Theon stormed back to his chamber and slammed the door so hard the hinges groaned. He stood there breathing heavily. The room felt smaller than before.
Hotter.
The walls almost seemed to close in. Then the words returned. Relentless.
We are offering you a chance to acquire a title, a throne, something to pass down to your children.
His jaw tightened. He walked away from the door. Then back again. Then across the room.
Restless.
Frida's voice rose next. Soft, and cutting.
You are a handsome man. One I would have loved.
The memory shifted. Her smile under the stars. Her face turned toward him. And then the blade hidden in her sweetness.
The Kenwools marry kings and wardens. It is unfortunate you are neither.
The words struck all over again. He pressed a hand against his forehead. As if he could push them out. But they deepened.
Then another face came. Evelyn's. Her laughter. Her distance. The quiet way she had never truly chosen him.
And Cedric, heir to the Rock Throne. The man she had given her heart. A bitter thought slipped in.
Uninvited.
Maybe they never took me seriously because I am no heir. The lord of no Island. I am no king.
He froze.
That thought sat inside him: Still, poisonous, and seductive. And Fabio's offer returned wearing another face.
Not treason. Legacy, Name, Children, A house, a throne his breathing changed.
Slower.
More trouble. Then his hand dropped..And he whispered to the empty room. "They are asking for Drexo's head."
The words made him recoil..His mind rushed backward. Two boys racing horses by the sea.
Drexo laughing. Drexo bleeding beside him in battle. Drexo called him brother before kings and lords.
Theon shut his eyes. "He is not my friend alone." His voice cracked. "He is my brother."
Silence answered him.
Then suddenly he shook himself. "No." His fist clenched. "I will not do that evil against him." He moved for the door.
Fast, and decisive. He would order his men ready to leave Ashford now before temptation lingered longer. He flung open the chamber door, and stopped.
But everything changed. His eyes narrowed. There were more guards, many more. Twice the number from yesterday at the corridors, at the stairs, and at the gates.
Steel gleamed where there had been none. Ashford men: watching, and waiting.
Theon slowly stepped forward. He counted, and measured. Even the gatehouse had doubled. His throat went dry. Then understanding hit him.
Cold, and brutal.
"They are not planning to let me leave alive." His pulse pounded. This was no negotiation. It was an order.
He stepped back slowly. Almost stumbling. "This is not a choice." His whisper trembled. "It is a command."
He returned inside and shut the door. This time, gently. As though noise itself could betray fear. Then he began to pace. Back and forth. Back and forth. His mind was now racing in another direction. "This is not about loyalty anymore."
He breathed hard. "It is survival." He stopped, and stared at the floor. And a compromise began taking shape.
Ugly, and necessary.
He nodded slowly. "I will bow." His lips barely moved. "I will swear." A long breath. "And I will leave here alive." Then his eyes hardened. "But I will never betray my friend."
That thought steadied him. He turned, not toward his men, but toward Fabio's chamber. The corridors seemed darker, and longer this time. Like a road leading into something irreversible.
Inside, Fabio still sat with Festus. Father and son bent over strategy. Plotting how to break him. Then the door opened. Both men looked up. Theon entered.
Fabio paused, his face was unreadable. "Why have you returned?"
Theon swallowed. His tongue felt heavy. Words nearly refused to come. Then he forced them. "I had a rethink."
He paused.
"I accept your offer."
Silence stretched. Then slowly, a smile crept over Fabio's face. Predatory, and satisfied.
Festus leaned back with a laugh. "I knew ambition would speak louder than honor."
Theon ignored it. Fabio rose, then pointed at the floor. "Kneel." His voice carried command. "Lay your sword at my feet."
Theon's fingers tightened around the hilt. For one heartbeat he nearly turned away. Then he drew the blade.
Steel hissed.
He lowered to one knee. Placed the sword down, and spoke. "In the name of Ago, God of Fire…" His voice deepened. "And Osonobruwhe, God of the Seik…" His throat burned. "I swear myself…" He hesitated for only a breath.
Then he forced it out. "…and my sword to your cause." His hand trembled. "And to the cause of Robert Rendell…" Each word felt heavier. "For the rest of my life."
Fabio smiled. "Rise."
Theon stood. Fabio spread his arms. "Rise, Theon Kendrick…" His voice rang proudly. "Ally of the Ash Throne."
A beat.
"And of the Golden Throne."
Wine was brought. Cups were filled. They drank. Theon lifted his goblet, Smileing, and Laughing when expected.
Played the role. But inside, nothing settled. Everything screamed.
Across the hall, from the shadows. Frida watched. She said nothing. But she saw it. The stiffness in his shoulders. The guilt behind the smile. The lie in his laughter. And she smiled faintly..Because broken men were easiest to lead.
Fabio raised another cup. "There is more." Theon looked up. "I will give my daughter Frida to you." Theon blinked. That he had not expected.
Fabio smirked. "I have seen how you look at her." This time Theon's smile came naturally.
Warmer.
"She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." He exhaled softly. "Every man would look at her."
Fabio nodded, pride swelled in his face. "Tomorrow…" He lifted his cup. "We play it before the council."
Theon nodded.
But even as he did, his stomach twisted. Because games of kings were never only games.
Night passed slowly. Too slowly. And morning came. Ashford gathered in state. The Ash Throne stood under banners and iron.
Fabio sat upon it.
Severe, and majestic. Frida stood nearby.
Silent.
Festus was as close as ever. Then Theon entered with his guards. And two lords who had come with him. They expected diplomacy, maybe peace. None knew what had happened last night.
Fabio rose. The hall quieted. Every whisper died. "We have reached a decision." His voice rolled through the stones.
Theon stood still. His face was unreadable. Fabio continued. "We reject the king's offer." Murmurs spread instantly like sparks. But Fabio raised his hand. "Not in spite."
Silence stretched once again.
He leaned forward. "But because we cannot permit a father to disinherit his first son."
The hall stirred.
Confused, and suspicious in the faces of the crowd. The words sounded too noble, too polished.
One lord leaned toward another. "Since when does Fabio care for another man's feelings?"
The whisper slipped through the benches. Eyes narrowed, questions grew. Something was wrong. Everyone felt it, but none could name it.
Theon remained motionless. Though sweat gathered at his back. Fabio's performance was flawless, almost too flawless. And that made the tension worse. Because lies told well were always dangerous.
The hall breathed uneasily, and above them all, Frida smiled.