Upon returning, Kael doesn't have to sneak around anymore, because the guards are already fast asleep.
He halts, staring in disbelief. Guards… sleeping? This has never happened in history before. Oh, maybe not in Ironvale alone.
The warriors there are renowned for their discipline, always alert, always at attention. Lazing around? Never.
Not in that palace.
A flicker of irritation rises so violently within him that he nearly storms over to wake them up, force them to run around the field till morning.
But he stops himself. Not now. And since people didn't take Darien seriously... he can't afford to draw attention, even if every fiber of him burns to remind them what it means to be a guard.
The urge to discipline them, to bark orders and drive them into shape, reminds him of him—Eryx.
Kael clenches his jaw. He's been trying to push thoughts of that man away, bury them deep beneath his bones.
But now they force their way in, uninvited, heavy, and suffocating.
He remembers how brutally Eryx trained them. One mistake, and the punishment was merciless.
Yet, strangely, Kael had always been spared. Eryx never said it aloud, never acknowledged the favoritism, but it was there, unmistakably.
Sometimes they'd train until sunrise- no complaints, no hesitation.
And when war came, they crushed their enemies the moment the battle began.
Ambush or not, they always emerged victorious, sending their foes fleeing back to their lands in disgrace.
But now, thinking back, Kael sees how wrong it all was. All that training, all that bloodshed, it wasn't for protection or honor. It was for power. For mocking weaker kingdoms… especially this one.
It makes his stomach turn.
Maybe he'd been too blind, blinded by love he never dared speak of.
But even if he'd wanted to refuse, to walk away, there was no escaping the rules. No one defied Eryx.
Leave alone the king, not even the prince. And when someone did, the outcome was always the same, execution. Swift, brutal, and without reason.
He jumps back into his room through the window, his thoughts spiraling. Eryx clings to his mind like a stain.
And now, remembering the kind of punishment dealt in that kingdom, his blood boils.
Because he remembers why he was executed. And the reason still burns him alive.
It was a night he'll never forget.
Eryx had sent him on a task, and Kael had gone, like always. That night, when he returned with his report, he'd gone straight to Eryx's chambers, no choice, no delay.
He knocked and entered, but something felt… off. Eryx wasn't listening that night. He sat there, distracted, distant- something Kael had never seen before.
Kael knew he loved Eryx. He'd spent years hiding it, guarding it like a forbidden treasure. He'd rather die than speak it aloud.
And he also knew Eryx looked at him differently sometimes, treated him differently. Still, he never dared dream it meant anything.
That night, after giving his report, he turned to leave.
But Eryx's firm hand caught his arm.
The man who stood before him didn't look like the ruthless warrior commander he knew.
He looked… defeated. Lost. There was vulnerability in his eyes, a kind of helpless conflict that made Kael's heart stutter in his chest.
He could barely breathe.
"Kael," Eryx said, his voice low, barely above a whisper. "What's your opinion on… man and man romantic relationships?"
Kael froze. The question felt like a dagger and a lifeline. Never had he imagined hearing those words from Eryx's mouth.
He didn't answer, he couldn't. His mind was a blur, spinning so fast he could barely stay grounded.
Kael was still frozen, trying to process what he had just heard, when Eryx suddenly stepped forward. The space between them disappeared.
And Eryx kissed him.
It wasn't gentle. It wasn't hesitant. It was desperate, like something inside him had finally broken free after being chained for far too long.
Kael stiffened, breath catching. His mind screamed at him to pull away, to question, to understand. But his heart... his heart was already gone.
He couldn't hold back. He didn't even try.
All the years of restraint, of silence, of hiding what he felt, they shattered in a single breath.
He gave in, completely. Drowned in Eryx's touch like a man who'd been starved of warmth and was finally being allowed to feel.
Eryx held him tightly, like he was something precious, something he didn't want to lose. His hands trembled slightly, betraying the cracks in his usual control.
His mouth moved against Kael's with a hunger that spoke louder than words. He needed this. Needed him.
There were no words between them, only gasps, only touches. The fire that had long burned between them finally unleashed, consuming them both.
Their clothes were lost somewhere in the haze of need. They stumbled blindly to the bed, guided only by urgency and yearning.
For the first time, Kael saw the man, not the commander, not the cruel perfectionist, but a soul laid bare. Eryx touched him like he was afraid he'd vanish. Looked at him like he had been holding this back for far too long.
Kael felt it in every brush of their skin, every lingering stare. Eryx didn't have to say he felt the same. His body said it for him.
The way he held onto him, uncontrollably moaning silently when he moved inside of him.
But Kael, he couldn't stop himself from saying it.
He whispered it like a confession he'd waited his whole life to make. How long he had loved him. How deeply. How much it had hurt to hide it all this time.
And for a moment... a small, beautiful moment... it felt like the world finally made sense.
After it all,
Eryx fell asleep beside him, muscles finally relaxed, face softened in the dim light. His chest rose and fell slowly, the only sound in the room.
But Kael stayed awake.
He lay there, staring at the ceiling, his heart trembling with hope and fear all at once. The weight of what had just happened pressed against his chest.
He wanted to believe this would change everything. That maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to stay in each other's arms, even in the shadows.
Even if it meant secrecy. Even if it meant hiding.
At least they'd be hiding together.
But that illusion shattered the moment Eryx opened his eyes that morning.
He woke up, saw the reality of where he was, and who he was with, and his face twisted in disgust. Regret. Rage.
He didn't speak at first. Just stood there in silence, naked and horrified. Then he stormed into the bathroom and stayed far too long, like he was scrubbing away what had happened.
When he returned, he didn't even look Kael in the eye.
"Leave." just one word.
And Kael did. Confused. Hurt. Exposed.
That very morning, Eryx accused him, falsely. Reported him to the king for what he didn't exactly do.
That betrayal got him executed.
"Ouch!" Kael winces, jerking back to the present as he presses herbs too harshly against his wound. The pain rips through him, grounding him in the moment.
His breath is ragged, anger flowing in him.
"I swear," he growls through clenched teeth, "on my second chance at life, Eryx... I will make you pay for what you did to me!"
He spits the words like venom. His body shakes with fury.
"And you think you're the greatest warrior on this planet?" he snarls. "Let's see about that. Because this kingdom, the one everyone mocks for being weak, will rise. And it will shut your arrogant mouth for good! Your own tactics that you trained me... are the very ones that are going to shut you up!"
He hisses, pressing the herbs deeper, feeding the pain, using it to numb the storm inside him.
"My sword, my late dad's sword, I'll need to get back from there!"