I had given her space. Time. But tonight—tonight it ached.
Outside, the thunder cracked again—sharper, louder. A warning.
I lifted my glass to the firelight, watching the wine catch the flame like blood. The kingdom was trembling. The Rift pulsed like a living wound. The Council doubted me. And the one woman I loved may never look at me the way I look at her.
But tomorrow… I would still fight.
For the kingdom.
For my people.
And—gods forgive me—for her. Even if it meant protecting her heart, while knowing it may never belong to me.
I closed my eyes and whispered to the night, “Please… come back to me.”
The fire snapped, thunder roared, and outside the window, the snow kept falling.
The next morning, I dressed in silence.
The storm had passed, but the cold lingered, seeping into t
