-Keven
The halls of the palace felt colder than usual.
I walked with steady steps while Lily was by my side, my boots echoing against the floors as I approached. The guards stepped aside without a word, pushing open the heavy doors.
My father was waiting there.
He sat on his throne, his presence as sharp as ever, surrounded by his closest advisors. His expression was calm, too calm. But I knew better. The moment I stepped forward, his piercing gaze locked onto me.
He dismissed everyone with a wave of his hand. Now it's just the three of us.
"Speak." His voice was low, controlled.
I exhaled. "The trade was attacked by a third party."
Silence.
I could see the flicker of irritation in his eyes before it turned into something harsher. "A third party?" His tone sharpened. "You expect me to believe that?"
"It wasn't Devotion," I said firmly. "The ambush was planned to make it look like they were responsible."
His fingers curled against the armrest of his throne. "And yet, it was your forces that were slaughtered while they walked away with their soldiers intact."
I clenched my jaw. "This is not true, if they hadn't been there, the situation would have been worse now, they helped us. They lost many soldiers."
He stood, his voice rising. "They made you believe their game. You fool!"
The tension in the room thickened.
I held my ground. "They saved our life there..."
His glare burned into me; his rage barely controlled. "So, what? You want me to believe some ghost is pulling the strings?" He scoffed. "The only enemy here is Devotion."
Before I could speak again, another voice cut in.
"It's the truth."
I turned slightly.
Lily stood behind me, her hands clenched at her sides.
For a moment, my father simply looked at her. Then, slowly, he stepped forward. "Is that so?" His voice was quieter now, but not any less dangerous. "Tell me, my lovely daughter, what exactly did happen?"
Lily didn't flinch. "I know that this wasn't Devotion's doing. If you keep pushing this war forward, you'll be fighting the wrong enemy."
His jaw tightened. "And, when you were there, did you tell them anything?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Nothing."
He stared at her for a moment longer before stepping even closer. "Are you sure?"
Lily's expression didn't change, "Yes"
Father let the silence stretch before finally turning away from her. "It doesn't matter," he muttered. "You'll have another meeting with Ingocia soon. Prepare yourself."
Lily's face darkened, her breath catching for just a second.
I saw it.
That moment of quiet sadness.
She lowered her gaze, hiding whatever she felt.
Father didn't care. He didn't even ask her if she was okay. He had already dismissed her.
I didn't say anything. I just stood there, watching her.
Pretending not to care.
Pretending not to see.
But deep down… I did.
The heavy doors shut behind us, leaving only me and my father in the vast throne room. The silence stretched for a moment before he finally spoke.
"This world is dying, Keven." His voice was steady, controlled. "We cannot afford to sit back and watch our lands waste away."
I remained still as he turned to face me.
"The radiation pollution has already consumed too much," he continued. "We have barely enough land to sustain our people. Do you think that will change with time? It won't."
I exhaled. "Then we should look elsewhere. The north is still unexplored. If we send scouting teams, we might find new terrains that can…"
"No." His voice was sharp, cutting my words. "Even if we do find new land, how long will it take to examine it? To see if it's even livable? Years? Decades? We don't have that time."
He stepped closer, his expression dark. "Meanwhile, Devotion sits on the largest piece of viable land left in this world."
I already knew where this was going.
"So, you think war is necessary," I said, my tone even.
He scoffed. "Of course, war is necessary." His hands curled into fists. "We need their land, at least part of it. And don't fool yourself into thinking peace is an option. The moment they see us weaken; they'll strike first. As they did when Polon was there."
I clenched my jaw. "That's not what I saw out there. They held back. They…"
"They tricked you."
His voice turned cold, eyes narrowing as he looked at me.
"I didn't want this to happen, son," he continued, his tone quieter. "But they started it. Staging an ambush like that, pretending to help you… It's the oldest trick in the book. And you fell for it."
He shook his head. "I'm disappointed in you, Keven."
He turned away, raising a hand. "Come in," he called.
His trusted ministers stepped forward from outside of the room, bowing slightly.
"I will discuss this further with them," my father said. "We will prepare accordingly."
Then, he looked at me once more.
"You may take some rest. Join us later."
It wasn't a request. It was a dismissal.
I nodded once, then turned on my heel and left.
There was nothing more to say.
I didn't need to think about where to go.
As soon as I left the throne room, I made my way toward Lily's room, keeping my steps quiet. No one should see me here. If my father found out, he will never leave me alone.
I reached her door and knocked lightly before leaning close. "Sister," I whispered. "It's me. Open the door."
There was silence for a moment. Then, slowly, the door creaked open.
Lily stood there, her eyes red, her face pale.
She had been crying.
I stepped inside quickly, shutting the door behind me. She turned away, wiping at her face as if trying to hide it, but I had already seen enough.
"What is he doing now!?" she asked, her voice shaky.
I exhaled. "He's going crazy. He won't listen to anything I say. He's convinced Devotion set up the ambush, and he's already planning our next move."
Lily let out a bitter laugh. "Of course, he is."
I watched her carefully. "…How are you feeling?"
She turned to face me fully now. "This is intolerable," she muttered. Her voice cracked, and before she could stop it, tears started falling again.
I moved forward instinctively, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Lily…"
"I heard him," she interrupted, her voice small. "I heard him talking about it."
I frowned. "Talking about what?"
She took a shaky breath. "He's planning to marry me off… to the son of Ingocia's king."
My chest felt heavy, but it wasn't from surprise. I had known this would happen. I had known for a long time that our father only saw her as a tool for power.
But now she knew.
And seeing the way it broke her; how much she didn't want this… that was what made it unbearable.
I pulled her into a hug.
She tensed at first but then buried her face in my shoulder, gripping my coat as she cried.
"I won't let this happen," I murmured. "I swear, I'll find a way to fix this."
She didn't answer right away, just nodded slightly against me.
I let her go after a moment, giving her time to breathe.
To lighten the mood, I crossed my arms. "Alright… enough about that. Let's talk about something else."
She wiped her eyes, sniffling. "Like what?"
I smirked slightly. "Like that soldier, Roy."
Lily stiffened. "What?"
I shrugged. "He helped you, didn't he? You seemed pretty worried when he got injured."
She hesitated. "…He took care of me. So, of course, I was worried."
I raised an eyebrow. "That all?"
She frowned. "What else would it be?"
I leaned in slightly. "I also noticed something…"
Lily blinked. "What?"
I pointed at the small necklace on her neck. "You and Roy. Same necklace."
Her face turned red instantly. "That… it's not…!"
I held up my hands, grinning. "Relax. I won't ask."
She glared at me but said nothing, still flustered.
I turned toward the door. "I'll check on him for you, since he got injured."
Lily's expression softened. "…Thank you."
I smirked slightly and gave her a small nod before stepping out.
At least now, she looked a little better.
As I walked away from Lily's room, my mind was restless.
My father was preparing for war. My sister was trapped, and her future being controlled. And me… I was caught between them, forced to obey a man I no longer believed in while trying to protect the only family I had left.
Something had to change.
But how?
I didn't have an answer yet. But I knew one thing, I couldn't keep following his path forever. I wish you were here, mom. You'd know what I should do.