Sacrificed by One Now Treasured by Three

The world was quiet this late at night. The only sound was the gentle rhythm of waves brushing against the shoreline, retreating over the black sand before returning again. It was sleepy here, peaceful in a way Verity had almost forgotten the world could be. It was the only time she felt like she could breathe. She walked slowly along the sand-covered cobblestone path, her footsteps barely making a sound beneath the hush of the night. Above her, the moons cast a soft lavender-silver glow over everything they touched, turning the dark sands of Lumeria nearly white beneath their light. The salty breeze brushed against her face, carrying the scent of the ocean as she made her way toward the water. Coming to Lumeria had never been her choice. Nothing about the past month had been her choice. And yet, despite everything, she couldn't bring herself to hate this place. In fact, she preferred it to Fawnaua. Both regions had their beauty. Fawnaua was a landlocked kingdom of sweeping deserts, where golden dunes stretched toward the horizon like an endless ocean frozen beneath the sun. But Lumeria was different. Here, you could see both moons. The people of Lumeria believed the moons were Luna, the Moon Goddess, and her daughter, Nymea. Scholars had a less romantic explanation. According to them, a meteor had struck the moon millions of years ago, breaking away a massive fragment that had eventually settled into its own orbit. Three celestial bodies, circling the sun together in perfect harmony. Verity had always preferred science over magic. It was easier to believe that the universe had created something beautiful on purpose. She slipped off her sandals and carried them in one hand as she stepped into the cool ocean water. The waves curled around her toes, stealing some of the warmth from her skin. For a few precious seconds, she closed her eyes. No court. No crown. No wedding. No betrayal. Just the ocean. "You know killing yourself won't matter, right?" The snide voice shattered the silence. Verity opened her eyes and turned. Scarlet stood several feet behind her on the cobblestone path, one hand resting casually on the maroon M-17 secured at her hip. Her white hair had been pulled back messily, and her expression held the familiar mixture of irritation and concern that Verity had come to recognize. Verity gave her a faint smile. "I know." Scarlet sighed. She felt sorry for the foreign princess; anyone with a heart would. Verity had been betrayed by her own fiancé, sacrificed for the sake of a kingdom that hadn't even bothered to look back when she was cast aside. Scarlet still couldn't understand how someone could do that to another person. Their caravan had found Verity almost by accident while passing through the gorge. Scarlet remembered the moment they had discovered her and thought that she was dead the way her limbs tangled around each other, the dark crimson blood with streaks of petrichor; a tell of royalty. And yet somehow, Verity had survived. "I’m sorry I'm not a better hostage," Verity said with a hollow little laugh. Scarlet's expression softened. "I'd hardly call you that." "True." Verity looked back toward the ocean. "I suppose a hostage is someone they'd actually want back." The words were spoken so quietly that Scarlet almost missed them. Verity wrapped her arms around herself, and then something inside her finally gave way. A sob tore through her chest. She tried to swallow it. Tried to breathe. Tried to force it back down the way she had done every night for the past month. But another sob followed. Then another. Her shoulders shook violently as she covered her mouth, desperately trying to silence herself. She had spent weeks pretending she was fine. Weeks smiling when people looked at her. Weeks insisting that she didn't need anyone's pity. Weeks telling herself that if she could simply keep moving, eventually the pain would become something she could live with. But the words she had just spoken had cracked something open. And now she couldn't stop. Scarlet's expression fell. "Dismissed." A deep, familiar voice came from behind her. Scarlet turned. "I didn't—" "You're fine." Kieran's voice was firm, but there was kindness beneath it. "Go get some coffee. Then start the preparations for the banquet." Scarlet hesitated, glancing toward Verity. The young princess was breaking completely black hair covering her face. Kieran gave her a small nod. She understood. With one last worried look toward Verity, Scarlet turned and disappeared back toward the palace. Verity's sobs only grew louder. They weren't graceful. They weren't quiet. They weren't the kind of tears a princess was supposed to shed. They were the cries of someone who had been holding herself together for far too long. Kieran took a step toward her. "Ver..." He stopped himself. Few people in this world knew what she had endured. Fewer still understood what it meant to have the person you loved most look you in the eyes and decide that your life was an acceptable price for their crown. She needed this. She needed to break. Because perhaps once all of the pain had finally left her, there might be room for something else; Hope. A shadow moved beside him. Zephyrus appeared at Verity's side like a shield. His long white hair was tied high, revealing the black undercut beneath it. He had clearly just returned from patrol; dark blue blood stained the leather of his boots, remnants of some elder beast encountered along the border. He said nothing. He simply stood beside her. And when Verity's knees nearly gave way, he caught her without hesitation. She buried her face against his chest. His arms came around her carefully, almost cautiously, as though she were something precious enough to break. Behind Kieran, another quiet chuckle sounded. Rayne. He watched the scene with the calculating gaze of the kingdom's most careful tactician. "Seems our brother is putting us to shame." Kieran glanced at him. "I didn't know he could even feel for another being." Rayne smirked. "Neither did I." They crossed the remaining distance toward them. By then, Verity's sobs had begun to quiet. Only an occasional sniffle escaped her as she rested against Zephyrus, exhausted. Rayne's expression softened. "Verity." She lifted her head. "Tonight, he will come." The warmth disappeared from Rayne's voice, replaced by something much more serious. "Will you be all right?" Verity stared at him. "We don't have to go through with this," he continued. "We had another plan. One that didn't involve you." For a moment, none of the brothers spoke. They were giving her an escape. An opportunity to walk away from the danger. To let them handle what came next. Verity wiped her cheeks with the sleeve of her dress. Then she looked at the three men standing before her. The three men who had found her when she had nothing left. The men who had given her shelter when her own kingdom had abandoned her. The men who had never once looked at her like she was weak. Her rose-gold eyes burned with something new. Not fear. Not grief. Determination. Verity looked back toward the two moons reflected across the dark water. "I'll be there."