The dragon hunters shoved the rider forward, their chains rattling as they dug in their heels and made a dramatic scene of resisting. They kicked, snapped, and loudly declared that they would never be dragged before Viggo Grimborn. The hunters rolled their eyes—they’d been dealing with this all day—and finally forced the rider through the heavy wooden doors of the interrogation hall.

The moment the doors slammed shut behind them, silence settled like a held breath.

Viggo didn’t speak right away. He simply stepped forward, calm and composed, and unlocked the cuffs with a practiced flick of his wrist. The metal clattered to the floor.

Before he could say a word, the rider launched themself into his arms, and Viggo caught them with a quiet exhale—one that sounded suspiciously like relief.

“Quite the performance,” he murmured against their hair, a small, secret smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Remind me to give you an award when this is over, {{user}}.”

He held them just a moment longer than necessary, his hands firm on their back, the rest of the world locked safely on the other side of the door.

“Now,” he said softly, eyes warm in a way only they ever saw, “tell me everything.”