Ivy
The sky split open.
I had never seen power like Lucien's—not even in my darkest dreams.
The earth shook as fire burst from his palms. Not magic, not warcraft—wrath. Raw, ancient, deadly.
Soldiers screamed. The king's men scattered.
But Lucien didn't stop.
He burned the gate.
He burned the throne behind it.
And when the fire died, he walked through the ashes with me in his arms.
I was crying.
Not from fear.
But because I knew…
Lucien wasn't just fighting to win.
He was fighting to make the world bleed for touching me.
The king knelt in defeat.
Lucien stood over him.
And raised his sword.
But I grabbed his wrist.
"Don't."
"He took everything from you," Lucien growled.
"And if you do this," I whispered, "you'll lose what's left of you."
He stared at me for a long time.
Then dropped the blade.
And kissed my forehead.
"You are my crown," he said softly. "Not this land. Not revenge. Just you."
Weeks Later…
I stood on the balcony of Veloria's restored palace, Ayra in my arms, Lucien behind me.
We had survived.
Lucien wore black. Always black. But in his eyes—there was peace now.
"I never thought I'd be queen," I said.
"You're not," Lucien replied. "You're the fire that burned the throne. You're the woman who tamed a monster."
"No," I whispered. "You tamed yourself. For me."
He took Ayra from my arms and held her like something precious.
Then, for the first time, Lucien smiled.
Truly smiled.
And in that moment, I knew—
Our story wasn't about crowns or curses.
It was about survival.
Love.
And two broken souls who burned the world just to find each other again.
Ivy
The walls of the silver tower whispered secrets in the dark. I pressed my ear to the cold stone, counting the guards' footsteps. One… two… pause. Then silence again. I knew Lucien's routine by now — how he stayed away after a fight. How his silence wasn't distance but danger building like a storm.
Ayra whimpered softly beside me, curled beneath the velvet sheets, unaware of the choice I had made.
We were leaving tonight.
"Ivy." A voice hissed near the window.
My heart leaped. I rushed across the room and unlatched the balcony lock. A hooded figure climbed inside — Ren. My only ally left in Veloria. My cousin by blood, but traitor to the crown. He had risked everything to get us out.
"She's asleep?" he asked, pointing at Ayra.
"Yes. But I'll wake her when it's time." I touched her golden curls. "Ren, are you sure the tunnels are still open?"
He nodded. "But we'll need to move now. Lucien's shadows are restless. He's starting to suspect."
Of course he was. Lucien didn't let anything slip — not even my silence.
I pulled on my cloak and reached for Ayra. She blinked up at me, sleepy and confused.
"Are we going somewhere, Mama?" she asked, her voice a whisper.
"Yes, baby. Somewhere safe."
She wrapped her arms around my neck, sleepy and warm and innocent. I clutched her tighter, heart heavy with guilt.
The secret I had buried — the one I could no longer hide — was the one thing that might destroy Lucien forever.
Ayra wasn't just my child.
She was Lucien's heir.
And he didn't know.
We descended into the hidden tunnels beneath the tower, cold air brushing against our skin like forgotten ghosts. Ren led the way with a flickering torch. I followed, heart racing.
We weren't just running from Lucien.
We were running from the truth.
Lucien
The bed was cold when I returned.
I touched the place where Ivy had slept — empty.
My chest tightened.
"She wouldn't dare," I growled.
I stormed through the halls, rage blooming. Her scent still lingered in the air, fresh… recent.
Then it hit me — the secret she had been hiding. The strange pull I felt toward the child. The eyes that matched mine.
No.
She wouldn't.
But deep down… I already knew.
And when I find her… there will be no mercy.