you and Lyrielle, huh?”I looked at Ragnar with a teasing smirk as we walked through the palace corridor side by side, the tension from the dining hall finally fading now that we were away from watching eyes.Ragnar didn’t even look at me at first.“I knew you were going to start talking the second we left.”“That isn’t a denial.”“It should be.”I hummed softly, folding my arms loosely as we continued down the long torchlit hallway. “The whole hall practically expected a wedding announcement.”“They expect a lot of stupid things.”“But not usually from Magnus.”That finally got Ragnar’s attention. He glanced toward me briefly before looking forward again, jaw tightening slightly.The reaction alone was enough to amuse me.Interesting.“Lyrielle looked pleased,” I continued casually. “Well. Until I spoke.”“You enjoy creating problems for yourself.”“I enjoy watching people react.”“That explains a lot.”I almost smiled at that.The palace around us was quieter now com
Aziel’s POVThe first thing I noticed when we entered Ragnar’s chambers was the silence.Not the ordinary silence of empty rooms or sleeping halls. This silence felt intentional, controlled, like even sound understood it was not allowed to linger there for long.The chambers were larger than mine, though not overly decorated. Dark stone walls stretched high beneath arched ceilings marked faintly with old silver runes. Shelves lined one side of the room, filled with maps, sealed documents, and weapons rather than ornaments. A low fire burned steadily near the far wall, casting warm light across heavy furniture that looked chosen for function instead of luxury.It suited him.Cold.Controlled.Dangerous.Ragnar stepped inside first and removed the dark gloves from his hands before tossing them onto a nearby table and pointing to a fairly large sofa.“You’ll stay here tonight.”I closed the door behind me. “You say that like I agreed already.”“You don’t have another room.”“I could take
Aziel’s POVSleep did not come easily in this palace.The silence here was different from the silence of war camps or abandoned battlefields. Those places carried exhaustion. This place carried tension. Even the walls felt awake, listening to every movement, every breath.I lay on the bed staring at the ceiling long after midnight, one arm resting over the still-healing wound at my side. Moonlight filtered faintly through the curtains, silver against dark stone. Somewhere beyond the windows, guards changed shifts. Boots echoed through distant corridors before fading again.Everything here moved with purpose.Everything except me.For the first time in years, I was trapped in weakness. The thought irritated me more than the pain ever could.I exhaled slowly and closed my eyes.Sleep eventually dragged me under, though lightly. Never fully. My instincts had been trained too long for that.That was why I felt it immediately.Mana.Cold.Sharp.Wrong.My eyes opened instantly.The room wa
Aziel’s POVI was halfway through binding the wound at my side when the knock came.Not hesitant.Not polite.Deliberate.I didn’t answer immediately. I tightened the cloth instead, ignoring the sharp pull of pain that followed. Whoever was on the other side would wait.The knock came again.More insistent this time.I exhaled slowly, then straightened and walked to the door. When I opened it, Soren stood there, already watching me like he expected resistance.“You’re needed,” he said.“By who?”A brief pause.“Magnus.”That was unexpected.Not entirely.But sooner than it should have been.I studied Soren for a moment, searching for anything else in his expression. There was something there, faint but noticeable, something closer to caution than concern.“He doesn’t summon people like this,” Soren added.“Then I should feel honored.”“That’s not what I meant.”“I know.”I stepped past him before he could say anything else. If Magnus wanted to see me, there was no reason to delay. Wai
Aziel’s POVThe summons came at dusk, and this time it was not delivered through a servant or even Soren. Ragnar came himself.The door to my quarters opened without warning, but I did not turn immediately. I remained by the window, looking out at the courtyard below where soldiers trained in precise formations, their movements sharp and disciplined. I let him step fully into the room before acknowledging him. If he expected obedience, he would continue to be disappointed.“You’re adjusting quickly,” Ragnar said.His voice carried the same calm weight as always, controlled and unreadable.“I don’t have a choice,” I replied, finally turning to face him.He studied me for a moment, his gaze slower this time, more deliberate, as though measuring something that had shifted since the last time we spoke. “You always have a choice.”I held his gaze without flinching. “You didn’t come here to discuss that.”“No,” he said, stepping closer. “Walk.”It was not a request, but I moved anyway, not







