Caden’s POV
I had not sought my father out in years.
We existed in the same palace, shared the same name, but our lives ran parallel without touching. King Darius ruled through distance as much as decree, present only when authority required it, absent when it came to anything resembling connection. I had learned early that waiting for him led nowhere. So I stopped waiting.
That night, I went to him anyway.
The corridors leading to his private study felt longer than usual, each step heavy with a familiar unease I pretended not to recognize. Guards straightened as I passed, surprise flickering across their faces. They were not used to seeing me walk toward my father instead of away from him.
The doors opened at my command.
Darius stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, the city lights reflecting faintly in the glass. He did not turn when I entered.
“You rarely come here,” he said.
“I rarely need to,” I replied.
He faced me then, his expression calm, unreadable. “And now?”
“And now the palace is on the verge of tearing itself apart,” I said. “Because of a decision you made.”
Silence settled between us.
“I assume this concerns your mother,” he said.
“And Elara,” I added.
His eyes sharpened slightly. “Speak.”
I stepped forward, forcing myself to hold his gaze. “The arrangement must be annulled.”
The words echoed, stark and final.
Darius studied me for a long moment. “No.”
I exhaled sharply. “You didn’t even consider it.”
“I considered it when I made the choice,” he replied.
“This situation is unstable,” I said. “My mother is escalating. The court is watching. Elara is being targeted.”
“And yet,” he said calmly, “she stands.”
“That doesn’t mean she should have to,” I snapped.
“Careful,” Darius warned.
I clenched my fists. “You don’t see what’s happening.”
“I see exactly what is happening,” he replied. “Better than you do.”
That stung.
“You forced this,” I said. “You took away her choice. Mine.”
“I gave you a future,” he said. “One you are too young to understand.”
“I am not a child,” I said.
“No,” he agreed. “You are a prince who mistakes control for clarity.”
Anger surged. “If you know so much, then tell me why.”
Darius turned back toward the window. “Some truths are not yours yet.”
I took another step forward. “Do you know something I don’t?”
Silence.
The absence of denial was answer enough.
“You do,” I said quietly.
He did not respond.
“This is about more than politics,” I pressed. “More than alliances.”
“Yes,” he said simply.
I laughed bitterly. “You expect obedience without explanation.”
“I expect trust,” he replied.
“You never earned it,” I said before I could stop myself.
He turned sharply then, eyes flaring with something dangerously close to emotion. “You presume much.”
“And you presume nothing will break,” I shot back.
For a moment, it felt like we stood on opposite sides of a chasm neither of us knew how to cross.
“I will not annul the arrangement,” Darius said finally. “This marriage will proceed.”
“And if I refuse?” I asked.
His gaze hardened. “Then you will learn what refusal costs.”
I stared at him, chest tight, a familiar ache settling beneath my ribs. I had come seeking answers. I was leaving with only more questions.
“I won’t let her be destroyed,” I said quietly.
“She will not be,” Darius replied. “Not if you stand where you’re meant to.”
I turned away before my restraint shattered.
Outside the study, the palace felt colder.
I walked without direction, thoughts colliding and unraveling all at once. Anger at my father warred with a deeper unease. He knew something. Something he refused to share. And whatever it was, it bound Elara to this place tighter than any vow.
I found my mother in the west gallery.
She stood alone, gazing at a tapestry depicting a queen victorious, her posture rigid, her expression unreadable. She did not look surprised to see me.
“You went to him,” Arinelle said softly.
“Yes,” I replied.
“And,” she asked, “did he listen.”
“No.”
Her lips curved into a thin smile. “Of course not.”
“This has gone far enough,” I said. “You are endangering us all.”
She turned slowly, eyes blazing. “He endangered us when he chose her.”
“She is not your enemy,” I snapped.
“She is an obstacle,” Arinelle replied. “And obstacles are removed.”
A chill ran through me. “Don’t.”
“You think I don’t see it,” she continued. “The way you look at her. The way you hesitate.”
“I don’t care for her,” I said.
“Liar,” she hissed. “You care enough to defy me. Enough to defy him.”
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “You will not touch her.”
Arinelle laughed softly. “I don’t need to touch her.”
My blood ran cold.
“She will vanish from this palace,” my mother said calmly. “One way or another.”
The threat settled heavy and absolute between us.
“You spent my whole life ruining me from within,” I whispered. The truth felt ugly to say out loud. “That's why I won't let you ruin her as well.”
She didn't answer. Didn't need to. Just looked at me as if I didn't know what I was saying.
I watched my mother leave the way an assassin would—quietly, without any need to make noise to make it known what kind of danger he carries.
For the first time since my so-called bride came to the palace where I lived my whole life, I realized this war had already begun.
And Elara was standing directly in its path. No, even worse. She was the main target.