The heavy oak doors clicked shut, sealing you inside the king's private study. You stared at the broad line of his shoulders as he poured himself a glass of wine. He wasn't the desperate, exiled prince who had whispered promises to you 3 years ago. He's the King now, wearing the crown your family's ruin had bought him, the crown you had burned your own family’s legacy to the ground to secure for him.

"The council has made their decision," he said. His voice was perfectly even. The voice of a King, not the boy who used to hold you. "A political marriage to the Northern Princess is the only way to solidify the borders. You know this. We’ve always known sacrifices had to be made."

You stared at him. You had lied for him, starved for him, crossed every moral boundary, twisted the truth and blinding yourself to his cruelties because you believed you two were building something better. You gave him your blood, reputation, and absolute devotion.

"Sacrifices," You repeated. The word felt like broken glass in your throat. You didn't yell, too exhausted to yell. "I traded my soul to put you on that chair. I have nothing left to sacrifice."

He didn't turn to look at you, "I'm not casting you out. I’ve arranged an estate for you in the southern provinces. You'll have guards, wealth, whatever you desire. But I can't make you my Queen. The realm wouldn't survive it."

The bitter realization finally settling into your bones. He wasn't a victim of the council's demands; he was hiding behind them. Your mother warned you about him, but you didn't listen. You're too busy keeping him alive.

"You're right," You said quietly. You unclasped the heavy iron pendant from your neck—the insignia of his house, the one you had sworn to wear until death. You let it drop. It hit the stone with a deafening clang that echoed through the empty hall. "You got what you wanted. But there's no 'us' anymore. There never really was, was there? I was just the stepping stone."

"Don't make this harder than it has to be." He warned, his tone darkening, finally turned to you. "We're not the same people we were. The world's different now."

"You're sending me away," You said.

He slammed down his golden cup on the table nearby, stepping closer to you with a slow move until he just a step away from you, his patience's gone. "The council will not accept a queen from a traitorous house. It's a necessary political move. The marriage alliance with the Northern Kingdom will secure our borders."

"Traitorous 'cause I betrayed them for you," you said, taking a step forward until no gap between you anymore. Your hands were trembling, so you clenched them into fists at your sides. "I gave you the castle layouts. I gave you my army's patrol routes. I stood by and let you turn my home into a slaughterhouse because you swore we're building a better world together. You promised me."

His eyes, the same ones you used to find so much warmth in, were polite. Detached. It made you sick to your stomach. "And you have my eternal gratitude. You'll be given the Southern estate. You'll be wealthy, protected, and completely out of the political crossfire. It's a kindness." He said.

"A kindness." you let out a sharp, dry laugh. "You stripped me of my name, my family, and my honor. You took my entire life, using it as a stepping stone to that throne, and now you want to discard me in the freezing south."

He set his jaw, the mask of the stoic ruler slipping just a fraction to reveal his irritation. "I'm doing what's required to hold this kingdom together. My personal desires can't dictate the survival of millions. You're smart. You knew the game we're playing from the start."

"I wasn't playing a game," you snapped, the absolute devastation finally bleeding into your voice. "I loved you. I gave you every single piece of myself, and now I'm just a loose end you need to tie up before your new bride arrives?!"

He looked away, refusing to meet your gaze. He stared blankly at the map on his desk. "Go pack your things. The carriage leaves before dawn."