"The oath may falter under flame, and the heart may burn for reasons it shouldn't. Because unbidden love is a dagger to the dynasty, guardians of the crown are not allowed to discuss desire. Book of Oaths, Section XIV, Prohibited Verses
The crackle of the fire was the only sound in the room. With the weight of the throne's absence pressing down on her like stone, Serenya sat rigidly in her chair. She made an effort to calm her shaking hands. Lyrian was kneeling across from her, his eyes blazing and his voice low but insistent. His words flowed like molten fire as he repeated, "I swear, Serenya, my heart has betrayed my oath." However, it beats just for you. I can never stop loving you, even if I had to die a thousand times to keep you alive. Whether it binds or breaks me, this is my truth. His eyes mirrored the twin fires of defiance and devotion.
Serenya felt her chest tighten. It was clear from the crown, the prophecy, and the throne that love was a sign of weakness. However... The sound of his confession made her heart race, betraying her. Behind her, Kaelen stood with her jaw clenched and silent as stone. Eryndor hovered in the darkness, his face unintelligible, his lips curved in the tiniest hint of a smirk. They bided their time. observing, judging. --- "Lyrian." She spoke in a shaky, thin voice. "You have violated your oath. You've put everything on the line. Your honor, my life, everything.
He raised his hands, palms up, as though to protect her from criticism. "I took no chances for you. Keeping you whole is more important than breaking your oath, which is why I risked it. To be close to you, to assist you, to— "Stop!" Serenya's shriek was like a blade slicing through the room. "You believe that love can keep me safe? Do you believe that a queen's devotion can protect her from poison, treachery, and the prophecy that "one will break me"? Lyrian recoiled, but he stayed on his knees, burning simultaneously with fear, defiance, and desire.
She went on, raising her voice, "Do you not understand?" "I am no longer queen first if I accept this...if I allow my heart to tilt toward yours. As the crown falls, I am a woman who hopes, who trusts, who—who might die for love. Slowly, his trembling hands rose. "But if I don't tell you, I could leave your heart vulnerable, aching, and unloved." She gasped. Their shadows were long and intertwined as the fire danced across the room. Her heart pounded. Duty and desire clashed. With an iron voice, Kaelen took a step forward. "Serenya, stop being so foolish. A dynasty cannot be protected by love. You are aware of this. Don't allow your passion to blind you.
Low and shadowed, Eryndor's voice trailed behind. Or maybe it just makes you blind, Queen. and abandons us all to watch, powerless to stop what you decide. --- The fire crackled like the tension in the air as the chamber heated up. With white knuckles, Serenya's hands held onto the chair's arms. She desired to have faith in him. In a place she had long denied, she longed to reach out and feel Lyrian's warmth wash over her. However, doubt murmured like poison. Betrayal is inevitable. Betrayal is inevitable. And the prophecy, patient and dark, loomed.
They had been put to the test by her. She had observed them. She had witnessed Eryndor's unwavering shadow, Kaelen's steel, and Lyrian's unwavering devotion. The prophecy, however, would not lie. One of these three hearts would shatter somewhere. And she was still unable to determine which. --- Lyrian stood up a little and extended his hand to her. "Serenya, let me show you how I feel. Let me demonstrate that my love is a strength rather than a weakness. I promise. She stepped back and yelled, "Do not!" Her chest heaved and her voice cracked. "Don't talk about love with me! Not right now! Not in this manner! The words were necessary, but they felt cruel. With shadows lurking around every corner, she could not—would not—let herself be influenced by desire.
His eyes were wide with pain and incredulity as he faltered. "Please, Serenya." Her eyes were burning. "I am unable to. Not right now. I just can't. Kaelen's hand was on his sword's hilt. The shadow of Eryndor drew nearer. And with all of his devotion exposed and denied, Lyrian—Lyrian, the fire in her heart—knelt broken. --- As she left the room, she was engulfed by the firelight. She ran down the hallways, past the guards who were silent, past the sleeping halls. Still unworn, her crown felt heavier than before. Even the strongest Guardian was unable to repair the shattered pieces of her throbbing, wild heart.
The cold hallways felt judgmental, the stones pressing down on her. She could also hear Lyrian's steady, patient, silent, yet present, breathing behind her. She was unable to turn around. Hope was too dangerous for her. --- Rain started to fall again, dampening the stones beneath her hands as she pressed herself against the window in the lonesome tower. She felt a heave in her chest. Her heart hurt. Duty had triumphed over desire. However... She was aware that the fire would not go out despite the wind slicing across her face. Lyrian's love remained unwavering and unrelenting, waiting for her to falter once more. The prophecy then muttered, "One shall betray."
One shall betray.
Her eyes closed. She did not know if the betrayal would come from steel, shadow, or heart.
But she knew this:
By pulling away from the fire she had nurtured, she had left herself vulnerable.
And the danger had only just begun.