"Care to explain why you're stalking me?" he murmured.
Golden eyes widened beneath dark lashes.
"…Valen?"
She glared at him, though the blade hovered dangerously close to her skin.
"You always welcome your allies like this?" she hissed.
Lucas lowered the dagger at once, shock replacing his battle-ready posture. "You were following me."
"You slipped out of that room like you were hiding a corpse. I wanted to know why."
They simply stared at each other, Lucas noticed everything then he grabbed her wrist suddenly.
"Come with me."
Before she could protest, he pulled her deeper into the unused corridor, through a servants' archway, and into a small abandoned gallery lined with dust-covered portraits of long-forgotten rulers.
"No one comes here," he said, finally releasing her.
Valen folded her arms, "you're acting suspicious."
Lucas ran a hand through his hair, pacing once before stopping in front of her.
"What you heard… how much of it did you catch?"
"Enough," she replied calmly. "Lord Aldridge is your father."
He closed his eyes briefly, "so the walls have ears now."
"You could have just told us."
"No," Lucas said quickly. "Not you nor the council and especially not Kaelvryn."
Valen's brows drew together, "you're keeping this from the King, are you forgetting that he trusts you more than anything?"
"I'm protecting him."
"By lying?"
"By surviving," Lucas corrected sharply.
The tension between them thickened then after a moment, his voice softened.
"Listen to me carefully, Valen. Yes… Lord Aldridge is my father. By blood and by every unfortunate trait I carry. But that truth is a weapon in the wrong hands."
"Why hide it from Kaelvryn?"
Lucas hesitated, for the first time since she had known him, uncertainty crossed his face.
"Because if Kael knows, he will trust my father even more than he already does. And my father…" He exhaled slowly. "My father plays a longer game than most men can even see."
"You don't trust him?"
"I trust that he loves this realm," Lucas said. "I trust that he would burn half of it to save the other half."
Valen studied him quietly.
"Then why tell me?"
A faint smile touched his lips, "because you see what others miss."
Her chest tightened unexpectedly, though her expression remained neutral.
"You give me too much credit."
"No," Lucas murmured. "Not nearly enough."
Silence fell between them then he stepped closer.
"Swear to me you'll keep this secret. Even Kaelvryn must not know."
Valen searched his face, measuring the gravity in his tone.
"You're asking me to deceive my King."
"I'm asking you to help me keep him alive."
That was not something she could easily refuse. After a long pause, she nodded once.
"…Fine. Your secret is safe with me."
Relief flickered across his features.
"Good."
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed under his breath.
"You realize what this looks like, don't you? Dragging you into a dark corridor. Whispering secrets."
Valen rolled her eyes.
"You dragged me, my lord."
"Lucas," he corrected.
Before she could respond footsteps thundered toward them.
Both turned.
A figure emerged from the corridor entrance, framed by torchlight.
Kaelvryn.
His gaze moved from Lucas's hand, still loosely around Valen's wrist to the closeness between them.
The air dropped ten degrees.
For a split second, something raw flashed across his face...Hurt, then it hardened into fury.
"What," he said slowly, "exactly is happening here?"
Lucas blinked.
"This isn't—"
Kael crossed the distance in two strides and seized Lucas by the collar.
"You couldn't even wait until you were out of the main halls?"
Valen's eyes widened, "Your Majesty..."
"Stay out of this," Kael snapped, never looking away from Lucas.
Realization struck Lucas all at once.
"…You think we were kissing?"
Kael's silence was answer enough.
Then Lucas did something profoundly unhelpful.
He smirked.
"Oh, this is priceless."
The punch came fast.
Lucas barely had time to turn before Kael's fist slammed into his jaw, sending him staggering back into a pillar.
"Have you lost your mind?" Lucas growled, wiping blood from his lip.
"I should ask you the same!"
Power crackled faintly around Kaelvryn, dark energy licking the edges of the marble beneath his boots.
Valen stepped between them instantly.
"Stop this at once!"
Neither listened.
Lucas straightened. "You're jealous."
The temperature seemed to plummet.
"I am not jealous," Kael said, voice deadly calm.
"Then why do you look like you're about to murder me?"
"Perhaps because you forget your place."
Lucas laughed, a sharp, humorless sound that escaped his lips.
"My place? I have stood beside you while kingdoms tried to tear your throat out."
"And now you hide in corridors with my commander!"
"Careful, Kael."
"Careful?" The King's eyes darkened. "You mistake my restraint for weakness."
Valen pushed at Kael's chest.
"This is absurd! We were discussing—"
The surge of magic exploded before she finished.
Kaelvryn did not even appear to move. The force simply erupted outward.
Valen felt the impact like a battering ram, the world spun. Lucas caught her before she struck the floor.
"Valen!"
For the first time, true fear entered Kaelvryn's expression.
The haze of anger shattered instantly.
"…What have I done?"
Valen groaned softly, her vision swimming. Lucas lowered her carefully, one arm braced behind her shoulders.
"Easy… stay with me."
Kael took a step forward.
"Is he hurt?"
The word slipped out automatically and Lucas's head snapped up and something inside him turned feral.
"Don't."
Kael froze.
Lucas's golden eyes burned not with humor now, but with warning.
"Stay away from him."
The words cut through the chamber like a blade.
Kael stared at him.
"I didn't mean—"
"You rarely do when that temper takes you."
Guilt flickered across the King's face.
"I lost control."
"You could have killed him."
"I would never—"
"You already almost did!"
The silence that followed rang louder than any shout, Valen tried to sit up.
"I am… perfectly fine," she muttered.
Lucas ignored her while Kael's hands curled at his sides.
"You forget who you speak to."
"And you forget who bleeds for you," Lucas shot back.
For a moment, it looked as though Kael might strike him again. Instead, his voice dropped.
"…Move aside. I want to see him."
Lucas did not budge.
"No."
Something dangerous flickered behind Kael's eyes.
"Lucas."
"Control your power before you come any closer."
The accusation landed.
Kael inhaled slowly, forcing the storm inside him to quiet.
When he spoke again, his voice was steadier.
"…Valen."
She met his gaze, this time concern filled it now, raw and unguarded.
"I am sorry." He finally said and shock was all over Lucas face.
She inclined her head, "your Majesty, it was an accident."
But Lucas still hadn't moved while Kael couldn't help but study him, understanding dawned gradually on him.
"You care for him greatly."
Lucas did not answer.
"…Next time, do not give me reason to misunderstand."
Lucas huffed.
"Next time, try asking before swinging."
A faint, reluctant smile ghosted across Kael's lips. Then it vanished.
"The festival approaches," he said quietly. "We cannot afford fractures between us."
Lucas helped Valen to her feet as she wobbled once. Both men reached for her simultaneously but their hands collided.
They glared at each other, Valen sighed and shook her head.
"I can stand." she finally said.
Lucas kept a steadying hand near her elbow anyway.
Kael noticed.
Something unreadable crossed his face but he said nothing. At last, the King stepped back. "Get some rest, Commander. That is an order."
Valen bowed slightly. "As you wish, Your Majesty."
Kael lingered one heartbeat longer… then turned and walked away, his cloak whispering across the floor.
Only when his presence faded did Lucas exhale.
"Well," he muttered, "that went terribly."
Valen shot him a look, "you provoked him." But he simply shrugged and left leaving Valen to only sigh.