I sat in my room, the dim light of a single candle casting flickering shadows on the walls. My body was still weak from the poison, but my mind was restless.

  The events of the past few days played over and over in my head—Inak’s death, the chaos in the courtyard, the humiliation of Sixhonia. I couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal, the disgust that lingered in my chest.

  There was a soft knock on the door—*tap-tap-tap*—and Sixhonia stepped in, her face pale but determined. She closed the door behind her and stood there, her hands clasped in front of her. "Sun," she said, her voice steady but soft. "We need to talk."

  I looked at her, my jaw tightening. "About what? About how you let Inak into your room? About how you betrayed me in my own house?"

  She flinched but didn’t back down. "I didn’t betray you, Sun. Inak came to me, and I told him to leave. But he wouldn’t listen. He was stubborn, just like you."

  I scoffed, my anger flaring. "Stubborn? Is that your excuse? You’re engaged to me, Sixhonia. Or have you forgotten?"

  She stepped closer, her eyes blazing. "I haven’t forgotten. But you’re the one who asked me to marry you, Sun. You’re the one who saw something in me.

  And I accepted because I saw something in you—a good man, someone who could lead with strength and compassion. But now… now you’re making me miserable."

  Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off.

  "I don’t love you, Sun," she said, her voice trembling. "I accepted your proposal because it was in my best interest. But that doesn’t mean I don’t respect you.

  That doesn’t mean I don’t want this to work. But if you keep treating me like this, if you keep humiliating me, then what’s the point?"

  I stared at her, my chest heaving with anger and frustration. "You think I’m the one who humiliated you? You’re the one who had a grudge against the Leos. You’re the one who came here with your warriors, ready to kill me."

  She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "The world works like that, Sun. You know that better than anyone. We’re tools in a game much bigger than us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try to make something of it."

  ---

  We argued back and forth, our voices rising until they echoed through the palace. I could hear the murmurs of the servants outside, but no one dared to intervene. Even Lumina, who usually barged into my room without a second thought, was fast asleep after a long day of playing with the Lion’s Mane children.

  Finally, I’d had enough. I stood up, my body trembling with anger, and approached Sixhonia. She backed away, her eyes wide with fear, but I didn’t stop until I was right in front of her.

  "You will regret ever trying to betray me in my own house," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "Now get out."

  She stared at me for a moment, her chest heaving, and then did something I never expected. She dashed past me and threw herself onto my bed, lying down as if she owned it.

  "What are you doing?" I demanded, my voice rising.

  "This is my room now," she said, her voice defiant. "You can leave if you want."

  I was so exasperated I could barely speak. "You’re a shameless woman," I spat. "Pretending to be dignified when you’re nothing but—"

  "Stop!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. "Just stop, Sun. You don’t know what you’re talking about."

  I was too angry to think clearly. I reached for her, but she was faster. She leapt off the bed and rushed at me, her fists flying. I tried to defend myself, but my injuries made me slow and clumsy. She landed blow after blow—*thud! thud! thud!*—until I was on the ground, my body aching and my pride shattered.

  The lions—Goldmane and Shadowclaw—watched from the corner, their golden eyes filled with concern. But they didn’t intervene. Somehow, they trusted Sixhonia, and that only made me angrier.

  "Apologize," she said, her voice firm but trembling.

  I glared at her, my pride refusing to let me give in. "Never."

  She knelt beside me, her hands gentle as she checked my wounds. "You’re hurt, Sun. Don’t make this harder than it has to be."

  I winced as she touched my injured arm, the pain shooting through my body. But I still refused to apologize. "You’ll die for this," I muttered.

  She shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness. "I’m your fiancée, Sun. You wouldn’t dare."

  ---

  The pain was too much. My body was weak, and my pride was crumbling. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. "Fine," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I’m sorry."

  She nodded, her expression softening. "Thank you."

  She stood up and walked back to the bed, lying down as if nothing had happened. "This is my room now," she said again. "You can sleep somewhere else."

  I wanted to argue, but I was too tired. I limped over to the lions’ low bed and collapsed onto it, my body aching and my mind racing. Goldmane and Shadowclaw nuzzled me, their warmth a small comfort.

  I lay on the lions’ low bed, my body aching and my pride in tatters. The room was quiet now, save for the soft breathing of Goldmane and Shadowclaw beside me. Sixhonia was on my bed, her back turned to me, but I could tell she wasn’t asleep. The tension in the room was thick, suffocating.

  I tried to hold it in, to keep my emotions locked away like I always did. But the weight of everything—the betrayal, the pain, the loneliness—was too much. Tears welled up in my eyes, and before I could stop myself, they spilled over, streaming down my face.

  "Do you even care?" I said, my voice breaking. "Do you even care how much this hurts me?"

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  Sixhonia didn’t respond at first, but I heard her shift on the bed. I didn’t look at her. I couldn’t.

  "I loved you," I continued, my voice trembling. "I thought you were different. I thought you saw me—not just as a king, but as a person. But you’re just like everyone else. You use me, you betray me, and then you act like I’m the one who’s wrong."

  She sat up, her face pale and her eyes wide. "Sun…"

  "No," I snapped, cutting her off. "You don’t get to talk. You don’t get to explain. You let him into your room, Sixhonia. You let him humiliate me in my own house. And now you’re here, acting like I’m the one who’s being unreasonable."

  She stood up and walked over to me, her steps slow and hesitant. "Sun, I didn’t—"

  "Stop!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the room. The lions stirred, their ears twitching, but they didn’t move. "Just stop. I don’t want to hear your excuses. I don’t want to hear your reasons. You betrayed me, Sixhonia. And I… I trusted you."

  My voice cracked, and I hated how weak I sounded. But I couldn’t stop the words from pouring out. "Do you know how hard it is to be king? Do you know how many people are waiting for me to fail? How many people are just waiting to stab me in the back? I thought you were different. I thought you were someone I could trust. But you’re just like the rest of them."

  Sixhonia knelt beside me, her eyes filled with tears. "Sun, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t mean to—"

  "To what?" I interrupted, my voice bitter. "To betray me? To humiliate me? Because that’s exactly what you did."

  She reached out to touch my arm, but I pulled away. "Don’t," I said, my voice cold. "Don’t pretend to care now."

  "Sun, please," she said, her voice trembling. "I know I made a mistake. I know I hurt you. But I’m not your enemy. I’m not like the others. I… I care about you."

  I laughed, the sound hollow and bitter. "You care about me? Is that why you let Inak into your room? Is that why you’re here, trying to justify what you did?"

  She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I didn’t let him in, Sun. He came on his own. I told him to leave, but he wouldn’t listen. He was stubborn, just like you. But I didn’t betray you. I didn’t want to hurt you."

  I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that she was telling the truth, that she wasn’t like the others. But the pain in my chest was too much, the betrayal too fresh.

  "You don’t understand," I said, my voice breaking. "You don’t understand what it’s like to be king. To have everyone watching you, waiting for you to make a mistake. To have people you thought you could trust turn their backs on you. And now… now you’re one of them."

  Sixhonia’s tears turned to anger, her face flushing red. "You think I don’t understand? You think I don’t know what it’s like to be used, to be betrayed? I’m a princess, Sun. My entire life has been a game of politics and power. I accepted your proposal because I thought you were different. I thought you were someone who could see me as more than just a tool. But you’re just like the rest of them. You’re so caught up in your own pride that you can’t see the truth."

  I stared at her, my chest heaving. "The truth? The truth is that you betrayed me, Sixhonia. And no amount of excuses will change that."

  She stood up, her fists clenched at her sides. "Fine. If that’s what you want to believe, then fine. But don’t come crying to me when you realize you’re the one who pushed me away."

  She turned and walked back to the bed, lying down with her back to me. I wanted to say something, to call her back, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, I lay there, my body aching and my heart heavy.

  Goldmane nuzzled my hand, his golden eyes filled with concern. I reached out and buried my fingers in his mane, the warmth of his body a small comfort. Shadowclaw lay down beside me, his presence steady and reassuring.

  I closed my eyes, the tears still streaming down my face. Being king wasn’t supposed to be like this. It wasn’t supposed to hurt this much.

  The room was quiet now, save for the soft breathing of the lions and the occasional rustle of fabric as Sixhonia shifted on the bed. I lay on the lions’ low bed, my body still aching but my mind calmer after our heated argument. The tears had dried on my face, but the weight of her words lingered in the air.

  Then, she spoke. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, but it carried a sincerity that made me turn my head to look at her.

  "Sun," she began, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "I need to tell you something."

  I didn’t respond, but I didn’t stop her either. She took a deep breath and continued.

  "When we first met, I wanted to kill you," she said, her voice steady. "You were a Leo, the enemy of my family. I thought you were just like the rest—arrogant, cruel, and heartless. But then… you captured me. And you treated me with dignity. You didn’t humiliate me, you didn’t hurt me. You even let me go, despite everything."

  She paused, her eyes flickering to mine. "That’s when I started to see you differently. You don’t like killing people, do you? Even common folk. You see them as more than just tools. That impressed me. It made me admire you."

  I stared at her, my chest tightening. "Sixhonia…"

  "No, let me finish," she said, sitting up and turning to face me. "I know you’re hurt. I know you feel betrayed. But I want you to know that I care about you. I understand your concerns about loyalty because I’ve lived with those same fears my entire life. And I promise you, Sun, I will be loyal to you. Not because I have to, but because I want to."

  Her words hit me like a wave, washing away some of the bitterness I’d been holding onto. But I still couldn’t bring myself to fully trust her. "Why didn’t you leave, then?" I asked, my voice quiet. "If you had options, why stay?"

  She smiled, a small, sad smile. "Because I love you, Sun. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to lose you."

  Her confession hung in the air, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. Then, slowly, the tension began to ease. We started talking—really talking—about everything. She told me stories of her adventures, of the times she’d snuck out of the palace as a child to explore the forests and rivers near her home. I laughed, surprised to find that we shared a love for adventure.

  "You’re secretly a wanderer, aren’t you?" I teased, a small smile tugging at my lips.

  She grinned, her eyes sparkling. "And you’re secretly a soft-hearted king who hates killing. Who would’ve thought?"

  We joked and laughed, the weight of our earlier argument slowly lifting. But then she threw a pillow at me—*thud!*—and glared. "You owe me, Sun. You humiliated me in front of everyone. Do you know how hard it is to recover from that?"

  I ducked as another pillow came flying. "I said I was sorry!"

  "Not good enough," she said, her voice playful but firm. "You need to make it up to me. Starting with making me Queen of Waltonia tomorrow."

  I raised an eyebrow. "Queen? Just like that? You’re no longer qualified, Sixhonia. You betrayed me, remember?"

  She got up and marched over to me, her hands on her hips. "Oh, I’m qualified. And if you don’t agree, I’ll make your life miserable."

  I groaned as she grabbed my arm and started dragging me off the bed. "Sixhonia, stop! I’m injured!"

  "Exactly," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I’ve discovered your weaknesses, Sun. You hate pain, you hate being bothered, and you’re very personal about your space. And I’m going to exploit all of them."

  She poked my injured arm, and I winced. "Fine, fine! I’m sorry! I’ll make you Queen!"

  She laughed, a bright, genuine sound that made my heart skip a beat. I carefully looked at her, really looked at her, and for the first time, I saw her for who she truly was—a strong, kind-hearted woman who, like me, had been forced to live with two faces. She couldn’t express her true self, just as I couldn’t.

  Without thinking, I reached out and pulled her into a hug. She stiffened for a moment, then relaxed, her arms wrapping around me. But then she punched my shoulder—*thud!*—and I groaned.

  "Don’t get too comfortable," she said, her voice teasing. "You’re still on thin ice."

  I laughed, despite the pain. "Noted."

  I got up and walked over to a small chest in the corner of the room. Inside was a red medallion, a symbol of the Leo family’s authority. I took it out and turned to Sixhonia, holding it out to her.

  "By my word as a lion," I said, my voice steady, "I declare you Queen of Waltonia."

  She took the medallion, her eyes wide with surprise and delight. "Finally," she said, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. "Now, let me tell you about my plans as queen."

  She started rambling, her voice filled with excitement as she outlined her ideas for the kingdom. I listened, but my exhaustion caught up with me, and I drifted off to sleep without her noticing.

  When she finally realized, she let out an exasperated sigh. "Sun! You’re impossible!"

  I mumbled something incoherent, half-asleep. She glared at me, then smiled. "Fine. But I’m hitting you tomorrow."