"I am the Queen of Maidan," she said, her voice cutting through the chamber like a blade. "There is no way you canexpect me to exist under your bidding. If you, a prince, are marrying me, a queen, thenyouwill sit atmyside, not I at yours."
"Yes," he agreed without hesitation. "I will be your consort."
Eliza froze, staring at him in disbelief.
Was he truly mad? An orc, giving up supremacy so easily, so calmly? That wasn't how they were. Not howhewas.
No—he wasn't mad. He was clever. Too clever. He had his reasons, and she would be a fool to think otherwise.
But still...
Her heart thudded hard in her chest, a strange flicker of triumph stirring beneath the disbelief. This was her chance.
She could take back power. Take back her crown.
And if this union was the only path forward, then she would seize it—not because she wanted it, not because she trusted him, but because it was better than death.
"We will be married in name only," Eliza declared, forcing her voice to ring with command. "If you come to live in the castle, we will have separate chambers. You will be free to come and go as you please, so long as you abide by your royal commitments."
His expression didn't change at first. Then the corner of his mouth flicked upward—subtle, brief, but unmistakable. Amusement.
"Need I remind you," he said softly, dangerously, "that you're in my domain? You don't get to dictate terms here."
"What terms?" she demanded, exasperation breaking through her careful control. "Do you even know our marriage customs? What's expected of husband and wife?"
His reply was swift, sharp, almost a growl. "Do you knowmine?"
The words hung between them like drawn steel, challenge flashing in the air.
He didn't back down. Instead, he stepped closer, his presence filling the space, his voice low and unyielding.
"To an orc, marriage vows are sacred. We take mates for life. And we become equals in all things. In flesh, in mind, in soul."
Eliza's pulse quickened, but she forced her chin higher, her voice sharp with accusation. "You're the one who's forcing a political marriage. And you expect me to think you'll treat me like an orc woman?"
"Why wouldn't I?" he asked.
His gaze deepened, black and fathomless, cutting straight through her defiance.
That shocked her.
She hadn't allowed herself to think about that possibility... not truly.
Yes, she had admired him—grudgingly, from a distance—telling herself it was only because she had no choice but to observe him. Telling herself she wasn'tsupposedto.
There was no way they could be like that. Partners. Equals. Sharing... intimacy.
The thought itself was dangerous. Impossible.
And yet?—
Heat rose in her cheeks, unbidden, betraying her. A tendril of something treacherous curled in her belly, winding tighter with every heartbeat.
She hated it.
She feared it.
But she couldn't deny it.
