Chapter 102: Chapter-102

Heena stood a few feet away, expression mildly curious, as though she’d just stumbled across something only slightly interesting.

All five consorts immediately straightened, faces smoothing into neutral masks.

“Greetings, Your Majesty,” they said in unison, bowing slightly.

Heena completely ignored them.

She walked directly to Larus, eyes scanning his face. “Are you alright?”

Larus’s expression crumbled slightly—just for a second, just enough for her to see. He bit his lip and nodded, but the motion was tight, controlled, like he was holding something back.

Heena’s eyes narrowed.

He looked like a scolded kitten trying very hard not to cry.

She turned slowly to face her five consorts.

Her expression went cold.

“Oh,” she said lightly, voice pleasant in the way that meant absolutely nothing good, “you’re all here too. How lovely.”

She tilted her head.

“Why,” she asked, still smiling, “are you making our prince cry?”

Silence.

Kieran opened his mouth. “Your Majesty, we were simply—”

“Simply what?” Heena interrupted, voice dropping several degrees. “Simply cornering a foreign dignitary at a social event? Simply threatening a guest under my protection? Simply reminding him that he’s not welcome here?”

She took a step forward.

“Which one of those were you ’simply’ doing, Commander?”

Kieran’s mouth closed.

Heena looked at each of them in turn—slow, deliberate, making sure they felt the weight of her gaze.

“Let me make something very clear,” she said quietly. “Prince Larus is a guest of this empire. He is here as a representative of the Marus Kingdom. He is under ’my’ personal protection. And if any of you—” her eyes lingered on Damien, “—decide to make his stay here uncomfortable, you will answer to me. Personally. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” they said, voices flat.

“Good.” Heena turned back to Larus, expression softening immediately. “Come. Let’s get some air. This room is getting stuffy.”

She offered him her arm.

Larus stared at it for a moment, then took it, carefully, like he wasn’t entirely sure this was real.

They walked away together, leaving her five consorts standing in a tight, furious cluster behind them.

System 427 floated after them, still eating popcorn, looking absolutely ’delighted’.

“Host,” he whispered into her mind, “that was ’amazing’.”

“They deserved it,” Heena replied silently.

“They looked like you’d slapped them.”

“Good,” Heena said. “Maybe they’ll finally learn.”

She doubted it.

But it had been satisfying anyway.

As they walked out to the balcony, the cool night air hit them both at once.

Larus stopped at the railing and looked out.

Even though they were still within the Royal Palace grounds, the view was stunning. The gardens stretched out below them, carefully manicured but somehow still natural, like someone had coaxed beauty out of the earth rather than forcing it. Small lanterns hung from trees, casting soft golden light across pathways. Flowers bloomed in clusters—night-blooming jasmine, moonflowers, pale roses that looked almost silver in the dim light. The smell of grass and blossoms mixed with the faint sound of a fountain somewhere in the distance. Insects hummed softly in the background, and the whole scene felt like something from a storybook.

A genuine smile slowly spread across Larus’s face.

Heena stood beside him, leaning against the railing, watching the same view. After a moment, she spoke.

“How is it?”

Larus smiled wider. “Really beautiful.”

Heena shook her head slightly. “No. I mean—how are ’you’?”

Larus paused.

He turned to look at her, the smile faltering just a bit. “I’m fine.”

“Is that so?” Heena’s tone was light, but her eyes were sharp. “Then when are you going back?”

Larus lowered his head slightly. There was a flicker of pain in his expression, quickly hidden behind a practiced smile. “Tomorrow night. I was thinking of leaving then.”

“Why not stay the night and leave in the morning?” Heena asked. “It’s safer to travel during the day.”

He shook his head. “No. It would take quite a while to reach the border, and if I leave at night, it won’t cause as much commotion as leaving during the day.” He paused, looking back out at the garden. “In our kingdom, there’s a saying—when you’re returning home, it’s best to start your journey at night. It’s the most peaceful hour of the day.”

Heena nodded slowly. “So. How did you like our empire?”

Larus’s smile returned, softer this time. “It’s really beautiful.”

“More beautiful than your kingdom?” Heena asked, tilting her head. “Your empire, I mean.”

“Yes. Yours is a true empire,” Larus said quietly. “Ours is an empire in name only. I think it’s just an old title people refuse to let go of.” He gestured vaguely toward the palace behind them, the gardens below. “Here, everyone looks ’happy’. From the smallest knight to the servants, the maids, the gardeners—whoever I meet is full of life. Full of energy.”

Heena smiled faintly. “Yeah. These people are pretty interesting.”

“And not just the people,” Larus continued, warming to the topic. “The food, the traditions, everything is different here. Everyone has such pale skin—it looks really elegant. Refined.”

Heena leaned back slightly, gripping the balcony railing loosely. “Yeah, they’re all fair-skinned. But I think your wheat-colored skin looks much better.”

Larus froze.

He turned to look at her, confusion flickering across his face. “But… don’t people usually prefer pale skin?”

Heena shrugged. “Well, for me, really pale people look like vampires. Don’t you think?”

Larus stared at her for a beat.

Then he burst out laughing—loud and unguarded, the sound echoing across the balcony. “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone say something like that about fair-skinned people!”

He wiped at his eyes, still grinning. “So what about me? What do I look like to you?”

Heena looked at him—really looked at him. The bronze of his skin, the gold in his hair, the bright blue of his eyes that stood out against everything else. The jewelry glinting at his throat and wrists. The way he carried himself, confident but not arrogant, warm but not naive.

“You look,” she said slowly, “like spring arriving after a long, cold winter.”

Larus blinked.

A moment passed.

Then he tilted his head, confused. “Your Majesty… rain comes after ’summer’, not after winter.”

Heena nodded seriously. “I know. I was just trying to sound poetic.”

Larus laughed again, louder this time, clutching the railing for support. “That’s—okay, that’s fair. I appreciate the effort.”

Heena smiled despite herself. “So. What’s your plan? After you go back?”

Larus’s laughter faded.

He took a deep breath, looking up at the sky—stars scattered across the darkness like scattered diamonds. “Well. I’ll go home. Wait for my brother to arrange a marriage for me. Probably to some noble house. Someone politically useful.”

Heena’s smile slipped. “You’re so charming. I’m sure there are thousands of women dying to marry you. There must be someone ’you’ like.”

Larus was quiet for a long moment.

Then he looked at her, and there was something soft and sad in his expression—something unguarded, like he’d stopped pretending for just a second.

“Well,” he said, voice quiet, “what can I do? The person I love doesn’t like me. And the people who like me… I don’t like them.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “So I guess you could say we’re all equal in that regard.”

Heena went very still.

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