Chapter 29: What He Won't Say
Damon hadn't planned to come back quietly.
The whole way home, he could only think about one person — Helena.
At first he told himself it was just worry. But somewhere along the way, that worry turned into something stronger. Something he couldn't ignore anymore.
So he brought her a gift.
Nothing fancy — just something small and simple, picked with care. Something that reminded him of her.
When he reached the palace, the first thing he noticed was that she looked better. Stronger. More alive than before.
He felt relief in his chest.
"Helena," he called softly.
She turned, and the moment she saw him, her face lit up.
"Damon!"
Before he could say anything, she ran up and hugged him.
And for a moment, he held her.
That was when Kira saw them.
His steps slowed.
His eyes turned dark.
Something sharp twisted inside him — something he didn't want to name.
Damon... and Helena.
Too close.
Too comfortable.
Too much.
Kira walked over, his face cold and hard to read.
"Elena—" he started to say, but stopped himself and went quiet, his jaw tight.
Instead, he looked straight at Damon.
"Seems like you have a lot of free time."
Damon frowned. "I just got back—"
"Come with me."
His voice was sharp. Final.
Kira turned and walked off without another word.
Damon hesitated, glanced at Helena, then followed.
---
The door slammed shut behind them.
The room went silent.
Then —
"What was that about?" Damon asked.
Kira didn't answer right away. His fists were clenched, his jaw tight.
"You just got back," Kira said slowly, "and the first thing you do is run to a servant girl?"
Damon blinked. "That's what this is about?"
Kira's eyes snapped up.
"Stay away from her."
The words hit hard.
Damon just stared at him.
Then something clicked.
"Wait," he said slowly. "You like her."
Kira's face hardened. "I don't."
"You do."
"I said I don't."
"Then why are you so angry?" Damon shot back. "Why do you even care?"
Silence.
Heavy. Dangerous.
Kira stepped closer, his voice low.
"Just stay away from her."
Damon let out a breath and shook his head.
"No."
Kira's eyes went darker.
"No?" he repeated.
"I like her," Damon said firmly. "And I'm not going to pretend I don't."
That was the last straw.
Kira grabbed his collar, anger flaring up.
"Don't touch her again."
"She's not yours!" Damon snapped, pushing him back. "You don't even have the guts to admit what you feel!"
The tension broke.
They shoved and grabbed each other, almost breaking into a real fight.
Then suddenly —
Damon stopped.
His face turned serious.
"...Is it because of the curse?" he asked quietly.
Kira froze.
His silence said everything.
Damon let out a slow breath. "So it's true."
Kira looked away, his voice turning cold.
"That's exactly why you need to stay away from her."
"No," Damon said. "That's exactly why *you* need to."
Kira's head snapped toward him.
Damon stepped closer, his voice steady.
"Every first love in the royal family dies by their own hands," he said. "You know that."
Kira said nothing.
"You think I don't notice?" Damon went on. "The way you look at her?"
Kira's fists tightened.
"If you love her," Damon said quietly, "then let her go."
Those words hit harder than anything else.
"Because I won't let you be the reason she dies."
Outside the room —
Someone stood frozen.
She hadn't meant to listen.
But the raised voices had pulled her closer, and now she couldn't move.
"...Every first love in the royal family dies by their own hands."
Her breath caught.
A chill ran down her spine.
A curse...?
A curse on the royal family...?
She stepped back slowly, her heart pounding.
She didn't wait around to hear more.
She turned and hurried away before anyone could catch her listening.
Emily looked up as the door opened.
"You look pale," she said. "What happened?"
The maid hesitated, clearly shaken.
"My lady... I overheard something."
Emily frowned. "What is it?"
"I don't know if it's true, but..." she swallowed. "...they were talking about the royal family."
Emily sat up straighter.
"And?"
The maid lowered her voice.
"They said... every first love in the royal bloodline dies... by their own hand."
The room went silent.
Emily didn't react right away.
"That's ridiculous," she finally said — but her voice didn't sound sure.
"I thought so too," the maid said quickly. "It's probably just a rumor—"
"Right," Emily said. "It has to be."
But even as she said it...
Something felt off.
---
Later that night, Emily couldn't sleep.
The words kept replaying in her head.
A first love... dying...
She tossed and turned in bed.
"This is ridiculous," she whispered to herself.
But then —
Memories started coming back.
Kira's coldness.
The way he kept his distance.
The way he never let anyone get too close.
The way he sometimes reacted too strongly, for no clear reason.
Her eyebrows slowly drew together.
"...No," she murmured.
Another thought crept in.
Slow.
Unwanted.
What if—
She sat up suddenly.
Because all at once, it didn't feel like a rumor anymore.
It felt like a warning.
And without meaning to...
Her mind started connecting dots she wasn't ready to face.
Somewhere else in the palace —
Not knowing what was unfolding behind her back —
Helena smiled softly, holding the gift Damon had given her, running her fingers over it with quiet happiness.