-Katherine-Time passed, and Darius and I found happiness in the simple moments—lazy days in bed, training, riding, and enjoying our time with our son, who was growing so fast. It felt like I blinked, and suddenly he had changed right before my eyes.One morning, while Darius slept, I ventured into town for a check-up. It was confirmed that I was pregnant, and I could hardly contain my excitement to share the news with Darius. However, when I returned, he wasn’t in our room. I searched for him and eventually found him in one of the common rooms, sitting on a couch and reading a letter. I recognized its origin immediately but asked anyway.“My brother,” he replied, his voice heavy.I sighed and sat beside him, quickly scanning the letter. He wanted Darius back. He seemed pleased that he had taken the time to gain clarity, insisting that their relationship shouldn’t be strained any longer. He would apologize to me but expected an apology in return, which I found completely absurd.“An ap
-Darius-Pregnant… Did I hear that correctly?“Darius?” she called again.“Yeah…”“You sound disappointed,” she whispered, but I shook my head, finally pulling myself back to the moment. I drew her closer, kissing her repeatedly, surprising her with my enthusiasm. She let out a little whimper with each kiss, which only fueled my affection. I pushed her down onto the couch we were sitting on, and she began laughing joyfully. “Or maybe not disappointed.”A smile danced on her lips now, and I shook my head before kissing her more slowly, savoring the moment.“I’m definitely not disappointed,” I assured her.“Why did you grow so quiet?”“Because I’m happy, and I didn’t think it would happen so fast.”“Me neither,” she whispered, her smile widening. I kissed her again, feeling the rush of love. As I reached for the hem of her skirt, ready to slip my hand inside, I hesitated. I had only brushed her bare thigh when a thought struck me. Katherine pulled back, looking at me with confusion as I
-Katherine-I looked around the bedroom where Darius and I had stayed for the past few weeks. I hadn’t realized how much I would long to remain here until the moment I had to leave. As I took in the familiar surroundings, joy swelled in my heart, filled with memories of all the good things that had happened in this space. I knew we could return to visit, but once we took care of Silver and Acan, we could never escape here again.“Ready?” I turned to see Darius, dressed and a dark cloud hanging over him.“I think so,” I replied, my voice betraying my uncertainty.I knew Darius noticed the tone because he stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me, holding me against him. His hands rested gently on my still-flat stomach. I was thrilled about being pregnant. I didn’t feel guilty about that at all. But fear also lurked in my heart.“You don’t sound very happy,” he whispered.“Are you happy about leaving?”“Definitely not,” he sighed, kissing the top of my head. “If we could just pause tim
-Darius-As we rode through the imposing gate, listening to the wheels clatter over the stones as we approached the grand staircase, both Katherine and I grew more tense with each passing moment. Outside, a crowd awaited us, making it seem as though we were the king and queen returning from a long journey. I knew my brother was putting on a show, trying to create the illusion that he desired peace with me when we both knew he didn’t.“Here we are,” Katherine whispered.I felt her hand tighten around mine as she took in the scene before us. The carriage was rather dark, making it difficult to see inside, but we could see everyone else standing outside.“Here we are,” I sighed.“Are we ready for this?”“Do we have a choice?” I asked.She shook her head. “Not really.”“No, I didn’t think so.”Katherine sighed deeply, then nodded at me, signaling that I could open the door. I smiled back at her, trying to offer her strength as I finally opened it. We stepped out into the bright sunlight af
-Katherine-“I’m glad you two are back,” Acan said, almost convincing us of his sincerity. “It has been… lonely without you. No one can truly understand what it’s like to be us except those who live our lives.”Darius and I exchanged glances, sensing that Acan was laying it on thick.“That’s true,” Darius agreed. “It can be hard to understand us.”I knew he was lying. I could hear it in his voice. But Acan smiled, believing Darius, and I struggled to suppress my own smile, not wanting to reveal the lack of truth.“How are things going here?” I asked. “Have things calmed down?”“Not really,” Acan admitted. “The people have been a bit dissatisfied.”I wanted to say, I wonder why, but I held my tongue, glancing at Darius, who understood my thoughts.“But I’m sure we can turn it around now that you two are back,” Acan insisted.“We will do our best,” Darius replied. “But we should probably unpack first, settle in. Let’s have dinner together and enjoy being back here with you.”“I love that
-Darius-I knew going to this dinner wouldn’t be enjoyable. Acan and Silver were already there with their boys, while Henry slept in his room, securely guarded. But the tension in the air was thick and uncomfortable. Acan tried to appear cheerful, but Silver remained angry.Katherine and I sat beside each other and began eating, but the silence was deafening. No one said a word. We just focused on our food.“How about going riding with me tomorrow?” Acan suddenly suggested.I smiled and nodded. “Sure, brother.”“It will give the women some time to reconcile,” he pointed out, but Silver shot a glare at her husband, causing Katherine to laugh.“No, I don’t think there will be any reconciling,” Katherine said. “I plan to spend my time on something much more worthwhile.”Silver let out an offended sound, glaring even more at Katherine. “Good thing I don’t want to spend my time with you, either.”“We promised to make peace,” Acan reminded them.“No, you and Darius were going to,” Katherine
-Darius-As Acan and I continued to talk, I noticed that the longer we spoke and the more he drank, the more his guard began to drop. He was slowly letting me back in, and I tried to hide the wicked smile that tugged at my lips.Eventually, though, he grew too tired and announced that he was going to rest but that we would be riding together tomorrow. I told him I couldn’t wait, even though the idea didn’t thrill me at all. Then I finished my drink and walked back to my room, where I found my wife sleeping peacefully. I briefly checked on Henry, who was heavily guarded but also fast asleep.Then I returned to our room, undressed, and joined Katherine in bed. She stirred slightly, moving closer to me before falling back asleep. I held her close and kissed the top of her head, savoring the moment. It reminded me of when we first arrived here. I remembered how we had gotten lost in each other, and the next morning, we realized what had happened—we had become a younger version of ourselves
-Katherine-Many people were angry with Acan and Silver. I had brought guards with me to the city, but I spent the day listening to their complaints. I wanted them to feel that they had someone to confide in about their struggles.“We can barely scrape by,” a woman told me, clutching a basket. She looked exhausted and a bit too thin. “After the taxes were raised, all my money went to feeding my kids, and I have nothing left. My husband is dead, so we survive on what I earn washing other people’s clothes.”I knew she didn’t earn much from that work. She lived in a poorer part of the city, and those in higher positions would likely view her as “too dirty” to associate with. So I found a small bag of coins that could sustain her family for weeks. When I offered it, her eyes widened in disbelief.“Take it,” I urged gently.She glanced around to ensure no one noticed her receiving extra money. When she took the bag, she thanked me repeatedly for my kindness.“Your king and queen aren’t taki
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-Darius-My beautiful queen came over to me, kissing me before sitting down beside me. Years had passed since we ascended the thrones and began ruling together, although my wife did most of the governing. The way she spoke to the people and connected with them was something I could never replicate. But over time, they had grown less afraid of me and more accepting.Therefore, we often ventured into the city together, walking among the people and ensuring they saw us. We brought all the kids with us as well, but they were nearly filling the entire table at our meals now. Silver’s and Acan’s boys had initially been sad about their parents, but we never fully disclosed our involvement in their fate, only that their parents had died due to the mob. They moved on quickly, and when the line of succession changed, I noticed a sense of relief in the eldest boy. He didn’t want to be king, and now he could enjoy his life as a prince.Katherine and I loved them as if they were our own sons, provi
Darius and I had traveled quite a distance with our prisoners. We knew exactly who to hand them over to, and now we stood in the middle of the night with a single torch, a few guards, and Silver and Acan before us, tied up and shivering uncontrollably. Their clothes were filthy, their bodies dirty after days spent in the dungeon. We had waited until things calmed down a bit before bringing them here, and now we were simply biding our time.“It’s been a while, prince,” the leader of the Dark Ones said as he emerged from the forest.He seemed to be alone, but I sensed he was not. His dark eyes focused on me, filled with joy.“I finally meet her,” he said.I smiled at him, and he returned the gesture before his eyes shifted to the king and queen before us, tied up and gagged.“Oh, a present. I didn’t bring anything for you,” he mocked.“Better work quickly,” Darius informed him. “We’ve given them something calming so they can’t use their powers, but it won’t be long.”“Don’t worry. We’ll
-Katherine-I gathered some guards and went upstairs to locate Silver’s room. Two guards stood there, blocking the door, but with four of my own, I confidently told them to move aside. They exchanged a glance and stepped back, clearly not wanting to engage in a fight with me. I smiled, feeling a surge of satisfaction, and pushed the door open.Inside, I heard Silver’s voice, “Acan?”I saw her standing up from the bed, a cup of wine in her hand, with blood smeared across her face. It was clear she had taken some hits.“Katherine…” she whispered.“Hello, Silver.”“W-Why are you here? What happened? Are they gone?” she asked.“No, there are still some left. I’m here to remove the wrong rulers and replace them with the right ones.”“The right… ones?” Silver began piecing it together, then let out a hollow laugh. “You…”“Yes.”“All this time?” she inquired.“That’s what you get for cheating with my husband and killing me,” I snapped.“What?” she inquired, looking confused. “I never touched
-Darius-I looked at my beautiful wife, dressed in our colors, her hair elegantly styled and adorned with a silver crown. She looked incredible, and all I wanted was to forget the party and enjoy her company alone. But I knew tonight was special. So instead, I settled for watching her from afar, taking in the wonderful woman before me.Katherine noticed me in the mirror and smiled. “How are you feeling?” she asked me.“Me? You’re the one who’s pregnant,” I replied with a chuckle.She smiled and nodded, then turned to face me, and I could feel my heart racing. It always did with her, swelling far beyond its normal size. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her.She looked up at me, her arms encircling my neck. “Yes, but this is a big night.”“It is,” I agreed.“So much will happen. Henry is protected, right?”“He is,” I assured her.“Good, because our entire world will soon change,” she whispered.“I know.”“So how are you feeling?”“Nervous, but determined. If the mob fails,
-Katherine-The next morning, I knew I had to do something I really didn’t want to do, but sometimes we had to sacrifice a little dignity to get what we wanted. I anticipated finding Silver with her ladies, so I headed to the room where they were drinking, eating, and laughing early in the morning. However, as soon as I entered, the room fell silent, and Silver glared at me as I approached. I plastered on a fake smile and walked closer, undeterred by their predatory gazes. I stopped in front of them and bowed my head slightly to show some respect, even though I felt none.“Morning,” I greeted.They didn’t respond, and I understood why.“Can we help you?” Silver spat.“Actually, I wanted to ask you a question,” I admitted, noticing her interest as I feigned vulnerability.“Oh?” she said, sipping her wine.“Well, Acan said I could throw that party, as you remember,” I reminded her.“Yes?”“But as I began planning, I became uncertain about a few things.”“Not surprising. It’s not that eas
-Katherine-Later, Darius and I retreated to our room after spending some time with Acan. I was already in bed when he joined me, pulling me close and kissing the top of my head.“I was a bit worried about being away from you today. I saw you went to the city. How did it go?” he asked.“Perfect.”“Perfect?” He raised an eyebrow.“You have no idea how angry the people are, Darius. They want Acan gone. I can feel it. They just need an opening, a chance, and I’m trying to find one,” I informed him.“Any ideas?”“No, what about you?”We both thought for a long moment as Darius ran his fingers along my arm, caressing me and making me feel calmer.“It was hard,” I finally admitted when neither of us had come up with a plan.“What was?” he inquired.“Listening to all that pain they were experiencing from not having enough money. I can’t believe Acan has been pushing them this hard or hurting them as much as he has. It’s just awful.”“Yes, I noticed how they glared at him as we rode through th
-Katherine-Many people were angry with Acan and Silver. I had brought guards with me to the city, but I spent the day listening to their complaints. I wanted them to feel that they had someone to confide in about their struggles.“We can barely scrape by,” a woman told me, clutching a basket. She looked exhausted and a bit too thin. “After the taxes were raised, all my money went to feeding my kids, and I have nothing left. My husband is dead, so we survive on what I earn washing other people’s clothes.”I knew she didn’t earn much from that work. She lived in a poorer part of the city, and those in higher positions would likely view her as “too dirty” to associate with. So I found a small bag of coins that could sustain her family for weeks. When I offered it, her eyes widened in disbelief.“Take it,” I urged gently.She glanced around to ensure no one noticed her receiving extra money. When she took the bag, she thanked me repeatedly for my kindness.“Your king and queen aren’t taki
-Darius-As Acan and I continued to talk, I noticed that the longer we spoke and the more he drank, the more his guard began to drop. He was slowly letting me back in, and I tried to hide the wicked smile that tugged at my lips.Eventually, though, he grew too tired and announced that he was going to rest but that we would be riding together tomorrow. I told him I couldn’t wait, even though the idea didn’t thrill me at all. Then I finished my drink and walked back to my room, where I found my wife sleeping peacefully. I briefly checked on Henry, who was heavily guarded but also fast asleep.Then I returned to our room, undressed, and joined Katherine in bed. She stirred slightly, moving closer to me before falling back asleep. I held her close and kissed the top of her head, savoring the moment. It reminded me of when we first arrived here. I remembered how we had gotten lost in each other, and the next morning, we realized what had happened—we had become a younger version of ourselves