Pati ac Dolor. My fiancée.
She does not remember, but I do. Years ago, when the Duke of Ellington took me under his wing to train me—to mold me into a weapon stronger than any other—that was when we first met.
I remember that day with stinging clarity. I was a child, hiding behind a tree, sobbing in secret. She found me there. Back then, her eyes were soft, not the icy shards of glass they are now. She was so young she could barely pronounce her words properly.
"Why are you crying?" she had asked, her voice a gentle melody. "Did someone hurt you?"
I didn't answer, but she didn't care. She leaned down and pulled me into a hug. For the first time in my life, I felt safe. It was a warmth I had never known, a sanctuary I never wanted to leave.
Then, she whispered the words that would define my entire life: "I don't like men who cry. Be strong. Become so strong that you can marry me. If you do, I will hold you every day in return."
That promise was the fuel for my fire. I became stronger than anyone, a monster on the battlefield, all so I could return to her.
When I finally became a man, I asked the Duke for her hand. He refused me at first—he was obsessed with her, always talking about his "precious" daughter. He set a condition: he would only give her to a King. And so, the throne became my next target.
I never planned to treat her so harshly when she burst into my office. But seeing her there, in my space, under my roof... how could I control myself? The hunger was too much. If she hadn't stopped me, I would have made her mine at that very moment. I don't want to force her, but I will make her realize she belongs to me.
She thinks she is strong. She thinks she can hide her heart. But I saw her long ago, and I see her now. I saw her break down in my mother's arms. Look at you, Pati. Already seeking comfort from your future mother-in-law.
But all my possessive joy vanished the moment I heard she was kidnapped. When I arrived at the scene and saw the blood on the
Inside of the carriage... my soul turned to ash. Was it hers? The rage and the sheer, paralyzing fear made me want to burn the world to the ground.
It took four days to find her. Four days of living in a hopeless, silent hell. When I finally got the location, I didn't hesitate. I crossed paths with her brother, Derrick, on the way. He was in just as much of a murderous hurry as I was. I didn't care about him; I only cared about the name she whispered when I burst through the door.
"Richt..."
She spoke my name as if I were her only hope. As if I were the only one who could protect her. Because I was.
I let Derrick have the pleasure of slaughtering the kidnappers. He was in a fit of sub-human rage, and I had a more important task: her. It took a week for her to finally wake up. Every second of that week, I held her. I didn't leave her side for a moment, whispering into her ear, begging her to come back to me.
And when she finally opened those eyes? I wasn't there. I had stepped away for a mere moment, knowing how much she feared me. Seeing her try to run away from me the moment I returned upset me so much I had to pin her to me again. I needed to feel her heartbeat against mine to know she was real.
But then, she dropped the bomb. She heard him there. My half-brother.
Ceres. My own blood. How dare he lay a finger on her? How dare he make her bleed? I will not rest until I have spilled ten times the amount of blood he took from her.
I didn't want to leave her side again, especially with the Duke and that annoying sister of hers arriving, but I have a debt to settle.
Ceres Crisis will learn what happens when you touch what is mine.