The conference was over. Ministers spilled out of the grand chamber, their robes trailing, their words sharp and empty like coins clattering on marble. My unit kept formation, escorting Minister Kadrin back toward the armored convoy.
That silence between us burned heavier than the rifle on my back. His face was stern, unreadable—but I knew what it meant. To him, I was still a mistake.
At the steps of the convoy, he finally turned. His voice was low, but it cut like steel.
"You're wasting your life. Guarding men like me. For a crown that will chew you and spit you out."
My jaw clenched. "I chose this, Father. I'm a soldier of B.A.M."
"Soldier?" He spat the word. "No, you're just another pawn. One order from above and they'll throw your body into the mud without hesitation. And you—fool that you are—you'll die smiling, thinking it meant something."
Before I could answer, a shadow moved behind us.
Chris Blackwood. The King himself.
I froze, instantly snapping to salute, the weight of his presence like fire on my skin. Even Father stiffened.
Chris had overheard. His eyes, cold and sharp, pierced right through the air between us. Then—he smiled. A calm, chilling smile.
"You risk your life for a man who cannot see you," Chris said, voice low, each word deliberate. "That is loyalty." He stepped closer, his cloak brushing the marble. "But loyalty should not be wasted on those who spit at it. Don't bleed for someone who would not bleed for you."
My father flinched, but stayed silent. His fists curled, but he dared not speak against the King.
Chris turned his gaze on me. I felt it burn through my bones.
"You are B.A.M. now. Not just his son. Remember that."
And then, without warning, Soren Vask emerged from the shadows, always close, always watching. He bowed lightly toward Chris.
"My King, the boy has proven himself. He stood his ground. He did not break."
Chris nodded, his eyes still on me.
"Good. Then let him learn one more lesson."
He leaned close, almost whispering, but loud enough for my father to hear.
"The crown sees you. I see you. When the time comes… you'll know where your true family lies."
He left those words hanging, turned, and walked away, Soren following like a blade in the dark.
My father was trembling—out of rage, or fear, I couldn't tell. But as I stood there in my uniform, rifle in hand, I realized something that made my chest tighten.
The King had just claimed me.
And whether my father liked it or not… I wasn't just his son anymore.
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