The morning sun filtered cold and pale through the high windows of the royal castle as Lyra slipped quietly through the marble halls, her face hidden beneath a delicate veil. Her heart beat faster with every step toward the throne room, where Kael had been summoned by the king himself.
The castle buzzed with whispers — nobles speculated about the arrival of the warrior captain and the mysterious elf who accompanied him. None knew the true reason behind the summons.
Kael waited by the throne, his expression unreadable but tense. His armor gleamed, though his eyes reflected the heavy burden weighing on him.
As Lyra approached, Kael's gaze softened for a fleeting moment. She returned his look with a quiet resolve.
The king sat high on his throne — a stern figure crowned by ice-blue eyes that seemed to pierce through souls. His reputation as the "Ice King" was well earned: cold, calculating, and merciless when it came to protecting his realm.
"You both carry a dangerous power," the king's voice echoed through the hall, "one that threatens to tip the balance of Eldoria's fragile peace."
Lyra swallowed the urge to respond immediately, sensing the layers of politics and distrust in the room.
"We have no intention of disrupting peace," Kael said firmly, stepping forward. "But the power we bear cannot be ignored. It is tied to a prophecy—one that could save or destroy us all."
The king's eyes narrowed.
"Prophecies are fragile things, easily twisted by ambition and fear. Show me proof."
Before Lyra could answer, the doors burst open. A contingent of royal guards marched in, led by a noblewoman whose presence radiated authority and something far more dangerous: jealousy.
Lyra's veil slipped, revealing her face as she stepped forward.
The noblewoman's eyes flickered with recognition and disdain.
"You dare come here?" she hissed, voice dripping with venom. "Do you think your magic can sway the king?"
Kael moved protectively in front of Lyra, ready to confront the challenge, but the king raised a hand to halt any conflict.
"Enough," he commanded. "This court will decide the fate of your bond."
Lyra met Kael's gaze once more, feeling the unspoken promise between them: no matter the trials ahead, they would face them united.
The court's tension thickened, the stage set for a dangerous game where desire, power, and betrayal would collide.