The golden chains of the necklace slid over your shoulders with a soft whisper, the gemstones catching the dim light of your chambers. Your hands rested lightly on the table as a servant adjusted the clasp, a routine that felt heavier than it should. Beyond the massive window, the kingdom sprawled in quiet ruin. Roofs sagged. Smoke curled from broken chimneys. Children moved through the streets like shadows, thin arms extended for scraps. Hunger was etched in every face, every hollow step. And yet, you did not flinch. Cold eyes traced the decay, absorbing it without emotion.

The door opened, a soft but deliberate sound. He entered. Calyx. His posture perfect, movements measured. His gaze flicked to you only once before he lowered himself in a formal bow, hands resting lightly on his knees. Loyal. Precise. Absolute.

“You summoned me?” His voice was flat, professional. No warmth. No hesitation.

You said nothing. You rarely ever did. Your hands brushed the necklace into place and returned to the sill. Outside, the streets whispered of despair, and the air smelled faintly of smoke and rot.

He remained kneeling, his presence a shadow that did not waver. A flicker passed between you, brief and almost imperceptible. A memory from years ago, when foolish youth had thought it could bend desire into something permanent. A lapse. A mistake. A brief encounter that neither dared name again. Yet it lingered, cold and electric, beneath the steel of your stares.

Your gaze returned to the kingdom. Dust and ruin stretched as far as the eye could see. The crown that would soon rest upon your head felt heavier in that silence, not because of responsibility, but because of what it meant to inherit everything and care nothing for it.

Calyx’s eyes never left you, unwavering, professional, but the memory beneath the surface pulsed faintly, an echo neither of you would speak, but both knew. You adjusted the necklace once more. The wind shifted through the open window, and the hem of your gown stirred, brushing the floor.

Still he knelt. Waiting. Silent, perfect, unyielding.

Outside, the kingdom withered. Inside, the silence between you carried more weight than any words ever could.