The suite was quiet, lit only by an oil lamp on the desk.

Mira stood with her back to him, hands braced on the edge of the table, the letters spread out before her like evidence of a dying city.

Her shoulders were tight, the strict bun pulling her features into that severe mask she wore like armour.

Kai closed the door behind him and leaned against it, watching her.

The party’s sound could be heard faintly through the walls, but in here, the air was still and thick.

He could see the tension in her spine, the way her fingers gripped the wood too hard.

’She’s been carrying this city alone for years. Weak men all around her, and she’s drowning in their incompetence.’

"You’ve read enough," Kai said, his voice low and even.

"You knew the Duke was crooked before I walked in with those letters."

Mira let out a breath, something between a laugh and a sigh. S

he straightened slowly but didn’t turn around.

"Knowing and proving are different things. These letters give me the authority to act. But acting means starting a war within the council. Half of them are in his pocket."

"Then you need allies who aren’t in his pocket."

She finally turned, and he saw the exhaustion etched into her features.

The sharp eyes were dulled by years of compromise, of biting her tongue while fools talked over her.

Her dress was simple grey wool, high-necked and modest, but it couldn’t hide the soft curve of her hips or the weight of her chest beneath the fabric.

"And where do I find such allies?" she asked, crossing her arms under her breasts.

"You?"

Kai pushed off the door and walked toward her.

Each step ate up the space between them until he stood close enough to see the fine lines around her eyes, the slight tremor in her lips.

"I’m offering more than letters, Mira."

Her name on his tongue made her blink.

No titles.

No formalities.

Just her name, spoken like a claim.

"I don’t know what you’re implying," she said, but her voice wavered at the edges.

He reached up and caught a strand of hair that had escaped her bun.

He wrapped it around his finger, tugging gently.

"You spend your life in this room, reading reports from men who couldn’t hold a candle to you. You solve their problems, clean up their messes, and go home to an empty bed. When’s the last time someone actually took care of you?"

Mira’s breath hitched.

"That’s... not an appropriate conversation for—"

"I don’t care about appropriate." He stepped closer, his chest nearly brushing hers.

"I care about what you need. And right now, you need to stop thinking for five minutes. You need to let someone else carry the weight."

’For her to act quickly, I need to do this.’

Her eyes searched his, looking for the trap.

But all she found was steady confidence.

"You’re very sure of yourself," she whispered.

’I have to be. She’s been surrounded by uncertainty her whole career. Certainty is what breaks her walls down.’

He reached up and pulled the pin from her bun.

Her hair tumbled free, dark strands streaked with silver falling past her shoulders.

The change was immediate.

She looked younger.

"There she is," Kai murmured, threading his fingers through the freed waves.

"Not the advisor. Just Mira."

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she leaned into his touch like a woman starved for warmth.

"I forgot what this felt like," she admitted, her voice barely audible. "Being touched like I’m human."

He guided her backwards until her knees hit the edge of the bed.

She sat down heavily, looking up at him with a mixture of nervousness and hunger.

He knelt in front of her, pushing her skirt up to her thighs, revealing pale skin and the dark garter belt holding up her stockings. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Lift your hips," he instructed.

She obeyed without hesitation, letting him slide her underwear down her legs.

The air hit her exposed skin, and she shivered.

He spread her knees apart, settling between them, and looked up at her.

"You’ve been holding so much tension," he said, running his hands up her inner thighs.

"Let me take it."

He leaned in and pressed his mouth to her core.

She gasped, her back arching as his tongue found her clit.

He worked her slowly, deliberately, drawing circles around the sensitive bud while one hand gripped her hip and the other slid up to palm her breast through the grey wool.

"Oh..." Her head fell back, hands gripping the bedsheets.

"That’s... that’s good..."

He slammed against her, sending vibrations through her flesh.

Her hips bucked, chasing his mouth, and he gave her more pressure, sucking lightly while his finger circled her entrance.

She was wet already, slick and ready, and he pushed one finger inside her slowly.

Mira cried out, a raw sound that echoed off the stone walls. "Yes... please... more..."

He added a second finger, curling them to hit that spot inside her that made her legs tremble.

"Ahng.. Yes!"

Her breathing turned ragged, moans spilling out unchecked as he worked her toward the edge.

Her climax built like a wave, cresting higher with each stroke of his tongue, each curl of his fingers.

"I’m close," she panted, her voice breaking.

"I’m so close..."

He doubled down, sucking her clit hard while his fingers pumped faster.

She came apart with a shuddering cry, her body convulsing as pleasure flooded through her. He drank every drop, licking her through the aftershocks until she collapsed onto her elbows, gasping.

But he wasn’t done.

He stood and unfastened his pants, his cock springing free, hard and ready.

She looked up at him, eyes glazed with satisfaction, and he saw the hunger still burning there.

"On your hands and knees," he ordered.

She turned without a word, presenting herself to him.

Her ass rose in the air, her wet cunt glistening in the lamplight.

He lined himself up and pushed inside her in one smooth motion.

Mira moaned long and low, her forehead pressing into the mattress.

"Oh gods... you’re so deep..."

He gripped her hips and set a steady rhythm, each thrust burying him to the hilt.

The tight heat of her wrapped around him perfectly, her body welcoming him like it had been waiting for this moment. He leaned forward, pressing his chest to her back, his lips against her ear.

"You’re mine now, Mira. Not the council’s. Not the Duke’s. Mine."

She nodded desperately, pushing back against him.

"Yours... yes... I’m yours..."

He drove deeper, hitting her cervix with each stroke, that slight resistance melting into pure ecstasy for her.

Her moans turned into wordless cries, her body trembling as another orgasm built.

"I can feel you squeezing me," he growled.

"Cum again."

She obeyed instantly, her walls clamping down as she shattered around him.

He followed close behind, thrusting deep and spilling hot inside her, filling her womb with his claim.

She milked him through it, their bodies locked together in the quiet room.

When he pulled out, she collapsed onto the bed, spent and glowing.

He lay beside her, pulling her against his chest, feeling the tension finally gone from her muscles.

Kai kissed her temple.

’Another piece in place. Loyalty secured.’