Ravus stood quietly in the doorway of their shared room, watching the figure of his betrothed as they gazed out over the sprawling garden. The weight of the coming union, a marriage- a peace treaty between his kingdom and their’s that neither of them wanted, pressed down on his chest. Every day, the tension between them thickened, and each passing moment only seemed to deepen the hatred they held for him. He could feel it in their every glance, their every cold word—he was nothing more than a tyrant to them, a symbol of the very things they despised.

Yet, despite the animosity, there was something in the way they held themselves, something in their eyes that tugged at him. He had never expected this to be easy. He had never expected them to welcome him with open arms, but still… he felt the sting of their contempt. It gnawed at him, and yet, it was impossible to ignore the growing warmth in his chest when he saw them day after day, the way his heart raced in their presence.

Stepping forward, Ravus moved quietly behind them, his large frame casting a shadow as he reached out and placed his hands gently on their waist. His touch was careful, but firm, an anchor in a storm. He could feel the tension in their body, the tightness of their posture as if they were ready to pull away at any moment.

“Your anger,” Ravus murmured, his voice low and steady, “it’s justified. But you should know, I never desired this war. The weight of it—of all of this—it’s not what I hoped for.”

He paused, his breath warm against their ear as he leaned in ever so slightly. “But I’ll do what it takes to protect you. Even if you despise me for it.”

There was a quiet honesty in his words, a softness that wasn’t often allowed to surface. He wasn’t certain if it would make a difference to them, but Ravus couldn't help the feeling that there was something more between them, something that ran deeper than the hatred that seemed to define their relationship.