Yuto tightened the straps of her cloak as she stepped into the cool night air, the palace gates looming behind her like silent witnesses. The packed meal at her side felt insignificant compared to the weight pressing against her chest—heavy, suffocating, inescapable.
As she neared the stables, she slowed.
Her horse was already waiting outside.
That alone set her nerves on edge.
Then she sensed it—another presence.
Kayden leaned lazily against his black stallion, the beast as dark and imposing as its owner. A thin stick hung loosely between his lips as if this were nothing more than idle entertainment. Moonlight traced the sharp angles of his face, his posture relaxed, unbothered.
He straightened when he noticed her.
"You really are audacious," Kayden said, amusement lacing his voice. "First you deny a king, and now you make a prince wait. I should applaud you."
Yuto barely registered the words. It was his presence that unsettled her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.
He tilted his head, lazy smile widening. "What do you think?"
"Stop playing mind games with me. I'm not in the mood," she said with a weary sigh.
"Oh?" he drawled. "Then what mood *are* you in? Maybe we can match."
Yuto frowned. The man she'd met before had been terrifying—sharp, unreadable. Now he acted like a fool, and somehow that felt worse.
"If you're trying to be funny, it's not working. And if you plan to follow me, be my guest."
She turned away, resting a calming hand against her horse's neck.
For the first time, Kayden fell silent.
She mounted with practiced ease, but the moment her fingers closed around the reins, the mare shifted uneasily. Her ears flattened, muscles coiling tight beneath Yuto's legs.
'Easy,' she urged silently.
Then the sensation struck her—sharp and unmistakable.
She was being watched.
Yuto looked back.
And froze.
High above, standing within the shadows of the palace balcony, Kaelith rested one hand against the stone railing. Torchlight kissed his sharp features just enough for her to see his expression.
He was smiling.
Not amused.
Not angry.
Knowing.
Her breath caught.
Slowly, deliberately, Kaelith lifted two fingers to his lips. Then he lowered them… and traced a line down his throat.
A promise.
Or a warning.
Yuto's heart slammed violently as the horse suddenly lurched forward, hooves striking stone in a frantic rhythm. She didn't look back again.
Behind her, Kaelith turned to the darkness and spoke softly—so softly only the night heard him.
"Prepare my bath."
___
Yuto urged her horse faster, desperate to put distance between herself and the palace—and Kayden.
But his horse was faster than she anticipated.
Within moments, they rode side by side.
Kayden's smug grin never faltered, as though he were thoroughly enjoying the chase.
'Such a psychopath,'Yuto thought.
Then a shadow moved—too fast, too deliberate—slipping through the trees.
Yuto noticed it instantly.
She turned to Kayden.
His expression had gone completely serious.
He'd seen it too.
A faint sound cut through the night.
Before Yuto could react, strong arms wrapped around her, yanking her from the saddle. She collided against a hard, solid chest as the world spun.
In the next heartbeat, Kayden stood before her, two black arrows clutched in his hands—already dissolving into smoke.
Yuto's heart thundered painfully against her ribs.
"It's okay, sweetheart," he murmured near her ear. "I've got you. Relax."
The word registered too late.
Her mouth fell open.
"I'm not attracted to males, if that's what you're wondering," Kayden added casually as he set her down. Her horse had already fled into the darkness.
"Wait for me," he said lightly. "I need to deal with a mad woman—with my bare hands. Be patient."
Before she could respond, he vanished.
---
Yuto stood alone, exposed in the open night.
Leaving crossed her mind—but fear rooted her in place. Whatever had attacked might return.
The horse beneath her shifted uncomfortably, unused to her presence.
She dismounted, gripping the reins tightly.
Her senses sharpened.
Footsteps.
She moved first.
Steel flashed as she drew her sword in one fluid motion.
A grunt followed.
"You're too slow," Kayden said calmly as he stepped forward and knocked the blade from her hand.
"You—" Yuto began, but the words died in her throat.
He looked horrifying.
Blood soaked his hands, smeared across his clothes. In one hand, he held a sack—something inside it dripping dark red onto the ground.
"What?" he asked innocently. "My brother would be proud if he saw me."
Yuto felt sick.
'This crazy motherf—'
She turned her gaze away.
"I'm not riding on the same horse as you."
Kayden hummed. "Fair. But going to town is a terrible idea. For now, at least." He nudged the reins toward her. "Take my horse and return to the palace. Quiet as a mouse. I'll walk."
"I have a task to complete," she said firmly.
"That's bullshit," he replied flatly. "Hewas protecting you by sending you therebut not anymore. That's why when you return, you make sure no one notices."
'Protecting me…'
The words echoed in her head.
"Sweetheart," Kayden continued, glancing up at the sky as if calculating time itself, "it's high time you lift your head out of the sand."
"Sweetheart?" Yuto repeated.
His gaze snapped back to her.
Fear and confusion warred on her face, her heart pounding so violently it felt ready to burst.
Kayden's smile faded.
She knew.
'I have been found out'