DISCLAIMER: The author's imagination and passion are the only sources of inspiration for this novel, which is a work of dedication. Parallels between these pages and the past or present may be apparent to some readers, but they are completely coincidental. You are free to interpret this art anyway you see fit, and it is meant for your enjoyment.
The sun rose over the Hylde estate with the calm, unwavering warmth of a Tuesday morning rather than the theatrical sparkle of a miraculous event. Reinn Hylde, also known as Samantha Lim in the world that no longer claimed her, had been afraid of the morning for three years. Dawn had signified the emergence of fresh antagonists, the flickering of reality, or the impending danger of an "Ending" she hadn't penned.
However, there was no digital static in the light today when it passed through her bedroom's thick velvet curtains. There was no cold anxiety in her chest, no shimmering ink in the air.
Reinn gazed at her wrist as she sat up. Beneath her skin, the Ink of Free Will had transformed from a chaotic, pulsating mark of rebellion to a delicate, graceful silver tracery. It resembled jewelry more than a brand, serving as a constant reminder that she was finally holding the pen.
She spoke in a low voice, "Good morning, Samantha," to the empty room. For the first time, she didn't feel like a ghost when she called herself by her true name.
A scene that would not have been imaginable a season ago greeted Reinn as she entered the Great Hall.
A large breakfast spread covered the long weirwood table, which is typically used for tactical briefings and war councils. The aroma of Giywon's imperial jasmine tea blended with the scent of dark roast as Ji-Hoon managed to arrange a supply of premium espresso beans through a stable rift.
The five men had already arrived. They had no weapons or armor on. Wearing a plain wool tunic, Dyierrean's blue eyes followed the steam rising from his mug. Killian tossed a grape into the air and caught it in his mouth while perilously perched on the back of a chair. For the first time, Leo was hunched over a notebook, writing what appeared to be a grocery list rather than code.
Giywon exclaimed, "She's awake," and got up right away. He moved with the instinct of a man recognizing the center of his world, rather than the stiff stance of a prince on guard.
Reinn sat down at the head of the table. She glanced at the CEO, the Fixer, the Prince, the Duke, and the Pirate. They were the survivors of an apocalyptic story. More importantly, though, these were the guys who cherished her.
Reinn said, "I didn't sleep much last night," in a steady voice. "I spent most of it looking at the empty rooms in the East Wing. This manor was built for a family that hasn't existed in decades. It's been a fortress for so long that we've forgotten it was meant to be a home."
She stopped and took a drink of the coffee that Ji-Hoon had quietly pushed in her direction.
"The Author is gone. The 'Ex' is a memory. We have won the right to exist," she said. "But I don't want to just exist in a vacuum. I've realized that I want what I was always told I couldn't have: a legacy. I want to build a family. I want to know that fifty years from now, there will be laughter in these halls that belongs to us."
The room's vibe changed. It was the seriousness of a decision that could change one's life, not the heat of a conflict.
"I am officially opening the Wedding Season," Reinn declared. "But this isn't a competition to see who is the strongest or the richest. I already know who you are as warriors. Now, I need to know who you are as partners. I need to know who can stand the silence of a Monday night, who can handle the chaos of a sick child, and whose vision of a 'home' matches mine."
It was Ji-Hoon who spoke first. His glasses were placed on the table. "I've spent my life building empires that could survive a market crash. I never thought about building something that could survive... a lifetime. I accept your terms, Samantha. I don't want to be your 'Male Lead.' I want to be your husband."
With a leisurely nod, Dyierrean traced the wood's grain with his rough palm. "The North is a cold place to grow up alone. I want to see a fire in the hearth that never goes out. I am ready to show you the man behind the shield."
Killian leaped from his chair, a rare, sparkling sincerity taking the place of his typical bluster. "I've had a hundred years of the wind and the waves, Lioness. It turns out, I'm a bit tired of the horizon. I'd like to see what it's like to wake up in the same bed for forty years."
Giywon briefly touched Reinn's hand as he reached across the table. "The Empire is a weight I've carried since birth. But you are the only thing I've ever chosen for myself. I am ready to prove that the Sun of the Empire can also be the light of a single household."
With gentle eyes, Leo raised his head from his notebook. "I've known you since the beginning, Sam. I've fixed your world. Now, I just want to live in it."
Eyldion observed the sight from the doorway, amused and proud at the same time. Leaning on a pillar, he entered the room.
"Well," grinned Eyldion. "I suppose I should start vetting the caterers and checking the structural integrity of the ballroom. If we're going to have a wedding, it's going to be the biggest event this dimension has ever seen."
He approached Reinn and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm glad, sister. You've spent so much time being the 'Lioness' protecting the pride. It's time you let yourself be the heart of one."
The conversation shifted from magic to everyday topics as the meal went on. They discussed the garden that needed to be replanted, the roof repairs, and the townspeople who were gradually moving back to the valley now that the "Grey Light" had subsided.
There was a weird, lovely weight in Reinn's chest. She wasn't searching for an escape plan for the first time. She was trying to find a foundation.
She was aware that the upcoming months would be challenging. Five men who had grown to be her closest friends and allies would be devastated if she chose just one. However, she was also aware that living in "maybe" was not a life at all. She had to accept the reality of a single, selected route in order to be really free.
Reinn responded, "Tomorrow," glancing at Giywon. "We start with you. Show me the world you want to build for a family, not for a kingdom."
With a tiny, optimistic smile on his face, Giywon bent his head. "I will not disappoint you, Samantha."
Reinn peered out the window as the sun rose to its highest point, illuminating the Hylde Manor in a golden light that seemed to last forever. The fight was over. It was time to get married. And she was right where she wanted to be for the first time in her life.