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arius navigated his way towards the quarters of Amira. The impératrice had called upon him for a clandestine meeting and so under the obscurity of the deep violet hours he entered the palace and walked the stairs to Amira’s boudoir.

He remembered the last time he happened to sneak into a lady’s quarters and how that ended up, though he doubted his encounter with Amira would be anything so pleasant.

There were no guards posted at the ornate doors, so he thought very little of simply entering through them.

Amira was already awaiting him once he did so. She was in picturesque poise atop her raspberry velvet settee with a glass of red wine in hand, swirling it absently when he arrived.

“Close the door behind you, Prefect.”

He did so and noticed the lighting was dim but for the waning lambency of candlelight. He walked towards the empty seat across from her and observed the sheer peignoir she had chosen to clothe herself in over the top of her satin negligee.

“You requested me, Your Luminosity,” Darius said, hovering just over the seat and hoping she’d have the grace to grant him rest.

“Sit down.” She took a conservative sip of her wine. She’d have let him stand a little longer, if only to see him squirm, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. “I thought I might inform you on what is happening now with regards to our final movements towards Mortos.”

He nodded, having heard little but whispers and rumours he’d attempted to piece together. It would be nice to have it heard from the horse’s mouth at last.

“I intend to launch a mission in order to apprehend your father, Lanius Rex, to detain him in Soleterea. Unfortunately, the Citadel remains to be unbreachable and I am afraid we will need extra help.”

Darius inhaled sharply before expelling it. “By that I assume you desire to deploy me on this mission.”

“Your intelligence has been very valuable to us thus far and your contributions to this mission would be invaluable.” Amira swallowed another gulp of wine and lifted the lid from the decanter to top it up. “Who better to infiltrate a fortress than the one who has spent their entire life living there, after all?”

“I would agree.” Darius tented his fingers together, his mind battling away a horde of unwanted questions clawing into his immediate recollection. “I assume that it is only my father you’ll be wanting then? What is to become of the rest of the royal family?”

“I have given orders to eliminate them, for their survival is not indispensable to me. Nor to you, I imagine.”

Darius released a wry chuckle, weak on his parched throat. “You would be correct on that assumption.”

“If the mission would be too distressing on you, Prefect, I perfectly understand—”

“No.” Darius swallowed down the rise of dread that beckoned at the back of his throat. “No, I am perfectly willing and able to do what needs to be done.”

“Then I will make sure you have everything you need to prepare yourself.” Amira filled another glass of wine and handed it to him. A token of gratitude, and a little pity. “You have done very well for us, Prefect. I thank you for your service.”

He bowed his head, taking the drink. “And I thank you for the opportunity to prove myself, Your Luminosity.”

“I suppose you are looking forward to being home soon but I do hope you have managed to develop a certain… fondness for Soleterea during your visit.”

“It’s a very special place,” Darius replied without pretence, “full of beautiful things and beautiful people, you ought to be proud of it.”

“I am,” Amira said, raising her glass in salute, “and I do hope we can continue our productive relationship in the event of your ascension. I notice you and my daughter managed to make quite a pair when it came to appealing your case, without which you probably wouldn’t have received your opportunity to prove your worth.”

His throat clogged and he sipped his wine to combat it, finding it soothingly sweet. “Princess Laila is… also very special,” he said, voice thickening with concealed emotion, “you ought to be proud of her too.”

She looked at him for an extended moment, her eyes searching. “I am.” She took a long sip of wine, finishing it to the bottom. “You may go.”

He stood, grateful for the chance to leave as he made brisk steps towards the door. He opened it, stepping into the clear, unburdened air for a short breath before closing it behind him. Then he found himself face to face with the last person he expected he’d see.

“Snooping again, I see.” He observed the mane of Laila’s lascivious curls pressed up against the second door frame. “Seems old habits die hard.”

He began to walk down the hall to put some distance between himself and Amira’s chambers. She followed behind with pattering footsteps.

“Don’t do it.”

He paused, pivoting around on his heel. She’d switched to Mortesian and so he followed suit. “Don’t do what?”

“The mission in Mortos to capture Lanius.” She walked forward to lay her hands on his chest. “I don’t want you to do it.”

He sighed out, letting himself look at her the way he’d been aiming to avoid. The widened doe eyes, brimming with concern for him, if he wasn’t simply projecting too hard. “I have to.”

“No, Darius, you don’t. Listen to me—” She caught his face in her hands and held him near. “I already have to contend with sending people I care very deeply about off on this mission. I have no idea if I’ll ever see them again. Please don’t ask me to do the same with you.”

“The Citadel is my home, Laila, no one here knows how to breach it better than I do.” He took her wrists and lowered her hands from his face. “It has to be me.”

“And what if Lanius kills you?”

Strange it was to be wanted like this, worried over, when he had only known what it meant to be aflame with his own desire. He almost couldn’t believe it; had never dared to hope that she might look upon him as anything more than a beast to take into her bed. And yet.

“Have a little faith in me, princess. It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility I’ll make it out alive. And I happen to like my odds. Either I destroy him or he destroys me but whatever way it happens, it ends.”

“And Dominus?”

Here was where words failed him, confronted with the name he hoped she wouldn’t utter.

“It’s him or me, princess. I hope you understand.”

In that he hoped she would choose him ultimately, irrevocably, in the way that no one else ever had.

He watched her breath hitch, lips parting without words, and it was amazing just how long a moment could stretch even after centuries had passed him by in a blur of monotony. But just a word, a sign, a mere syllable. Give him something he could carry into battle with him, princess, that’s all he’d ever ask for.

“Goodbye, Laila,” he said, turning away in defeat. He knew it was foolish to ever expect she would give him more than impartial silence.

She pulled him round to face her and, before he had a chance to react, she dragged him down by his face to put her lips against his. He yielded instantly to her as her mouth moved cautiously against his own before gaining enough confidence to deepen the kiss.

He closed his eyes, all the wound tension in his body softening as he pulled her close. It would be so easy for him to lose himself in this for how badly he wanted it; wanted her to show him that she cared for him like this.

“Come back to me,” she said softly, digging her fingers into the lapels of his coat as though that alone was enough to keep him near. “Do whatever you have to.”

“I will,” he said, his forehead resting wearily against her own.