Mom's hands shout out instinctively, pulling me in for an embrace even tighter than that of Katarina's. What's up with people trying to squeeze me to death?
"Oh, sweetie, you're okay! Careful—careful!"
Thank the Princeps, my mother wasn't as clingy as Kat tends to be sometimes. In other words, I didn't have to push Mom away gently; she just let go after a few seconds of hugging me and wailing with joy that her son was well and alive. Okay, maybe not well, but alive nonetheless.
When she finally pulled back, hands still cupping my shoulders like she expected me to crumble into dust any second. Her eyes shimmered with leftover tears, and she let out one last shaky breath before trying to compose herself.
Mother always did that: cry first, breathe second, be royalty third. It was her weird little order of priorities, no matter the situation.
Once she stepped back, I got a proper look at her.
Lady Nemi Von Veyra Knight. She'd married into the family, which was why she didn't share the De Astra surname like the rest of us. Nonetheless, the Von Veyras were a respected noble house in their own right—but even so, she took Dad's name with a kind of pride that made the entire capital talk for weeks.
She was essentially what Sis would look like if she were older—the same wild and messy copper-red hair that probably had a mind of its own, and emerald green eyes that sparkled every hour of every day with a mischievous glint, except this time they were framed by dark circles due to her lack of sleep.
However, this time, her hair was actually... tamed? Don't get me wrong, it wasn't perfect, but it was too well done for any normal occasion. And that only made the sense of dread I felt increase, climbing up my spine as if dread were a climber hiking the tallest mountain.
I didn't like it one bit.
She and Auntie Illyana wore matching attire of a silver tunic, belted neatly at the waist, the velvet fabrics shining, only accentuated by the room's lighting and golden rays seeping through the four arched windows on either side of the room. It was subtle, but the royal stitching of thin black lines around the seams and hem, even around the collar—it only made Mom look more regal, which was kind of shocking; however, nobody pulled it off better than Auntie: taller, more menacing, sharper features, and a fiery-cool personality to match. Not to mention the extra additions of chain cuffings and longer leather boots, only made her appear more royal than any king or queen ever could. That was Queen Illyana for you. Cool, calm, and collected, and leaned against her desk with crossed arms as she studied me with eyes deep in thought about something I couldn't possibly grasp.
"Let me look at your face," Mother murmured, lifting my chin the same way she did when I was a kid coming home bruised from sparring with Iliam and Lord Fenrir.
I let her, mostly because my legs were still questioning whether they wanted to hold me upright.
After a long, relieved exhale, she flashed a soft, warm smile reserved only for Kat and me.
"You're really here."
I forced a grin, cocky and exhausted.
"Of course I'm here. Takes more than a hole through my torso to keep me down."
After all, I'm Sora Knight.
"Don't joke like that!"
My gaze then shifted past Ariana whom I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact I dreamt about her mere moments before this, then to whom I'm assuming to be her father who was surprisngly giving off cool uncle vibes: slouched with his arm draped behind his daughter, a relaxed smile, cropped dark hair and eyes the color of amethyst crystals, and navy garments overlapping more navy garments with a bunch of golden chains everywhere—I honestly couldn't describe what he wore if I tried, it was beyond the fancy I'm used to which says a lot.
"Lord Aredhel?"
He raised a brow and widened his smirk before pushing himself off the couch, leather creaking beneath him and giving me a corteuous bow—much more respectful than that son of a bitch Iliam.
"I thought Demons liked to stay within their own continent. What brings you all the way over here?" I chuckled while questioning
Before Mother or Auntie could answer, the King's voice cut through smoothly and controlled. "Indeed, Sir Sora. We are solitary beings. We prefer to avoid interference with other races. And yet… some situations require extraordinary measures."
"Extraordinary?"
"The servants of chaos are back," Auntie interjected.
Pardon?
And for the first time in my life, I was able to decide on what the worst day of my life was. And that was today. I don't remember the last time my smile faltered through shock this many times in one day; it was bothersome.
I tilted my head slightly to the side, shot him a sardonic-polite smile, and clasped my hands together.
"Please elaborate, your majesty. Last I checked, the Witch Of End sealed herself along with the ten servants of chaos, like I don't know, six hundred years ago? What you're saying is impossible."
"You are correct."
Auntie's posture sharpened, Mother finally sat down, and I... well, I was confused as hell to say the least.
"The Witch of End sealed herself as well as all ten Servants of Chaos six centuries ago. Their slumber should have been eternal."
His tone remained irritably steady.
"Should have," I muttered with absolutely wavering eye contact. He has to be joking, right? Each one of these guys alone has the power to level planets. This has to be some kind of sick joke... right?
"Precisely."
He clasped his hands behind his back, then took a step closer after a deep breath.
"One has awakened."
...Great.
Before I could ask anything else, the Demon King raised his right hand and muttered, "apparent." Summoning a floating sphere pulsing with violet sigils. It buzzed in the air with a soft hum; the device projected an image across the room.
An image of a man who wore nothing but criminally baggy gray pants and some sandals. Weird tattoos of lines etched across pale skin on a sculpted and compact build. Built purely for speed and power. Eyes that glimmered all the colors of the rainbow and then some. As if someone took light itself, snapped it in half, then shoved the remains into his irises. Ethereal and shifting. Chaotic. And cropped golden hair, spikier than the jagged mountain peak he stood on, overlooking an abandoned village. Storm clouds swirled unnaturally around him, flickering with lightning, sudden gusts, and temperature swings. His presence warped the world.
And he was completely still.
"It's been roughly a month since he was first sighted. I believe he goes by the name Thunder."
"..."
"At first, he was seated, unmoving, not even a flinch."
"..."
"Two days ago, however, he finally stood and opened his eyes, standing at the edge of the mountain with small reactions and sudden movements."
I swallowed hard. Two days ago, someone tried to assassinate me...
Just a coincidence... Ha..Ha... shit.
Mother began to shift uncomfortably, fingernails digging into the armrest. She had to be thinking the same thing.
"He hasn't killed anyone directly," the King said. "But the natural world reacts to him. Minor disasters. Violent temperature swings. Shifts in humidity and pressure. The land itself becomes unstable near him."
"So he's… what? Just standing there, menacingly, and that alone has caused the entire demon continent to take losses because the environment is having a meltdown around him?"
"Precisely."
"And the soldiers, I assume you sent?" I asked.
"None have returned."
The projection flickered as Thunder blinked for the first time, looking towards us as if he sensed we were watching.
A cold shiver crawled down my spine, causing the hairs on my body to stand up.
"evanescet," King Aredhel muttered, and just like that, the projection vanished, and he closed his palm before returning to his seat beside Ariana, who, for some reason, hadn't reacted at all, ever since I walked in here. She's done nothing but sip on her cup of coffee while judging me with those deadpan eyes.
What did I ever do to you? Is it the bandages? It's the bandages.
Hold the fuck up. I'M SHIRTLESS!
I COMPLETELY FORGOT I'M SHIRTLESS!
I immediately folded my arms over my chest like that would magically give me dignity.
Ariana's response? She gently placed her cup on its saucer with the softest clink known to man. Then she resumed staring at me with renewed disdain.
Like she wanted me to very clearly know that I was pathetic.
What the hell is she even doing here? This was supposed to be—if I'm assuming correctly— an alliance meeting, right? Why invite the princess?
As if the universe couldn't resist mocking me, King Aredhel cleared his throat, raising a hand with the theatrics of a showman.
"I'm sure you've noticed my daughter."
He gestured toward her like he was presenting an exotic artifact rather than a person: wide sweeping arms, palms open, and a grin bordering on proud amusement. "Her presence in this meeting is not purely for aesthetics."
No shit. Yes, because I totally thought she came to admire the wall carvings and enjoy her morning coffee.
"She's—"
Auntie cleared her throat to interrupt Aredhel, then she said in a tone that was calmer than a lake frozen over from winter, too calm, it made my suspicions only rise.
"Let us discuss the true purpose of this meeting."
I believe Sir Demon King over here was going to do that, but very well, you go, girl!
I felt Mother straighten, causing me to shift my eyes towards her, and just like Sis, Mom's mood swings made me question reality. She was nervous like thirty seconds ago, and now she was vibrating in place, about to explode from holding in every bit of possible excitement within herself.
Illyana folded her hands. "Sora, as Vangardia's official successor, it is necessary for you to be present."
I blinked.
"Since when am I the successor?!"
It came out way louder than intended.
Illyana's only reaction was the slight arch of a red brow—standard for her, but in Queen Illyana's language, this was basically shouting back.
"Since I have no children of my own. You are the next blood relative in line. My little brother's oldest child."
"…What about Kat? We're twins, you know."
"Yes, well."
She waved a hand like this was the least complicated thing in the world.
"You were born first. By a few minutes."
A few minutes, she said. A few minutes. I almost laughed out loud. A FEW MINUTES?!
Since when did a few minutes determine THE THRONE?
Hold on. Did she just say I'm heir to the throne? To an entire kingdom?
What the hell is going on? I just woke up from getting a hole blown through my torso, dreamt of a dying woman I've never met, woke up to her actual face, got slapped with the awakening of one of the Ten Servants of Chaos, and now I'm heir apparent? What next? Marriage?
Illyana continued, "The alliance between our nations requires more than a contract. It must be anchored by a bond strong enough to unify our people. A bond that cannot be easily severed."
She looked at me, then at Ariana with that same neutral face she always kept, then to Mother, who looked two seconds away from squealing and clapping, then to Aredhel, who was way too amused for a man of his stature.
Mother leaned forward, beaming. "Isn't this exciting, Sora?"
"Mom," I said slowly. "What exactly is exciting?"
Ariana sighed, then belatedly she spoke, almost more unapologetic than Auntie, with a voice that was, yes, undeniably captivating, but laced with a sharp tone that felt more like dropping a guillotine on someone's neck than anything else.
"The marriage."
I blinked.
"...Pardon?"
I choked on literal air and began to cough, which was very soon followed by King Aredhels' laughter.
"Yes, yes, you are to marry my daughter, Prince Sora."
The word prince sounded wrong; I was just knighted like two days ago.
My thoughts screamed.
Marriage?! With her?! She doesn't even look the least bit interested in me!
How dare she? Any other girl would've outright fainted if they saw me—the great Sora Knight shirtless. Like, come on, look at those abs.
Instinctively, I looked down and then remembered my impeccable abs were hidden behind bandages. Curse you, bandages.
But still, the faint outline pushed through, that's more than enough, I'd argue the subtlety makes it better. But nope. Not even the mildest blush or twitch.
Do you even have a heart?
Wait, that's besides the point, abs or no abs, how are you uninterested in the man who's supposed to be your husband?!
But I would've preferred to be let know that I was gonna meet my fiancé so I could at least dress up nicely.
Thanks, Kat, I hope you're happy now.
WHY AM I EVEN ENTERTAINING THIS?! It's not like I'd agree to this marriage or anything, alliance be damned!
The nerve of her, though. Not even a swoon at the sight of my shirtless self.
Tsk, Ariana Aredhel.
"Your Majesty—uh, King Aredhel—I mean, this is… a lot. I need time to… to process this. It's not personal, obviously. Your daughter—uh, she's stunning. Truly. But I…"
My words stumbled out as I waved my hands, lost.
"I—can, I just… I can't just agree to this immediately!"
Illyana's voice cut in with a hint of mockery.
"That is why you will be engaged first, Sora. Immediate marriage is not required."
I stared at her. Engaged first? Is that supposed to make any difference? Somehow, that's supposed to lessen the shock of being told I'm marrying a girl I barely know? My head throbbed.
Mother, on the other hand, was vibrating with excitement. "Isn't this wonderful, Sora? You'll have time to get to know each other first!"
"Ugh, Mom! Can you read the room? Can you at least try?"
Illyana didn't even glance at Mother.
"Your personal feelings, Sora, are secondary. What matters is the duty you owe your kingdom."
I looked to Mother again.
"At least tell me they matter at all! Do I get a choice in this?"
"Of course, darling! You're a person, and your feelings most definitely matter."
Illyana's tone froze the air.
"They do not. Your duty to Vangardia comes first."
King Aredhel chuckled, his amusement filling the room.
"They do matter, Sora, but your duty must guide you. I trust you will prioritize your kingdom, much as my daughter has prioritized hers."
I turned toward Ariana. Her red eyes met mine, unreadable, distant.
I smirked, trying to regain my usual arrogance. "So let me get this straight. I'm officially Prince Sora, heir apparent, adored by the kingdom, and I'm being told that I have no choice in who I marry? Even though—" I gestured vaguely at her—"I'm clearly the superior specimen here?"
"You are awfully confident in yourself, Sora. But confidence only carries you so far," Ariana said, cutting me off with an imperiously calm tone. It began to tick me off, honestly.
I blinked at her, taken aback. I noticed how she shifted in her seat, the way her hands tightened into a fist, the way her feet tapped the floor with obvious discomfort. She didn't like this any more than I did, so why? I tried to smile through it.
"And yet, as Sora De Astra Knight, I should still get a say. I mean, come on. I'm the best there is."
She shot back immediately, without even a moment's hesitation.
"Being the best will not exempt you from reality. Whether you like it or not, some things are beyond your own grasp... Prince Sora."
I blinked again. My pride, normally my shield, felt like it was being pried away, piece by piece.
I ran a hand through my silver hair, letting out a groan that I hoped sounded more dignified than it felt.
I hate you.
King Aredhel laughed again, clearly entertained by the entire display.
"Sora, remember this: leadership requires sacrifice. Your choice is your duty to the kingdom or nothing."
What does that even mean, dude???
"Anyway," Auntie started. "Since everything has been formalized and made public, both of you have no say in the matter. Now, the two of you must wear these at all times."
Public? When did that even happen?!
Illyana turned and stretched over her desk, pulling some maroon, fancy-looking box from one of her drawers.
"What's that?" Ariana asked.
Mother squeeled.
King Aredhel seemed surprised for the first time since the start of this meeting.
"Your engagement rings."
This day is just full of surprises, isn't it?
Illyana opened the box; inside were a pair of identical dainty gold bands, each set with a small, flawless diamond that sparkled brighter than any diamond I've ever seen before. Hidden from casual view, on the inside of each of the rings' circumference were delicate etchings of something I didn't bother to read.
Mother Nemi, however, had different plans. She grabbed my ring before I did, clearly noticing the etchings too, then she read them out loud.
"Always beside you."
Through my peripheral I noticed Ariana physically recoiling. I shuddered too, because... the fuck?
Mother, oblivious to our reactions, clapped her hands. "Oh, isn't it perfect! Just so romantic!"
Mom, I love you, but please, for the love of the Princeps, read the damn room!
To no one's surprise, Aredhel chuckled like someone too rich to be here. We were both royalty, yet somehow I felt beneath him.
The audacity to make me feel that way. He should apologize.
I didn't say that out loud. I love my head too much for that.
Though something told me he'd just laugh anyway.
Ariana's gaze drifted to her own ring, now in her hand, and I caught the faintest exhale of exasperation.
Mother handed me the ring, and I spun it around before trying it on. It fit like a glove on my left hand's ring finger. Ariana did the same, though, with a tinge of pure disgust.
I clenched my jaw.
"Anything else?" I sarcastically bowed, purposefully trying to take the piss.
"That is all." Illyana's cool demeanour did not falter once this entire time. You know, she didn't even ask me how I was doing? Your nephew almost died, by the way!
Oh, right, I should ask who healed me.
"...hey Mom, do you know who healed me?" I gestured to my bandaged torso. "I'd like to thank them."
Both Mom and Auntie looked at me as if I'd just claimed to destroy the world.
"We don't know," Illyana said calmly, folding her hands like this was the most mundane topic in existence.
"What do you mean by 'you don't know'?! Some unknown person practically blew a hole through my torso, I saw my own heart, damn it! And I miraculously healed and woke up! Must be some damn healer, so who is it?!"
"Like your Aunt said," Mom added. "We don't know. Katarina said your wound began to close up immediately on its own; she simply bandaged you up during the process to prevent further bleeding."
So that's why the bandaging was so shit. Ah, Sis. You should never join the medical field.
Wait a minute... I healed on my own?!
Ariana suddenly lit up entirely with curiosity and turned her head to face me, studying me like I was some interesting specimen.
Her father did the same, before hitting his signature chuckle emote and saying, "Ah, all the more reason for you to marry my daughter, you have a divine ability, my boy!"
"Divine, what now?"
"Divine abilities are something a person is born with; it's a power handed to them personally by one of the Princeps. It's also extremely rare," Illyana said.
Ariana raised a brow as I'm sure some weird thought flickered through her mind, but then she shot her dad a disgusted look and rolled her eyes when she realized what he said.
So even with a divine ability, you're still not interested in me? How high are your standards, dude?