Luna inhaled deeply, setting the napkin down. "I’m not choosing. I want both bonds severed."
And silence, truly crushing silence, descended upon the dining room.
Ravena gasped so softly it could have been mistaken for a breeze.
Magnus finally spoke. "Do you even know what that ans, Luna?"
"Yes," she replied quickly. Then repeated it slower, more vulnerable. "Yes, Father. I know exactly what it ans." Her gaze dropped for a heartbeat before she t his eyes again. "And please... accept my decision."
The pain in Magnus’s expression was enough to make the moon darken. "Even if I do... as your father, how can I just watch you cut off the two halves that make you whole? Then stand by as you waste away? And what about the kingdom?" he added, straightening, stepping into the full weight of his royal role. "You have a duty, Luna. A bond to the people. A future."
She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Yes, I know. I’ve thought about it. Father, it doesn’t matter what we do, we all know how this ends. I die, don’t I?"
"No," Ravena whispered. "No, we don’t know that."
"If I’m going to die, then let go out clean. I don’t want to take two people I love down with . I’d rather sever the ties before they break everyone."
Magnus looked as though he’d swallowed glass. "You’d throw away the only chance of survival you have because of... guilt?"
Luna shrugged. "Find soone eligible. We’ll make an heir. You and Mother can raise the child. Done and dusted."
Ravena looked horrified. "Is she joking?"
"Sadly, no," Magnus replied. Then turned to his daughter, softening. "Luna... this isn’t just about bonds. You’re choosing to give up on yourself."
"Maybe I’m just choosing peace."
"You need to realise that no matter what you do, people will get hurt," Magnus said.
"This way will hurt less."
Ravena was made of fire and she ignited like one. "I... I don’t get it, Magnus," she said, standing up so fast her chair nearly toppled backward. "Are you actually entertaining this idea? I... what...what even is this?! You want to..."
She turned, pointing a shaking finger at Luna, as if trying to pin the heartbreak to sothing visible. Then gave up, pointing it instead at Magnus like he was the real traitor. "You want to sit here while our daughter accepts death? Like it ans nothing?...You son of a bitch!"
Magnus stood up as if he’d been struck. "Ravena..."
But she was already floating dramatically out of the dining room. "Ravena!" he called after her.
He caught up with her in the corridor, gripping her wrist gently but firmly. "Ravena, wait."
"Let go!" she cried. But instead of releasing her, Magnus pulled her into his arms, pressing her to his chest.
"Magnus," she whispered, her fists weakly pounding against him. "Please let go."
But he didn’t. Couldn’t. He buried his face in her hair and held her tighter. "She needs you, Ravena."
"No!...No! I need her!" She finally broke down in his arms, the strength she wore slipping away. "After everything... after years of pain, loss, prayers... after all we went through just to have her...how can we just give up?"
Magnus closed his eyes. "I don’t know," he whispered. "I don’t know, my love. I don’t want to. But I saw her eyes. She’s already halfway gone."
Ravena pulled back, just enough to look up at him, her face wet with tears and fury. "Then bring her back! You’re the King, Magnus. Threaten anyone. Bribe everyone. For once, just...do sothing!"
Magnus kissed her forehead gently. "We won’t give up. But we can’t fight her, either. She’s not a child anymore."
"She’s still our child," Ravena whispered fiercely.
"Rave... Co on, baby. What we need now is your legendary strength," Magnus whispered into her hair, holding her as if she might crumble into dust if he let go.
"I’ve got nothing left, Magnus," Ravena murmured. "I... I can’t." Her body sagged against him, boneless with grief.
Magnus tightened his hold, pressing a kiss into the top of her head. "We’re not giving up," he said, gently rocking her, "but we also have to listen to her. She needs to deal with her heartache, her way. Let her do that, while we work like hell to save her."
)
Ravena let out a ragged breath and buried her face in his chest, sobbing quietly as he held her like the world itself depended on keeping her together.
*****
Damien leaned back in his chair just as the office doors creaked open.
"Father," he said, arching an eyebrow. "Been a while."
Lucivar entered. "Yeah, your mate shows up and suddenly you forget your dear old dad." He flopped into a chair opposite Damien, grinning.
Damien’s smile was wry, and brittle around the edges. "She’s gone."
Lucivar blinked. "Damn," he muttered, then shrugged with a smirk. "I thought you had ga. Can’t even keep a woman."
Damien rolled his eyes. "Excuse for not taking after my father with a personal harem."
Lucivar shrugged, utterly unbothered. "I’m not going to apologize for having great ga. It’s a gift. You either have it or you don’t." He leaned back, arms spread over the armrests. "Maybe you should try smiling more."
"You haven’t been coming into the Royal Empire much lately," Damien observed, watching him closely.
Lucivar exhaled. "For selfish reasons, actually. I wanted you to have total control. No shadow of your father hovering over your every move. You make decisions for your people, and I didn’t want you wondering if it was what I would do. I want you to consider your people in whatever decisions you make."
"You sound like Luna," Damien said, half-smiling. He leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed.
Lucivar chuckled, tapping a finger against his chin as if thoughtfully weighing the complint. "Smart woman," he said with a wink. "Speaking of, I had a little coffee date with our dear King Magnus. I suppose you could catch up on all the drama I’ve been so delightfully excluded from."
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