Chained to old wounds

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Ari

He gestured for me to approach, his smile widening as he took in the sight of me. My stomach clenched, but I steeled myself. This was no time for personal reservations. He was the key to my victory, and I had to play my part. With a calculated sway of my hips, I walked towards him, allowing a hint of vulnerability to color my expression. He met me halfway, his hand reaching out to cup my cheek. Before I could protest, he pulled me into a rough kiss, the scent of strong liquor clinging to his breath. As usual, his kissed me hungrily. I wouldn’t ever say it wasn’t good. I allowed the kiss for a moment, playing the role he liked best. A willing partner, a woman who wanted him. His hand began to roam my back, a flicker of disgust warring with the desperation churning within me, I gently pushed him away.

“Elia,” I said, my voice a husky whisper. “There’s no time for this. I need your help.”

Elia’s smile faltered for a moment, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. “Help?” he echoed; his voice rough.

“This wouldn’t happen to be about our son you haven’t come to see in all this time? Haven’t you a word for your own son, Ari?”

“Of course I care about Kai,” I lied smoothly, batting my eyelashes innocently. “But a mother also has duties, especially when she’s about to become Queen.”

The words hit its mark. Elia’s chest puffed out with a surge of pride. “Queen, hm?” he rumbled, his gaze lingering on my lips. “All the same, a woman should be more attentive to her child and her future husband, wouldn’t you agree?”

Despite his irritation, I could see the flicker of desire reignite in his eyes. This was good. I needed him pliable and eager.

Leaning in, I brushed my lips against his cheek. “Forgive me, Elia,” I murmured, my voice laced with faux apology. “Things have been… hectic at the palace lately. The coronation preparations are all–consuming. With Tsuneo waking and everything…”

“You need not worry about that brat. I’ll be taking the throne soon enough… You’ll be wearing my robe soon enough.”

He lifted me onto the table, thrusting his hips against mine. “You draped in jewels, giving me another child. Another son… A daughter…”

Internally, I rolled my eyes. Marrying Elia was the furthest thing from my mind. He was a useful

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pawn, a means to an end, but my heart belonged to Tsuneo. The only reason I’d entangled myself

with

Trial

more.

in the first place, the only reason Kai existed, was a desperate gamble after I’d failed the Fire. A royal bastard, nephew to the King, secured my place amongst the nobility. Nothing

Elia’s hand snaked around my waist, pulling me closer. His touch sent a shiver down my spine, a calculated response rather than a genuine one. He didn’t need to know that.

“We can discuss your… hectic schedule later, he rasped, his lips trailing down my neck. His fingers fumbled with the ties of my dress, his breathing growing ragged.

“Elia, I gasped, placing a hand on his chest in a pretense of modesty. “There’s something more important. Something that concerns the future of the kingdom.”

He pulled away reluctantly, his brow furrowed in annoyance. “More important than you becoming Queen with more heirs?”

I forced a small smile. “Perhaps not becoming Queen,” I admitted, “but ensuring the rightful Queen ascends the throne.”

His gaze narrowed. “What are you getting at, Ari?”

Taking a deep breath, I met his gaze head–on. “There’s a human woman,” I said, my voice dripping

with venom. “A human woman who has somehow ensnared Tsuneo’s affections. She needs to be…

removed.”

Elia’s arousal vanished like smoke on the wind, replaced by a cold fury that sent a shiver down my spine. His grip on my arm tightened, his fingers digging into my flesh with a painful intensity.

“Who?” he snarled, his voice a low growl. “Who is this human woman?”

“Morgan,” I spat back, relishing the way his face contorted in rage. “The so–called prophesied savior. The human who somehow cheated her way through the Trial of Fire.”

He shoved me away from him so abruptly, I stumbled back a few steps.

“You knew about this?” he roared; his voice laced with betrayal. “You knew a human had passed. the Trial and you said nothing?”

“It happened quickly,” I lied, scrambling to regain my composure. “Besides, what difference does it make? She’s just a human. Tsuneo will see sense eventually.”

Elia paced the room like a caged lion, his anger palpable. “I don’t give a damn about Tsuneo. I’l

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deal with him in time, but you’re a fool if you think that she’s just a human?” he echoed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. A human blessed by the touch of the phoenix, no less! Do you have any idea what this means, Ari? Everything I’ve been working towards… all these years of planning…”

He stopped abruptly in front of me, his gaze burning into mine. “Tell me everything,” he commanded, his voice low and dangerous. “Everything you know about this Morgan.”

Frustration bubbled up within me, laced with a bitter pang of jealousy. “What’s so special about her?” I snapped. “Why can’t you see that I’m the one who deserves to be Queen?”

Elia stared at me for a long moment, a flicker of something akin to pity crossing his features before it was replaced by a cold ruthlessness. “You ignorant fool,” he hissed. “Don’t you understand? If this human can be crowned Queen, it means that my brother may yet continue to live.

1 frowned.

“More than that, he may never step down, and even if he does…” He paused, a predatory gleam. flashing in his eyes. “Then Tsuneo becomes King. Not me, Ari. Him. With his human as his queen.”

The realization struck me like a physical blow. “That’s just a fairytale–”

“I assure you it’s real.”

The phoenix’s blessing. I was sure it was all a lie. To hear it’s really angered me even more. She threatened not just my position but the entire plan I’d meticulously crafted. He’d likely try to kill Tsuneo before I figured out how to get rid of him.

A slow smile spread across my face, a smile devoid of warmth. “Then we get rid of her,” I said, my voice cold and hard. “Simple as that.”

Elia’s lips curled into a cruel smile that mirrored my own. “Indeed,” he agreed. “But getting rid of her… permanently… that requires a more delicate touch.”

His gaze locked with mine, a dark promise passing between us. “Together, Ari,” he said, his voice low and menacing, “we will

Ensure the rightful heir takes the throne. And that human… she will

be nothing but a memory.”

The thought slammed into me with the force of a collapsing building. Elia’s words echoed in my mind, each syllable a hammer blow shattering the fragile hope I’d clung to. Tsuneo King? With that human as his queen wasn’t an option.

The possessive anger that had simmered beneath the surface erupted into a blazing inferno. This

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wasn’t just about the human anymore; this was about me. About the future I’d envisioned, a future where I stood beside Tsuneo as Queen, not some forgotten relic in his shadow. He pulled me into his arms, kissing me roughly.