Chapter 53

Aeliana had barely slept.

She lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling, her fingers idly tracing the edge of her sheets. The air in her chambers was still, but her mind was anything but. It replayed everything-every second of that kiss, every sharp breath, every desperate touch.

She should be furious.

She was furious.

Tharx had taken what he wanted, then abandoned her in the war room, leaving her dazed and burning in the aftermath.

And worse? He had refused to acknowledge it.

Aeliana pressed a hand to her forehead, exhaling slowly.

This couldn't continue.

Whatever was happening between them, whatever powerful, ruinous thing had begun to take hold-it was dangerous.

She should leave.

Before she lost herself completely.

The thought settled into her bones like a truth she didn't want to accept.

Maybe it was already too late.

A sharp knock at her door made her jolt upright. Aeliana blinked, pushing away her thoughts as a guard stepped inside, bowing stiffly.

"His Majesty has summoned you," he said.

Her stomach twisted.

Of course, he had.

Tharx stood in the center of the training grounds, a blade in his hand, his coat discarded, his sleeves rolled up. The early morning sun caught the sharp angles of his jaw, the cold focus in his golden eyes.

Aeliana watched from a distance, standing just beyond the line of his gathered warriors.

The scene before her was a reminder of who he truly was.

Not just a ruler, not just a lover or a man who kissed her and then walked away-

He was a weapon, honed and merciless.

A part of her hated that she found it so intoxicating.

He moved like the fight was a dance only he knew the steps to, his sword flashing as he disarmed his opponent with ease.

The general who had challenged him gritted his teeth in frustration, staggering back as Tharx pressed forward, blade at his throat.

"Again," Tharx ordered.

The general hesitated-but then his gaze flicked toward Aeliana, standing just beyond the circle of warriors.

Aeliana felt the weight of that glance.

They all saw her.

They all knew what she was to the emperor.

Or, more accurately, what she might become.

Tharx turned then, his golden eyes locking onto hers. He sheathed his sword, motioning for her to step forward.

Aeliana's heart pounded, but she didn't hesitate.

As she approached, he picked up a second blade from the rack beside him, holding it out to her.

"If you want to stay in my war," he said smoothly, "then learn how to survive it."

Aeliana stared at the sword. Then at him.

She should have expected this.

She hesitated for only a second before reaching for the blade. It was heavier than she expected, the metal cold against her palm.

Tharx didn't move as she adjusted her grip. But she could feel his gaze on her-watching, measuring.

"Show me what you know."

Aeliana lifted her chin. "You already know what I know."

A flicker of amusement crossed his face. "Which is to say, not enough."

She narrowed her eyes. "Then teach me."

Tharx's smirk was a challenge.

The tension between them was already unbearable.

Then he struck first.

Aeliana barely had time to react before he lunged, his blade clashing against hers. The impact rattled through her bones, but she held her ground.

He was testing her. Of course, he was.

And she refused to fail.

She pushed back, forcing him to adjust his stance. His golden eyes flickered with something darker, sharper.

Good. Let him see her. Let him feel what she had become.

The training turned into something else.

A battle of wills, of control.

He moved with deliberate precision, forcing her to think, to adapt, to fight back-not just with skill, but with instinct.

Their blades clashed, the air between them thick with unspoken words.

Aeliana's breath came faster, her muscles burning. But she didn't stop.

Neither did he.

And then-

She struck.

A well-timed feint, a shift in her weight-and suddenly, she was the one pressing him back, her blade dangerously close to his throat.

The warriors around them stilled, watching.

But Aeliana saw only him.

The way his lips curled slightly, as if impressed.

The way his golden eyes darkened, as if something inside him had just snapped.

She swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling sharply.

"Give me a reason to stay," she whispered.

The words hung between them, heavy with everything she couldn't say.

Tharx didn't look away.

And then-

He spoke the truth.

"Because I don't want you to go."

The world tilted.

The words weren't grand, weren't poetic-but they were real. Raw.

And they destroyed her.

Because she knew what it had cost him to say them.

For the first time, there was no mask, no pretense-just Tharx, standing before her, exposed and vulnerable in a way he had never allowed himself to be.

Her grip on her sword tightened.

Because she knew what this meant.

And she wasn't ready for it.

Aeliana took a slow step back, lowering her blade. Her breath was still uneven, her body still alive with the fight.

But before she could respond-

A shout rang through the training grounds.

A guard rushed toward them, his expression grave.

Tharx's eyes snapped toward him. "What is it?"

"The rebellion," the guard panted. "It's begun."

The words crashed through the air like a thunderclap.

Aeliana felt the shift. The change in the atmosphere.

Their world-their personal war-had just been shattered by the real one.

Tharx turned back to her one last time, something unspoken passing between them.

And then, just like that-

The moment was gone.