Throne Of Howls

mmering chandeliers, there was a small kitchen tucked behind the ser

piercing and cold as ice, softened under the flicker of the flame. The plate before him was simple and filled with roasted roots and salted meat, nothing like the decadent feasts se

ls of stew into Garrett's bowl. Her apron was stained, her hair pulled back into a mess

hing Orion in a way few things did. Her hands,which were worn from years of hard work, wipe

st wistful look in Orion's eyes. He nudged him with his

you planning to marry th

rare moment of warmth breaking through his usually stoic mask. It was gon

gain, "you smile like that and half the palac

turned her attention to Orion, tilting h

my dear?" she asked, her ton

full, genuine, and boyish in a way that made him seem far younger than his years. It was a smile that could light

praise. "Oh, listen to him, Garrett!" she said with a mock gas

ief moment, Orion wasn't a prince. He wasn't a candidate for a throne. He wasn't anyone who carried the weight of royal expectations.

s, Orion stood up from the table, his body awkward and stiff as he shuff

, almost shy, "did you... maybe

ped up before Thalia could answer. "Of course

rion began, but Garrett

his tone light, but there was an edge of understanding behi

of food in her hands. Her face was gentle, and a quiet s

together," she said softl

a moment of silent gratitude. It was rare for him to show such vulnerab

ths. The air smelled of dew and fresh earth, and the soft grass muffled their footsteps. Orion's usual t

near the royal wings. The man had once been a proud soldier, but age and illness had taken their toll. Still, Orion's heart

d, his features softening in recognition. Without a word, Orion's eyes met his fath

s were exchanged, updates, reassurances and the unspoken understan

ootsteps swallowed by the night. For that brief moment, Orion had been more than just the prince. He

crackling of the fire was the only sound that dared disturb the oppressive silence that hung in the air. Fear, thick and suffocating, clung to the walls, sett

abric contrasting sharply with the simple surroundings, as though it was a reminder of the life she belonged to, far beyond the reach of Celeste's modest existence. Her gree

ing to act as their protector in the face of the woman who had always been a symbol of cruelty and control. His voice rang out, though it trembled wit

s, and the air around her seemed to crackle with her barely contained anger. When her v

ach syllable was dipped in poison. Tristan's heart hammered in his chest, and his breath coming quicker, but he re

d slightly, as though she had just caught a whiff of something foul. "Be grateful my son still has

, a prisoner of the circumstance she had long been resigned to. The tension in the room grew thick, a suffocating weight that seemed to bend the very ai

futile. He knew this was a battle he couldn't win. So, he stood there, as a silent witness to the humiliation of the woman he loved

heel, with her royal seal at her waist gleaming coldly in the dim firelight, a cruel reminder of her power. "Come, Tr

er. Vivian's presence was a command, a force that could not be denied, not without consequences that would reach far beyond this house. With a heav

e, but it was the shimmer of unshed tears in her wide, green eyes that caught the attention. She stared after him, the weight of his departure crashing down on her like a w

truly see him or if he would be lost to the cruel world that his bloodline demanded of him. The fire burned