The aftermath of the ball echoed louder than any music played that night.
News spread like wildfire through the capital—how Shinomi, the feared and respected commander, had kissed Aiden—Ren—under the shimmering chandelier of the royal ballroom, in front of nobles, foreign envoys, and the King himself. The moment was seared into everyone's memory: two men, lost in each other's presence, sharing a kiss so intense it silenced the entire hall.
And like all moments that challenge the norm—it sparked chaos.
---
"Did you hear? Shinomi kissed a boy—and not just any boy, but Rael's heir!"
"The Rael boy—wasn't he always odd? Wearing silks, flowers in his hair, acting like a princess…"
"Wasn't Shinomi supposed to marry Celestia? This is her fault. She pushed him away. If she had accepted him, maybe he wouldn't be chasing men."
"She turned him into this!"
The words flew from whispers to loud tavern debates to drawing-room gossip. Celestia's name came up more than Ren's or Shinomi's. Blame was quick to fall on her—not only for rejecting Shinomi, but for being too powerful, too free-willed, too independent.
The old noblewomen shook their heads.
The older men scowled in disgust.
But the youth—they saw something else.
"He looked so happy holding him…"
"That wasn't lust. That was love."
---
Among the younger generation, something stirred.
Whispers became talks. Talks became decisions.
"I've never seen Lord Shinomi smile like that before," said a young soldier to his companion. "I always thought people like me had to stay silent… but maybe… maybe we don't."
The incident became their chance.
Many young nobles who had spent their lives hiding their desires in shame found hope in that one public kiss. It didn't matter how scandalous it was—it was real.
Some even wrote letters to their own parents, confessing secret relationships they'd hidden for years. Some began proposing in secret to their lovers—some of the same gender—knowing this moment might be their only opening.
And when a group of forward-thinking nobles came together, something unprecedented was proposed:
A wedding.
Not a hidden one. Not a backdoor promise.
But an official royal marriage.
Between Shinomi and Ren.
They argued it openly to the court:
"If even the kingdom's greatest commander and a noble heir can fall in love, then why shouldn't they have the same rights as any other couple?"
"They're not breaking the kingdom," one young nobleman said. "They're showing us what love looks like without fear."
---
Celestia, too, heard the rumors. She remained quiet, but not passive.
She saw the pain in Aiden's eyes before the kiss. The hurt. The courage.
And somewhere deep inside, she realized the blame placed on her was wrong… but perhaps not meaningless.
Because the truth was—she had the chance to love Shinomi and chose not to.
But she would not become a villain in their love story.
She would help them now, if she could.
---
By the end of the week, the palace was divided.
The older council feared the influence.
The younger court called it progress.
But one thing was clear:
A revolution had begun.
Not with swords. Not with rebellion.
But with a kiss.
And for Ren and Shinomi—this was only the beginning.
---