Peace lasted exactly four days.
On the fifth, foreign envoys arrived.
Aarav knew something was wrong the moment he entered the Grand Hall and saw unfamiliar banners lining the walls—deep crimson, silver-black, and a sharp violet that practically screamed arrogance.
He stopped mid-step. "Why does this feel like an ambush with better fashion?"
Kaelith, beside him, didn't answer immediately. That was answer enough.
"…Diplomatic visit?" Aarav guessed.
"Political evaluation," Kaelith corrected.
"Of what?"
Kaelith glanced at him. "Of us."
Aarav exhaled. "Of course it is."
Three delegations stood at the center of the hall.
Each radiated power in a different way.
The first—a tall Alpha from the crimson-bannered kingdom—stepped forward with a practiced smile.
"Your Highness," he said, bowing to Kaelith before turning his gaze to Aarav. "And this must be the summoned Alpha."
Aarav raised an eyebrow. "I have a name."
"Of course," the man said smoothly. "Lord Aarav."
"I'm not a lord."
"You are now," the man replied without missing a beat.
Aarav muttered, "I hate politics."
The second envoy—a composed Omega woman in silver-black—spoke next.
"We come with offers of alliance. Your union presents… unique opportunities."
There it was again.
Opportunities.
Aarav smiled thinly. "That word is doing a lot of work lately."
The third envoy didn't smile at all.
Dressed in deep violet, his presence was colder—calculating.
"Our kingdom does not offer alliances," he said. "We offer warnings."
The hall stilled.
Kaelith's voice was calm. "Speak."
"The Enigma bloodline has always attracted attention," the envoy said. "But an Enigma bonded to a foreign Alpha… one capable of producing heirs of unknown strength?"
Aarav crossed his arms. "You're getting to a point. I hope."
The envoy's gaze sharpened. "Such a union destabilizes balance. Some kingdoms will not allow it to continue."
Silence......
Then Aarav laughed—short and unimpressed.
"That sounds like a 'you' problem."
Several nobles gasped.
Kaelith didn't interrupt.
The envoy's eyes narrowed. "You speak boldly for someone newly arrived."
"I speak logically," Aarav replied. "You're threatened by something that hasn't even happened yet. That's not strategy—that's insecurity."
The crimson envoy chuckled softly. "I like him."
"Not helping," Aarav muttered.
The Omega envoy stepped forward again, more measured. "Let us be clear. Some kingdoms will attempt diplomacy. Others… may not."
Aarav tilted his head. "Meaning?"
"Assassination. Abduction. Political coercion," she said calmly.
"Ah," Aarav said. "There it is."
Kaelith stepped forward then, aura rising—not explosively, but with quiet authority that pressed against the entire hall.
"No one will touch what is mine," he said.
The words weren't loud.
But they landed.
Aarav glanced at him sideways. "…We're going to discuss that phrasing later."
Kaelith ignored that.
The violet envoy smirked faintly. "Then you should prepare for war, Crown Prince."
Aarav stepped forward before Kaelith could respond.
"No," he said.
The room stilled again.
"We're not preparing for war," Aarav continued. "We're preparing for reality."
The envoy raised a brow. "And what is that?"
"That your kingdoms are reacting out of fear," Aarav said. "Fear of losing control over something you've never actually controlled."
The crimson envoy leaned back, amused.
Aarav's voice sharpened. "You can try diplomacy. You can try threats. You can even try violence. But understand this—"
He met the envoy's eyes directly.
"We're not negotiating our existence."
Silence fell like a blade.
Kaelith didn't stop him.
Didn't correct him.
Didn't soften it.
The Omega envoy finally inclined her head slightly. "Then we have our answer."
After the delegations left, the tension didn't.
If anything, it got worse.
Aarav paced the strategy room, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Fantastic. Now we're an international issue."
Kaelith watched him calmly. "You handled them well."
"I told them we're not negotiable," Aarav said. "That's not 'handling.' That's escalation."
"It was necessary."
Aarav stopped pacing. "Is it always going to be like this?"
"Yes," Kaelith said.
No hesitation.
No comfort.
Just truth.
Aarav exhaled slowly. "Okay."
Kaelith stepped closer. "You can still leave."
Aarav looked at him sharply. "Stop saying that like it's an easy option."
"I say it because it is an option," Kaelith replied.
Aarav shook his head. "Not anymore."
Kaelith's gaze softened slightly. "Because of the Claim?"
Aarav met his eyes.
"Because of the choice."
Silence.
Then Aarav added, quieter—
"And because I don't run when things get complicated."
Kaelith's expression shifted—something deeper, steadier.
"Good," he said.
Aarav huffed. "Don't sound so satisfied. We're probably going to get attacked."
Kaelith's lips curved faintly. "Then we will handle it."
Aarav smirked. "Yeah. We will."
That night, the palace guards doubled.
The wards strengthened.
And somewhere beyond the borders of Aethoria—
Kingdoms began to move.
Not because of prophecy.
Not because of fate.
But because two people had made a choice—
And the world wasn't ready for it.