In the Shadow of the Crown

Eliza’s heart pounded against her ribs, her breath unsteady as she stared at the two men before her. Raen, a wolf wrapped in shadow, his silver eyes alight with unrelenting hunger for her, for vengeance, for the kingdom he was ready to burn to the ground. And Elric, poised, unreadable, a man who had mastered the art of control, yet stood here, aligning himself with the very man who had threatened his life mere moments ago.

[This was madness.]                                               

She took a step back, her fingers curling into the fabric of her gown. “You expect me to believe this?” she demanded. “That you, Lord Elric, the king’s most trusted noble, would betray him?”

Elric tilted his head, his emerald eyes cool. “You think me loyal?”

She hesitated. She had never trusted him, not truly. Lord Elric was a man of secrets, of careful games played behind silk curtains and golden masks. He had always felt dangerous, but not in the way Raen did. His danger was quieter, woven into the air itself, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“I think you are an opportunist,” she said finally. “And that loyalty, for you, is merely a tool to be wielded.”

Elric smiled. “Then you understand me well.”

Raen let out a sharp breath, his patience thinning. “Enough of this.” He turned to Elric, his voice edged with warning. “If you have something to say, say it.”

Elric clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze never leaving Eliza’s. “The king’s rule is rotting from within. He has grown too powerful, too assured of his own invincibility. And his magic…” A shadow flickered across his face. “It is not natural.”

Eliza’s breath caught.

[He knows.]

Raen’s expression did not change, but something dark shifted in his stance. “Then you understand why he must be stopped.”

Elric inclined his head. “I do.”

Eliza exhaled sharply. “And what exactly do you want from me?”

Raen’s gaze burned into hers. “I want you to make a choice.”

[A choice.]

[As, if it were that simple.]

She shook her head. “You don’t understand...”

“Eliza.” His voice was softer now, but no less firm. “You think you can survive this by doing nothing? By obeying? The king has already decided your fate. He would see you bound to Elric to secure his power. And if you refuse?”

She knew the answer before he spoke it.

[Death.]

Not immediately, perhaps. The king was more insidious than that. But he would break her. He would twist her into something useful, something obedient. And if she still defied him…well. He had never hesitated to remove pieces from the board when they no longer served his game.

She swallowed.

“You ask me to betray my king,” she said quietly.

Elric arched a brow. “Has he not already betrayed you?”

The words struck deeper than she cared to admit.

Raen stepped closer. She should have moved, should have pushed him away, but she didn’t. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her wrist. A silent promise.

“I will fight for you,” he murmured. “I will destroy anyone who stands in my way. But I need you to stand with me.”

She searched his face, looking for the man she had once known. The man she had once loved. And she saw him there, beneath the fury and the madness. Beneath the bloodlust and the storm.

But love was not enough to stop what was coming.

Eliza turned to Elric. “You’re certain of this?”

His lips curled into something resembling amusement. “I would not be here otherwise.”

She took a slow, steady breath. “Then tell me.” Her voice did not waver. “Tell me what comes next.”

A pause.

Then, Elric smiled.

“We start a war.”