Chapter Text
young men's love doth lie
never in their hearts, only in their eyes.
are you ready to die for me?
[ & ]
The General Mahamatra was dead.
The rumor of his death ran rampant through the desert villages. Words of sorrow were interspersed with fear as the commoners whispered the news. They refused to look in the other’s eyes as the words were spoken in hushed tones. They were too ashamed to lift their gazes and see the answering despair mirrored back.
Silent words of prayer were uttered for the salvation of a soul long gone, to a god who had long abandoned the people.
It was the sages’ work, of course. A rumor designed to dismantle any hopes lingering in the hearts of the Resistance who opposed the Sumerian Queen’s tyrannical will. The Mahamatra, the general of her guard, had shown his cards. He had cast his spear in favor of the opposition and had been struck down mercilessly for it.
Cyno scoffed. Now, like always, the devious conceit of royalty and their ilk disgusted him.
He rested his back against the unforgiving iron bars of his jostling cage and observed the vista beyond these narrow strips of metal. He, like the other captured prisoners, were being transported directly to the kingdom of Sumeru. Undoubtedly by the orders of Her Majesty who would desire nothing more than to see the head of a traitor mounted beside her bed.
He regretted nothing.
“You are weak, daughter.”
Though it was not the first time Lumine had heard such disdainful words, the queen’s harshness still stung. It was no secret in the kingdom that the petite blonde only took after her beautiful mother in looks.
Queen Rosalyne was stunning, from the golden waves that flowed down in perfect curls, to the womanly curves that were visible beneath the silk of the monarch’s crimson gown. The queen of Sumeru was the epitome of decadence and sin upon her gilded throne.
And Lumine— well, she was nothing but a disappointment.
Honey-gold eyes flickered with unease. Rosalyne had ceased to care about whether or not witnesses were present hear the abuse Lumine habitually endured. It didn’t matter anyway; none of the richly-garbed nobles in the throne room would lift a finger to help. They would not rush to the princess’s defense with word or deed.
Lumine was expected to fight the queen’s fire with her own. She was the usurper queen’s daughter, after all.
When the old king of Sumeru had mysteriously died, the foreigner Rosalyne ascended to power overnight. The new queen seized control over the forest and the desert lands. The kingdom of Lumine’s father did not care for Rosalyne’s tyranny. She was not of Sumerian blood like the king was. She was not native to these lands.
The Sumerian people harbored no loyalty towards her daughter, either. How long, they murmured darkly to themselves, until the spawn of the queen slipped her feet into the same cruel slippers worn by Rosalyne?
“Six months you have laid with your whores and still you are not with child,” Rosalyne snapped.
The attention of her own casual lover was disregarded as the queen pushed the man aside with the heel of her shoe. His cry of pain echoed in the hall, causing the nearby nobles to flinch.
Lumine recognized the man’s pale features but could not put a name to him. One of the gentry’s second sons, undoubtedly. A nobody without a title who merely greeded for the favors being the queen’s weekly favorite could bestow.
“While it displeases you, Your Majesty, these things take time,” Lumine explained.
Goosebumps pebbled uncomfortably across the young woman’s nape as the queen’s eyes narrowed at the blithe reply. “You have had long enough, Lumine. They shall be replaced.”
“No!” Lumine’s earnest cry was desperate.
She hastily checked herself, regretting in an instant the smug satisfaction that rose to Rosalyne’s face. Lumine refused to part with those she considered her own but the queen had begun to suspect the depth of her daughter’s attachment to her companions. This affection would be unsightly in Rosalyne’s estimation.
A princess who caved to fondness for subordinates was useless. “I… just need more time.”
“You are weak, Lumine, and it is so disheartening to me.” Rosalyne leaned back against the throne and casually slid one voluptuous leg over the top of the other.
The edge of her gown fell to the side to reveal a creamy thigh that was irresistible to any who gazed upon it. Her male lover visibly salivated. The queen hummed in pleasure as the nobleman sank to his knees and immediately began to pepper dutiful kisses along her flesh.
“I gave them to you to break. To own. To make them fear you. And what do you do, Lumine? You have turned them into pets to dote upon.”
“That’s not true.” It was, unfortunately, true.
“You are also poor at lying, my daughter. The servants tell me you have not bedded either as of late.”
A hot flush seared Lumine’s cheeks. The topic itself was embarrassing enough and yet Queen Rosalyne felt no shame at humiliating her daughter openly in front of others. None of the nobles dared to look at the princess as they whispered amongst themselves in the shadowy eaves.
“They are mine to please myself with,” Lumine bit out in anger. “What does it matter what I do with them?”
“How you treat your whores shows me what kind of leader you will be.”
Disapproval laced every word as Rosalyne slithered off the plush seat of her throne. The throne room went silent. Every click of her heels was a deafening sound on the marble as the Queen descended down the short steps to the receiving floor. She sauntered, hips swaying provocatively, towards her daughter.
Not a sound was uttered in the throne room beyond the harsh breathing expelled from Lumine’s burning lungs.
The tip of a bloodred fingernail pressed beneath Lumine’s chin, tilting her head upwards. “Have you learned nothing?” Rosalyne hissed at the girl.
There was no softness in her mother’s gaze that Lumine could see. No love for the daughter she’d endeavored to raise to be her cruel likeness.
“If you are soft on them, they will only turn such weakness against you. The blade will only feel more painful in your back for you. ”
A shiver coursed through Lumine’s spine. “They are mine,” she repeated firmly, “to do with as I see fit.”
“They will not be yours if they are dead, precious.”
Lumine inhaled sharply the bitter taste of fear. “You would not dare.”
“And why not?” Amusement swam in that empty royal gaze. “You have a duty to me and to your people. You are to be the future queen of Sumeru and yet, you are incapable of even ordering around your bedmates.” A pitiless smile curved on Queen Rosalyne’s painted lips. “Would you rather me kill you instead, as useless as you are?”
Lumine’s stare hardened. Her mother was not lying. She would have Alhaitham and Kaveh beheaded in this very room without a second thought if she believed them to be the reason for Lumine’s negligence to her royal duty.
It was not about procreation, as archaic a tradition that was for royalty, but about asserting dominance over her would-be subjects. Her lovers were Sumeru-born and bred. Lumine should have broken them to demonstrate her capability to rule over the populace she would one day inherit.
“I will bed them tonight,” Lumine said quietly.
“Oh, no, it’s much too late for that,” Rosalyne drawled with a soulless laugh.
A flicker of fear flashed behind Lumine’s sunlight eyes.
“You have already failed the test in that regard.”
Lumine slapped away her mother’s fingers with a hiss. Far from being displeased, the queen’s pleasure at her daughter’s rebellion only grew. Any sign of fire was a welcome sight. She knew it burned in Lumine’s veins; it just needed the right kindling.
“Do not touch them,” the smaller female warned with a low growl.
“If you want them, show me you have earned the right to keep them. Or else…” The queen trailed off, leaving her deadly promise unspoken.
She would kill them. Perhaps even order Lumine to do it herself.
“What would you have me do then?” The blonde demanded through gritted teeth.
The nobles surrounding them watched with unabashed fascination as the two members of royalty clashed. This was hardly the first time the two had crossed metaphoric swords (and literal, once) but no one dared to bring attention to themselves, nor disturb the lines being drawn.
The queen crossed her arms beneath her bosom. “You will have one last chance to prove your worth, daughter,” she announced for all to hear.
The nobles remained as still as death as they listened intently to the queen’s impending decree. Lumine hadn’t ceased her glaring and straightened up to her full height, as small as that regrettably was. For Kaveh and Alhaitham’s sake, as well as her own, Lumine must seize the opportunity offered so disdainfully in front of her.
“I will pick your consort,” Rosalyne declared, “And you will break him for all to witness. If you do not— then you, my precious daughter, will be put to death alongside them.”
Lumine swallowed thickly as the queen continued with a cruel, teeth-baring smile. “Starting with the pretty blonde.”
Kaveh.
This ugly feeling Lumine held towards the reigning queen of their kingdom could not be anything remotely resembling affection. This caustic bitterness, this resentment boiling in her veins— it was nothing like the gentle sweetness of joy Lumine felt towards Kaveh.
Pretty her companion was, and he was so full of vivid goodness that it made Lumine feel better just being in his presence. He always eased her mind and soothed her with touches when it was necessary to bring the temperamental princess back down from the zenith of her simmering rage. It was so at odds with the visceral hate she now felt as she stared directly into her mother’s icy, colorless eyes.
“I will do my duty,” Lumine answered coolly, after a long moment. “But, you will not choose him.”
A single flaxen eyebrow rose. Queen Rosalyne nearly purred at her daughter’s daring words. “Is that so?”
“I will choose my consort and you will have no say, Your Majesty.” Lumine continued, forcing confidence she did not entirely feel into this brazen declaration.
No, she was not the blazing inferno her mother was but, Lumine possessed her own pillar of strength. She had her own motivation to do right by her people. Her loyal companions served as the steel for her quieter, yet no less inflexible spine. The hope of her people, the kin of her beloved father, was resting on her shoulders.
Lumine could not, and would not, disappoint them.
“You will only watch as I rise above and tear you down from the pedestal you dare look down on me from.”
The queen’s satisfied laugh danced merrily through the hall.
“Will you choose among the nobles, Princess?” Kaveh’s worried tone was saturated with an undisguised jealousy as he combed his fingers through Lumine’s golden locks. “Surely, none hold a candle to us. You would be downgrading your worth at the very least!”
Vexed at the thought, Lumine rubbed her temple as she sighed loudly. “Stop asking, Kaveh. I don’t know at this time.”
“Her Majesty only informed her of the declaration this morning,” Alhaitham reminded him. His cultured voice served as a soothing balm on Lumine’s taut nerves. “There has been no time to do the requisite selection process, nor to check upon the eligibility of the nobles in this matter.”
As he spoke, the handsome man kept his gaze lowered to the scroll he was currently reading with intense concentration. It was a historical document regarding the fabled Dune of Elusion, Lumine discerned, glancing at the printed script.
Nevertheless, Lumine found herself grateful for the intercession. Neither of her beloved companions had been pleased to hear the news after the princess had returned from the queen’s audience to their shared chambers. Kaveh had been devastated at the prospect of a third joining their ranks while Alhaitham, as stoic as ever, had remained thoughtfully silent as Lumine explained the events that had occurred.
It had been the latter’s suggestion, after becoming weary of Kaveh’s endless whining over the matter, for the three to visit the Sumeru marketplace to dispel the tension looming in the air.
Alhaitham would have made a splendid prince consort, Lumine ruminated. It was not the first time she thought so. He was incredibly intelligent, well-read, and knew the intricacies of the politics surrounding their precarious kingdom. It was to him that Lumine often went for guidance when she felt self-doubt licking at her heels.
But, with this reliance came weakness. The princess understood she was too dependent on Alhaitham’s wisdom for her choices. If she was to be queen, it was she who needed to make decisions based on her own judgment, not her consort’s.
Kaveh, on the other hand… “It’s rather noisy out today, isn’t it?” he said cheerfully.
The beautiful male tugged aside the drapery of the carriage windows to peer outside. Their ride was hardly smooth as it traversed over the cobblestone roads of the main city but Lumine had become accustomed to the constant jostling of their transport over time. She braced her hand on Kaveh’s thigh to retain her balance and found her curiosity piqued at his observation.
“Is it?” she asked.
Kaveh was too chaotic and too full of a wistful romanticism that she and Alhaitham lacked. He was too quick to temper, full of feverish emotions, and so full of devotion to Lumine’s comfort that the princess could not bring herself to taint such purity with the despicable blood demanded of the royal crown.
The princess leaned up to brush a fond kiss to the curve of Kaveh’s turned cheek and was rewarded with a rosy blush from the male.
“I come often to the market, as you know,” Kaveh answered airily, still staring out of the window, “Even when there’s big crowds like this, it’s never this noisy, so…” Lacking the appropriate words, he waved his hand vaguely.
Lumine, nevertheless, understood. “Shall we see the cause for commotion for ourselves then?”
The small carriage interior was cramped with two tall males of their stature in addition to her own body. Lumine longed for the opportunity to stretch her legs. Now, it appeared, was the perfect time.
Kaveh blinked owlishly as he turned to her, surprised. “No, I was merely saying… it’s not—”
“That is ill-advised, my lady,” Alhaitham interjected.
He had lowered his scroll to catch her in sight of his calculated gaze. The innate authority present in his expression rankled Lumine’s pride. She was the princess and their commander, she thought rebelliously, she would make the decisions.
“We are getting out,” she ordered firmly. Lumine knocked twice on the back of the carriage. The driver dutifully drove the transport to a halt to the side of the main street.
With an utmost reluctance, Kaveh descended first and offered his gloved hand out for Lumine to take. She did not need the assistance but murmured her gratitude as she slid her fingers against his own and alighted from the carriage. Unlike Alhaitham at times, Kaveh’s actions towards her were always for her benefit, first and foremost.
The fresh air did wonders for her nerves. The cool wind was rejuvenating as Lumine inhaled the breeze deeply into her lungs.
She transferred her hand to the inside of Kaveh’s elbow and gestured for the two to follow her into the heart of the bustling city. Clothed as she was in a crimson cloak of richly expensive silk, her royal appearance was no secret as the trio strolled through the energetic marketplace. Lumine was used to the belligerent stares as she passed, nodding in acknowledgment to the boldest who shouted greetings towards her— typically by children who didn't know better and were hastily scolded by their parents.
She tried not to let the animosity ruffle her composure. Lumine had quite enough of that today.
Drawing up close to one of the royal matra posted on the edge of the market, Lumine called out to him in inquiry. “Guard, is there something amiss in the city today?”
At the sweet, feminine tone, the guard jerked in surprise and immediately sank into a dutiful bow upon recognizing the royal princess and her imposing companions.
“Your Highness, ah— yes, well…” The man rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Lumine observed with interest how the guard’s brow furrowed at her question, as if reluctance held him fast from speaking truth comfortably. A pearl of sweat beaded on his temple. “You see, several important prisoners have arrived today and it’s caused a bit of a ruckus amongst the people…”
“The prisoners?” Lumine repeated curiously. She immediately looked to Alhaitham for an explanation, who did not hesitate to supply it.
“The disgraced General Mahamatra, I presume, along with surviving members of the Resistance.”
“Ah.”
The guard nodded in confirmation. “Your Highness, if you would allow me, I don’t think it’s safe for you to be out and about right now.”
Lumine raised her eyebrows. Displeasure darkened her pretty face. “You think too much, matra,” she replied curtly.
Beside her, Kaveh frowned. The blonde male shot a concerned glance to Alhaitham over the girl’s head. Although they both deferred to Lumine respectfully as their sovereign and bedmate, it still bothered Kaveh in particular whenever Lumine assumed the unkind demeanor reminiscent of the queen.
“Where have they taken them?” Lumine prompted the matra.
The guard’s face paled. Already chastened by the princess once, he dared not refuse her request a second time. Concern colored his bloodless features. “Your Highness, I…” he faltered, only to be met with Alhaitham’s cold gaze as the guard instinctively looked above Lumine’s shoulder.
“Answer your Princess, matra,” he ordered in a low tone.
The man expelled a shaky breath and wiped his brow. “Y-Yes, of course. I’ll take you to them without delay, Your Highness.”
Lumine was mollified when the guard proceeded to stay true to his word and began to direct them through the crowd. And yet, she could not help the inkling of annoyance clawing unpleasantly at the back of her mind.
“I did not need your assistance then, Alhaitham,” she muttered under her breath.
Gold eyes glimmered with irritation as she bent her gaze on the tall figure by her side. Alhaitham dipped his head once.
“Of course, Princess.”
“Stay silent next time. After all, you’re good at that when it’s convenient.”
He kept his expression carefully blank as the small group breached the noisy crowd. A large space had been carved out for royal use on the edge of the marketplace. Far enough away from the populace to maintain distance, but near enough so that some of the roaming citizens couldn’t help but to send worried looks in its direction.
No one in Sumeru was ignorant of the fate of the Resistance; those who were unlucky enough to be caught would be executed within the week, as the laws dictated. A ring of stiff-backed guards was posed strategically around a massive cage of metal placed right in the middle of the space.
Lumine’s eyes widened in astonishment. “They are kept in a cage?” she gasped in shock.
The princess ignored Kaveh’s pleading to stay back in safety as she pulled her hand away from his arm and strode towards the iron-wrought prison. This was too inhumane of a condition even for prisoners.
“Who is in charge here?” she demanded.
Nervously, the guards glanced at one another before keeping their gazes downcast. It was so galling, Lumine thought in frustration. If she had been her mother, they would have answered her immediately. Was she so disrespected even amongst the royal guards? The princess exhaled a loud hiss of disapproval— the sound so indicative of her displeasure that the guards instantly froze in place.
“You,” she declared, pointing menacingly at the one directly in front of her. “Speak.”
“Your Highness, it is by the order of Her M-Majesty that we cannot disclose the d-details of this matter,” the matra stammered out, choosing his words carefully. “It is not that I don’t wish to tell you, however, we are ordered to…” He trailed off at the glare mounting on her face.
Yet another gauntlet thrown down by the queen, perhaps, to test the mettle of the heir who would one day assume the crown of dominion. Queen Rosalyne did not exclude Lumine from the political intrigue that plagued their kingdom but neither did she ever hand over information on a silver platter. Like with everything else, Lumine needed to earn the power she wanted to someday wield.
“And am I not to be ‘Her Majesty’ eventually?” the blonde drawled icily. “Your sovereign.”
His face turned white. “Y-Yes, of course.”
“Open the cage,” Lumine ordered. She heard the swift intake of breath behind her. It was from Alhaitham who would, if they were not in public, scold her for this impulsive display of recklessness. Be that as it may, she did not spare either of her companions a glance.
The matra, conceding to the mutinous gleam in her honey eyes, nervously took out the keys to unlock the large gate.
“Alhaitham, accompany me,” she instructed quietly. “Kaveh, remain outside.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Two dutiful voices, one full of strength and one full of relief at being bidden to stay behind, answered at the same time.
Lumine felt none of the fear she should have as she stepped forward and sauntered through the opened iron door. The guard and Alhaitham stuck close to her side protectively as the princess’s gaze swept over the occupants of the cage. The first thing she noticed was the rancid scent of unwashed bodies that reached her nose and caused Lumine to wrinkle her nose in disgust. The second thing she observed were the defiant glares the prisoners cast her way as she walked by.
It was only by the threat of steel swinging on Alhaitham’s hip and the polearm wielded by the matra in front of her that the Resistance members did not attack her as they so visibly desired.
If it was not a rebellious hatred darkening their eyes, it was a lustful leering as the prisoners tracked her movements predatorily through the cage. Kept chaste by their confinement, their ravenous looks undressed Lumine as she strode by.
Tilting her chin upwards, Lumine ignored each and every one of those perverted glances. She cared for no prisoner’s presence here except for one.
“Your Highness,” the matra entreated in one last desperate attempt. He had stopped a measured distance away from the one prisoner who was clearly kept confined far apart from the rest.
Lumine’s footsteps came to a halt. She suddenly couldn’t breathe properly as her vision became filled with a man whose very aura exuded the ferality of a caracal. He bore a desert lynx’s eyes: fierce, ruby irises that clouded with unreadable thoughts as he took in the princess’s appearance. So at odds they were: she, clad in decadent silks inappropriate for this destitute climate, and he, unkempt and dirty from head to toe.
Lumine’s eyes went to his wrists that were confined with unbreakable iron shackles. A long iron-wrought chain linked the shackles to the metal bars upon which his back rested.
Every moment they kept their gazes locked, Lumine's breath caught. A small flame had begun to kindle within her, stoked higher by the hard glittering of those garnet eyes.
“Please, keep a distance from the prisoner, Princess.” The guard, though audibly nervous, was adamant in his pleading. He nearly fainted as Lumine took a step forward instead.
“Why? He is chained up, isn’t he?” she countered. “He won’t hurt me.”
Alhaitham cleared his throat loudly in disagreement. Lumine slid him a forbidding glare in response. For the first time, a hot blaze of irritation for her stubbornness could be seen in the taller man’s eyes. The blonde returned her attention to the disgraced General Mahamatra, whose bored expression perfectly conveyed his utter lack of interest in their exchange.
“General—” Lumine began, only to shake her head in self-admonishment as she reminded herself of the now dishonorable position. He was not to be afforded the respect of his military title. “Cyno.”
At that, heat shimmered behind those molten eyes. Lumine felt her breathlessness return as electricity sparked in the air between them.
“You have displeased Her Majesty greatly.” The princess took another step closer and strengthened the conviction in her voice. She would be his ruler one day, too, and must seize this chance, however small, to prove to everyone here that Lumine could be just as authoritative as she who currently ruled. “You betrayed your allegiance and our family. What do you have to say for yourself?”
The resulting silence was disconcerting.
Cyno said nothing, revealing nothing with a stoic expression. As he remained frustratingly reticent, Lumine’s embarrassment began to grow.
A stirring of anger inside her chest ruthlessly suppressed the attraction that had been growing towards him. Although she had crossed paths with the former Mahamatra only twice in her life, she could not deny that seeing him again now, no matter how disheveled, had brought about a resurfacing of old feelings.
She’d been a girl newly-awakening to her hormones when she’d last seen him in the queen’s throne room. Lumine had recognized then the strength of the General’s lean muscles as they rippled through his toned form. How his very presence emanated a dark sensuality that inspired several lustful fantasies she kept secret.
Now, years later, she realized nothing about that had changed.
Anger inflamed her movements as she strode forward abruptly towards Cyno, ignoring the outcry from the guard behind her. Trusting in the iron shackles to keep the former Mahamatra confined to the bars, the princess stood in front of Cyno until they were nearly nose to nose.
The warmth of her breath teased Cyno’s lips as Lumine spoke, inflecting her tone with icy severity. She would be the queen of Sumeru and she would be respected. “Well, traitor? ”
Up close, now she could see the irritation behind those mesmerizing eyes. She could hear all too clearly the annoyance as Cyno clicked his tongue. “Tch.”
“Your Highness, I must insist—” the guard begged.
Her agitated nerves stretched to their limit, Lumine whipped her head around, her pinched face betraying her utter vexation. “Sir, if you open your mouth one more time, I will—”
“Lumine!” Alhaitham surged forward but he was not quick enough. Stars exploded behind Lumine’s vision.
She cried out in pain as Cyno had lifted his wrists and looped his arms over her head. Trapping her in the circle of his chained arms, Lumine was crushed against the former Mahamatra’s strong chest, her back pressed unforgivably to his front as his wrists pressed threateningly against her windpipe.
“Don’t move, or I will kill her,” Cyno warned coldly.
His voice brushed against her ear with a caress that sent a shiver coursing down to her spine. Lumine could only watch helplessly as Alhaitham visibly forced himself to lock each one of his muscles in place, his arm remaining in a half-raised position as it wielded his wickedly sharp sword.
The utter stillness of the man behind her conveyed his utmost seriousness. One press of the iron against her pulse and she would die from the brutal pressure.
“Cyno…” she pleaded in a choked breath.
Lumine had been foolish— so dangerously, woefully overconfident in her status. She had not expected Cyno to attack a member of the royal family so brazenly.
She was trusting in the natural protection of her title and yet, how had she’d forgotten that betraying the queen had been the cause of this imprisonment? Lumine had not heeded others’ wisdom, so blinded by her pride to finally be taken seriously. As she sought oxygen to breathe, she realized the reality would be much worse: she’d be a laughingstock when her mother found out what had occurred here.
“Are you truly so ignorant as to approach the former general of the royal guard?” Displeasure burned in every word as Cyno berated harshly into her ear. “So stupid and weak. I wouldn’t even enjoy seeing the life drain out of your eyes.”
“Release me…” she gasped. I am not weak, Lumine ached to say.
She felt his unamused chuckle tickling against her hair. The princess felt so delicate in Cyno’s hold, her strength comparable to the lightness of wind as she struggled in vain against his stronger frame. He could end her life with a single stroke and feel only the faintest amount of regret from it.
“Let her go, Cyno,” Alhaitham ordered with a hard stare directly set on the prisoner’s face. “She is not the Queen.”
Lumine hissed in disdain when she felt Cyno’s grip loosening as he considered the other’s words. Tears of frustration stung Lumine’s eyes.
It was always others and not her who moved the pieces of this chessboard. Alhaitham’s demands were the ones Cyno respected, not hers. Mentions of her mother incited people to obedient action. Lumine possessed no authority of her own in the eyes of her people. Never had it been made more clear to her than in this very moment.
“Although that point is logical, it is unforgivably short-sighted.” Lumine trembled as Cyno’s lips danced over the curve of her ear. His voice lowered to whisper cruel words meant only for her to hear. “You are fortunate that I have no use for a hostage so undesirable to the queen.”
Cyno's words stung more than the brutal shove he used to propel her forward. Lumine stumbled, her hand wrapped soothingly around her throat as she inhaled desperate gasps of air into her lungs. She was trembling like crazy as she turned and stared at the individual who looked back at her with nothing short of disdain.
As the guard moved to subdue Cyno with his polearm, the white-haired man languidly raised his chain in warning, causing the nervous matra to fall back in fear.
They were all the same, weren’t they? No one believed in her. Everyone treated her like a pawn in their games of power.
“Princess,” Alhaitham’s arm came around her protectively and he held her securely against his chest as he pointed the tip of his sword directly at Cyno. “You will be executed for this,” he said in a chilling tone.
Cyno said nothing. Boredom had suffused his expression once more as Cyno leaned his back against the metal bars. He regarded Lumine alone, his garnet stare unnerving her as he peered into her eyes, waiting for the blonde’s next move.
They were all waiting for her.
The blood pounded in Lumine’s ears as she furiously collected her thoughts. Without respect she was useless as a future monarch, especially in a kingdom that would sooner see her disposed of than obey her decrees. She did not have the natural intimidation invoked by the Queen and so could not rule by fear as Rosalyne did.
Lumine did not possess the endless intelligence of Alhaitham, whose wisdom and heritage being native to this land eclipsed her own claim. But, she countered silently, knowledge could be accumulated over time and respect could be earned through consistent, bold actions. She did not have to act just like Rosalyne in order to cultivate fealty over her future dominion.
Lumine was a queen-in-the-making with her own desires and ambition. With this in mind, she steeled herself. The decision she was about to make would surely go down in Sumeru’s history as either the most reckless and foolhardy choice ever made, or alter the course of the royal line irrevocably.
“Cyno.” She never let her gaze move from the traitorous Mahamatra as she infused her voice with a command that brought all three of the mens’ attention directly to her. "You will be my Consort.”
Red-hot anger exploded behind that electrifying gaze. “No,” he bit out.
The sight of his molten fury should have terrified her but all Lumine could feel was a boiling sense of satisfaction. To break this man, to make Cyno kneel before her, was exactly what she wanted to do. The former captain of her mother’s guard would be sworn to her, loyal only to her, and Rosalyne… oh, the queen would be furious.
Her disgraced Mahamatra would be beholden to her useless daughter. Cyno’s strength and loyalty would belong to her alone.
Alhaitham, who had been rendered immobile as a result of stunned shock, finally spoke above her head with undisguised revulsion. “This is unwise, Princess, and ludicrous to arrive at this conclusion without proper forethought,” he scolded her. “You are inundated with emotions at this time and cannot think clearly enough to make such an illogical decision—”
Lumine cut him off with an abrupt flick of her hand. “On the contrary, it fulfills my purpose and that is reason enough.”
Alhaitham sucked in his breath as the princess deliberately turned her back on him and addressed the guard. “Make Cyno ready for travel. Let it be known in Sumeru that the former Mahamatra is to be granted the princess’s royal pardon for his transgression against the crown and, in return, is to become consort to Her Royal Highness.”
Although he had not spoken, Lumine could feel the hatred emanating from Cyno as she declared his future so cold-bloodedly. Temptation to hold those garnet eyes in her own was suffocatingly powerful but Lumine would not let him hold even a smidgeon of power over her actions.
She refused to look back as she departed with her companion from the cage. Alhaitham would be punished severely for his overstepping today, she decided, and Cyno would soon be taught how to best please her. His mistress. His future queen.
If she had looked back even once, if she could read the determined thoughts brewing behind the former general’s stone-cold expression, Lumine would not have been nearly as confident in her conviction.
Cyno had no intention of succumbing to her control, not when he knew that the moment he got his hands on Lumine, she would be fully under his.