The rain fell in torrent, striking the earth with a furry that swallowed every breath. Thunder rolled across the heavens , splitting the silence with a force that made the very ground tremble. Eliora clung to the reins, her vision blurred by the downpour, her body shivering as the storm swallowed them all.
The two men flanked her , shielding her from the worst of the rain as they urged their horses forward. But the storm had its own will. The sky cracked open with another thunderclap, so sharp it rattle their bones. The horses shrieked, their hooves slipping on the slick stones.
Eliora's mount reared in terror.
She had no time to scream.
The world tilted, stone met with a brutal crack, and darkness swept her way . Her body lay motionless on the cold ground as the horse bolted into the storm , vanishing like a shadow swallowed by night.
Both men froze, their heart clenching in the same instant , though for very different reasons.
First to move was Aurien, whose eyes had always carried an unspoken claim. He lept from his horse and gathered Eliora into his arms , holding her as though the storm itself had tried to steal her away from him. His grip was possessive, almost fierce, as if he could chain her very soul to his chest.
The second prince sat frozen for a heartbeat, rain dripping from his lashes . His gaze lingered on her pale face, fragile body pressed into another man's hold. A sharpness flickered across his expression. It was something cold , something hungry, but he chose to say nothing. Instead he slide into his horse with deliberate calm, silently conceding this movement.... for now.
Eliora's head rested against the steady rise and fall of his chest . And then , within the folds of unconsciousness, something stirred.
A vision.
Not of thunder . Not of pain. But of laughter. Hers . The soft glow of sunlight over a lake. Ripples breaking as she splashed water at someone whose figure stood half- hidden. Then the haze lifted , and the stranger's face became clear.
It was him.
Aurien. The man who carried her now. But his eyes were not the sharp , possessive ones she had known. They were softened by warmth, by a smile did not belong to the man of this moment.
The vision dissolved into shadows as the storm dragged her back into silence.
"Hold on ", Aurien murmured, tightening his grip as he turned sharply into a hidden path. " l know the way ".
The second prince followed without question. Yet his silence was heavy , filled with words unsaid, his jaw clenched against the storm and the man who carried her .
Through pounding the rain, the Palace gates finally loomed. His voice thunder louder than the storm itself :
" Open the gates ! "
Torches flared, guards stumbled in shock , and the world seemed to lurch awake. He carried her swiftly inside, his steps echoing through the stillness of the Palace halls . Behind them , the second prince's voice cut sharp through the air:
"Send for the physician! To her Chambers-now!"
Maids and servant froze where they stood , their faces pale with disbelief . Whispers died on their lips . The Palace, vast and cold, held its breath.
For Eliora, unconsciousness and fragile in his arms, had brought silence to a kingdom.
The echo of his footsteps thundered through the corridors , every stride fueled by a desperation he dared not to name . Water trailed from his cloak , pooling across the marble floor, yet no servant moved to wipe it away . Their eyes followed him in stunned silence as he carried Eliora, her body pale against the black storm that clung to him.
Behind them, the second prince's presence lingered like a shadow, silent, commanding and dangerous. His voice had summoned the physician, yet his gaze never strayed far from the girl in another man's arm.
The Palace, usually alive with whispers and rustle of silk, was subdued into reverent stillness. Torches flickered, blending low as though afraid to burn too brightly. Every corner seemed to shiver with unease, as if the very stones of the Palace knew that something had shifted.
At last , the heavy doors of Eliora's Chambers opened. Aurien lowered her carefully onto the silken sheets, though his hands lingered longer than they should have , fingers brushing against her damp hair as though he could anchor her back into consciousness.
"Fetch the physician", he commanded again, though his voice was low , heavy with a warning that brooked no delay.
The second prince's stepped into the chamber behind him, closing the door with deliberate slowness. For a breath, the storm outside was muted, replaced by the fragile sound of Eliora's breathing.
"She fell because of the storm", Aurien said ,his tone clipped , almost defensive.
"Do not twist this into anything more".
The second prince's lips curved, though it was no smile . His gaze lingered on the unconsciousness girl , her fragile form illuminated by the wavering lamplight." You carry her as though she belongs to you". His voice was soft but every syllable was edge with steel.
The man stiffened, his jaw tightened, but before he could reply, Eliora stirred faintly. A soft murmur slipped from her lips , incoherent, but enough to silence the clash of words. Both men turned , their gaze looking upon her fragile form as though her every breath was a battlefield.
Her lashes fluttered.
The vision still clung to her , shadows of laughter and warmth, of sunlight rippling across the water. For a heartbeat, her lips curved, as if she were smiling at someone unseen.
The physician burst into the Chambers then, breaking the spell. Servant followed with basins of water and cloth, there hands trembling as they moved. The Palace's silence fractured into a storm of hurried whispers, though none dared to lift their eyes for long.
"Leave", the physician ordered firmly, gesturing to the men." She needs rest and care".
Neither moved.
The tension between them was thick enough to choke the air. Aurien stood rotten beside the bed, his shadow falling across Eliora like a vow. The second prince lingered at the doorway, his eyes gleaming with an emotion too sharp to name.
At last , the second prince inclined his head ever so slightly. " Stay if you must . But remember...." His gaze cut to the unconsciousness girl ." She is not yours".
And then he was gone , the door closing behind him with a sound like a final note of a warning bell.
Inside the chamber, the storm still roared beyond the walls, yet the greater storm was the silence between Eliora and the man who did not let her go .
As silence thickened, Eliora's hand shot up , gripping the sheets with unnatural strength. Her voice was hollow, distance like echo from another world.
"They're coming for me....."
And the lamp beside her shattered without a touch .