Ryophlira POV

The air in the room was a storm of static and hostility.Yue-Senn’s laughter was the last thing I expected. It wasn’t the sound of a man being threatened, it was the sound of a man who had already won. He caught my hand, his grip massive and unyielding and stood up, pulling me along with him as if I were as light as a feather.

"Well," he said, his voice carrying over the din of the shouting nobles, "you haven’t even heard all the wonderful news yet."

He raised our joined hands into the air, a gesture of absolute, unapologetic possession.

"I will be wedding my bride right here."

Across the table, my father dropped his head into his hand a slow, weary shake of his head signaling his frustration. The shouting from the other kingdoms doubled in volume.

"So," King Sideon of the South snarled, his eyes darting toward my mother, "you’re going to let your husband betray everyone here like this? You’re handing the North a weapon!"

My mother’s eyes began to glow a dangerous, pulsing violet. "Excuse me? Who do you think you are speaking to, King of the South?"

She leaned forward, her voice a silk-wrapped blade. "No one has been betrayed. The contracts did not specify which daughter would be married into the North. We have fulfilled our legal obligations."

Sideon slammed his fist onto the obsidian table so hard the crystal carafes rattled. "It was self-explanatory! Both you and the North already have too much power. I had to team up with the East just for our kingdoms to survive a single battle against you standing alone. And now? Now you want to send someone as powerful as her into that wolf’s den?"

He gestured wildly at Yue-Senn and me. "The balance of power was already unequal, and now it’s far worse! With this marriage, there is no need to marry off your other two. You’ve created an empire under the guise of a wedding!"

Mother stood, her posture terrifying. "We are doing what is best for our kingdoms, our people and our children. We are tired of the war, Sideon. We want nothing more than to continue living in peace. We can form other alliances, other contracts with your kingdoms but this marriage stands."

"Well then," Sideon started gathering his cloak, "I guess I have heard all I need to hear. We are leaving."

"Wait." Yue-Senn’s voice was like an iron gate slamming shut. He reached out and snatched the heavy parchment from the stunned official’s hands.

"You all have to be a witness. My bride has yet to sign her half of the blood contract."

Fresh gasps erupted. A blood contract was irreversible. It didn’t just bind kingdoms, it bound souls. It meant that if the North went to war, the West was magically compelled to follow, and vice versa.

I felt everyone’s eyes on me judging, fearing, hating. I pulled my hand away from Yue-Senn’s, my heart thudding against my ribs.

"I can do it myself," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. I didn’t wait for a knife. Without hesitation, I brought my palm to my mouth and bit down hard. The taste of blood filled my mouth. I pressed my bleeding palm directly onto the parchment, right over the spot where Yue-Senn’s blood had already dried into a dark, crimson stain.

A blinding light erupted from the contract, searing the air with the scent of my blood and ancient magic. The room went blindingly white for a heartbeat as the seal was finalized.

My father stood up. His eyes weren’t just glowing they were burning with a light so fierce it silenced everyone in the hall.

"I am sick and tired of this shit," he spoke, his voice vibrating through the floorboards.

He looked at me, looking at my hand as the skin knit itself back together through and then at Yue-Senn, who was staring him down with a look of equal intensity.

"What is done is done," Father said, his voice cold enough to freeze blood.

"If another suicide war is what both of you want, then so be it. You have the next three months to decide if you want an alliance... or plaques to your graves dug by me and my family."

Without another word, he turned and walked out. Mother and Riegthar followed close behind, their silhouettes vanishing into the corridor.

I went to follow them, my head spinning, but a hand wrapped around my wrist again. Firm. Warm. Irresistible. Yue-Senn leaned down, his shadow swallowing me whole.

"Can I have a word with you, Princess?"