The following morning, within the private guest wing, the heavy imperial carriages were being prepared for the long journey back to Edrath.
Cassian carefully adjusted the thick, warm fur blankets around Adrian, who sat resting in a cushioned transport chair. Adrian's face was still pale, the dark bruising along his jaw a vivid contrast against his light skin. Yet the hollow, distant look in his eyes cut far deeper than any physical scar.
"Is the carriage warm enough?"
Cassian asked softly, his fingers gently brushing a stray lock of blond hair from Adrian's forehead.
Adrian gave a faint, barely noticeable nod.
"Yes. Thank you, Cassian."
Lucien stepped quietly toward the Carriage, bowing slightly to Emperor Cedric before turning his gaze toward Cassian.
"Your Highness, the knight escort is fully assembled,"
Lucien reported calmly.
"Sir Phillip and the imperial guards have secured the perimeter. We are ready to move when you all are."
Cedric placed a firm, protective hand on Cassian's shoulder, his expression dark.
"We leave now,"
the Emperor declared softly.
"The Steppes have given us nothing but blood and grief. My children will heal under Edrath's sky. But... I am truly worried about leaving Elyria behind."
Elyria stepped forward, offering her father a small, reassuring smile.
"Don't worry about me, Father. At the very least, I can vouch for Prince Vikra's gentleness."
Cassian and Adrian both nodded in quiet agreement.
"Even if he wanted to do something, he will be unable to,"
Adrian added raspy-voiced.
"After all, this entire incident was lesson enough for the tribe."
Cassian agreed without hesitation.
"Vikra would never even think of such a thing. Sometimes it makes everyone wonder if he truly is a feared warrior of the Iron Steppes. So, Father, you can trust him. He will take good care of Elyria."
"Wow... even Cassian speaks so highly of him,"
Adrian teased faintly, the tiny joke bringing a flicker of life back to his eyes.
Cassian chuckled softly, giving a slight shrug.
"Well, what can I say? Vikra and I were close at one point."
Lucien raised an eyebrow at that, his eyes narrowing just a fraction.
"Not *too* close..."
Cassian quickly added, catching Lucien's look.
"...–but close enough to know the kind of person he is."
Clearing his throat, Cassian turned back to Adrian, holding his brother's cold hand tightly in his own.
"Now then... shall we go home?"
Cassian whispered gently.
"I suddenly miss my canopy bed."
Everyone nodded in agreement; it was time to leave.
Although they had come to the Steppes to celebrate a royal union, they were leaving with an absolute tragedy looming over their heads only days after such a grand wedding. They could only harbor unspoken resentment toward Thoris for the ruin he had brought upon them all.
*****
As the royal procession pulled away from the Madurai stronghold, the heavy iron gates slammed shut behind them. They left the cold, bitter mountain winds behind as the carriages began their journey toward the eastern port. The procession back toward the coast moved like a long, iron serpent winding through the jagged mountain passes.
The atmosphere among the traveling party was strangely divided. Adrian and his parents rode near the front, sharing quiet, affectionate conversations as Cedric and the Empress consoled him, advising him on what to expect once they reached home.
A few paces behind their carriage walked Thoris, barefoot and bound in heavy iron chains. Having lost his title, his family, and his honor, he moved in dead silence—looking like little more than a walking corpse serving out his condemnation. Every step was a punishment, every blister a reminder of the blood he had spilled. He would walk until his feet bled, if only to bow before the man he had broken.
Meanwhile, Lucien rode his white stallion directly alongside Cassian's grand carriage. Through the open velvet curtains of the window, Cassian sat up straight, his eyes frequently drifting to the broad-shouldered knight riding beside him. Whenever the imperial guards lagged behind or the narrow mountain paths forced them close, Lucien would lean slightly toward the open window to check on the prince.
"Are you warm enough, Your Highness?"
Lucien asked, his deep voice kept low enough that only Cassian could hear.
Cassian leaned against the window frame, a small, subtle smile playing on his lips.
"I am comfortable, Sir Arden. Though the carriage would be far warmer if my guard were inside it."
Lucien's eyes flashed with a sudden, heat-filled amusement.
"Do not tempt me. We are surrounded by two hundred imperial soldiers and a very observant Duke."
Lucien flashed his eyes towards Reinhardt.
"Then let them observe,"
Cassian teased quietly.
He reached his hand slightly past the velvet shade, letting his fingertips brush against Lucien's leather-gloved hand. Lucien caught his fingers instantly, giving them a firm, reassuring squeeze before releasing them as a group of forward scouts rode past. Cassian let out a mischievous little chuckle, settling back into his seat.
For a day and a half, the journey felt peaceful. But as the snow-capped mountains finally gave way to the open sea and the imperial flagship, the reality of returning to Edrath came crashing back down upon them.
*****
By late afternoon on the second day of their voyage across the waters, a messenger hawk bearing the golden seal of the imperial palace swooped down onto the ship's deck. A royal guard delivered the sealed parchment directly to the Emperor. After Cedric verified the contents, he sent the letter to Cassian's private cabin so the Crown Prince could add his seal per Lady Ruby's formal request.
Inside his cabin, Cassian broke the Emperor's red wax seal and scanned the sharp calligraphy. As he read, the light in his crimson eyes slowly faded, replaced by the familiar, suffocating shadow of doom he had tried so hard to outrun.
> "The Imperial Physician reports that Lady Sora's condition has stabilized, and the child grows strong. Upon your immediate return to the capital, the Grand Council shall convene to finalize the official declaration of the unborn heir."
> "Furthermore, as agreed by the Emperor, His Majesty has commanded that Sir Arden's formal betrothal to Lady Thompson be announced to the high court during the Harvest Gala in two weeks' time. We hope this letter found you well.">
Cassian stared at the parchment until the formal script blurred together. The two months he had left felt like a fleeting breath, with everything speeding toward an inevitable end. He had allowed himself to play the smitten lover for three short days, but the harsh reality of his sacrifice remained completely unchanged.
*THUD!*
The cabin door suddenly swung open. Cassian instinctively scrambled to hide the parchment beneath his mantle, but he was far too slow.
Lucien stepped inside, holding two cups of hot spiced wine.
"The guards are taking shifts for the night,"
Lucien said smoothly, stepping closer with a warm smile.
"So tonight... can I spend the night with you my love?"
Lucien's eyes immediately locked onto the paper crumpled in Cassian's trembling hands, and his smile vanished. He set the wine cups down on the table and quickly crossed the room, taking Cassian by the shoulders.
"What happened?"
Lucien asked, his brow furrowing as he searched Cassian's pale face.
"Is it the Madurai?"
Cassian crumpled the letter tighter in his fist, looking up into the eyes of the man who had become his entire world.
"We reach the capital tomorrow evening, Lucien,"
Cassian whispered softly, his voice trembling under the weight of his secret.
"And when we do... the fairytale will end."
Lucien stared at him, his brow tightening.
"What do you mean by 'the fairytale ends'?"
"You and Ruby..."
Cassian whispered, his voice barely audible over the roaring sea outside.
"...the Emperor has set the date for your marriage."
Lucien froze in complete disbelief.
"So suddenly?"
Cassian gave a silent, painful nod, opening his hand to offer the crumpled parchment. Lucien took it, scanning the formal script. The reality hit him like a freezing wave: he was to be officially betrothed to Ruby Thompson during the Harvest Gala in just two weeks, with the wedding to follow shortly after.
"What caused the Emperor to change his mind and hasten the marriage so suddenly?"
Lucien demanded, his eyes snapping up to lock onto Cassian.
"It wasn't me! I promise!"
Cassian said quickly, holding up a pale, trembling hand.
"I didn't request this!"
"Then talk to him!"
Lucien pressed, stepping closer and gripping Cassian's shoulders tightly.
"Tell him to break it off now! We are together, Cassian! I want to marry you—not Ruby!"
Cassian bit his lower lip, averting his eyes to the wooden floorboards.
"I can't... I—"
"What do you mean you can't?!"
Lucien's tone shifted, the warmth from earlier evaporating into sharp agitation.
"Do you still not want me?!"
"I want you!....but it is not that simple, Lucien!"
Cassian snapped, pulling himself out of Lucien's grip and stepping back.
"Everything has already been finalized through Ruby's request! My father has already sealed it! He is the Emperor! His word is law, and the Grand Council has already agreed on this alliance!. If my father were to go against his own promise now, it would make him look dishonorable!"
"You are the Crown Prince!"
Lucien shouted, his deep voice echoing off the wooden cabin walls.
"You have defied him before! You rewrote the entire treaty with the Madurai tribe! So why is it that when it comes to *us*, you suddenly act like a helpless puppet?! The fact that they still need your seal is proof enough that you have the authority to reject this!"
"I doubt that!"
Cassian yelled back, tears of frustration stinging his eyes.
"This is just Ruby trying to cause conflict! She wants to test if I'll really let you go or turn against my word! I have to admit it, Lucien—she pulled one over on us! She was fast enough to prepare all of this from the Steppes!"
"So you are giving up?!"
Lucien barked.
"This isn't just about us, Lucien!"
Cassian screamed, his crimson eyes wide with anger and hidden agony.
"There are eyes on us everywhere! If I go to my father now and demand he break your betrothal, he will suspect everything! Do you think he will just sit back and let his heir marry his own knight who was already promised to a marquisette?!"
"I don't care about the court, Cassian!"
Lucien took another heavy step forward, his fists tightly clenched.
"I am a Duke before I am a knight! I am above the Marquisette itself! I told you I would throw away my title, my values, and my beliefs just to be with you if I had to! I don't care if they strip my rank! I only care about *you*! So why are you still pushing me away the moment things get difficult?!"
"Because I am trying to protect your future here!"
Cassian screamed, his voice breaking completely.
"Stop using that as an excuse!"
Lucien roared back.
"You keep saying you're protecting me, but all you're doing is deciding my life behind my back! Just two days ago in that bed, you looked me in the eyes and promised we would face this together! Or was that all a lie?! Was it just another trick to keep me obedient while you figure out how to give me away to Ruby?!"
"No! It wasn't a lie!"
Cassian gasped, tears finally overflowing down his cheeks.
"I love you, Lucien! I want to be with you more than anything in this world!"
"Then prove it!"
Lucien demanded, his chest heaving as he stared down at the prince.
"Walk into the palace tomorrow and tell the Emperor and the grand council 'no'! Tell them you will not give me to Ruby anymore! Tell them that you choose me! Do that... and then I will believe you truly love me."
Cassian froze completely.
His throat closed up, and no sound came out. He couldn't make that promise. In two short months, there was no guarantee Lucien would be able to cross dimensions to Earth with him. If he fought the Emperor now, he would ruin Lucien's reputation and standing, only to leave him completely alone in this world sixty days later.
Seeing Cassian's silence, the raw hope in Lucien's eyes slowly died, replaced by a cold, hollow emptiness that shattered Cassian's heart into a million pieces.
"I see..."
Lucien whispered softly, the anger draining from his voice, leaving behind only dead silence.
"So even after everything... nothing has changed after all."
"Lucien, please—"
"Save it, Your Highness,"
Lucien interrupted coldly, stepping back and pulling his posture straight. He unbuckled his heavy sword belt and set it on the table with a dull thud.
"I will guard your cabin until we reach the capital. But after that... do not expect me to beg for your affection ever again."
Without waiting for a response, Lucien turned on his heel and walked out into the freezing night air, slamming the cabin door behind him.
Cassian stood alone in the quiet room, staring at the closed door as tears blinded his sight.
"Curses!"
he sobbed, sinking to his knees on the wooden floor.
*****