My Villain, My Balance

Chapter 33: Happily Ever After

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖍𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞-𝕿𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊

ⓉᕼE ᗪᗩᖇKᒪIᑎG ᗩᑎᗪ I sat across from each other at the dinner table. Neither of us spoke. It was eerily quiet. Occasionally, the Darkling would glance over at me, then go back to eating his food, his fork scraping on the ceramic plate. I was uncomfortable with the silence, and he counted on that, trying to get me to speak. It was the game he liked to play when I had either lied to him or done something he disapproved of. Today in particular, I had done both.

"You know," he said, breaking the tenseness after almost an entirely silent dinner, "we are connected by both the Stag and the Sea Whip. I can feel almost every one of your emotions as if they were my own, and I can certainly tell when you're lying, so I'm not sure why you try anymore."

I remained silent, picking at my food.

"What happened in the throne room this afternoon?"

When I still didn't answer, a flash of irritation appeared on his face. "This doesn't have to be a fight, Alina. Just tell me."

Silence.

He huffed in the candle-lit room. "Tell me," he demanded again. "It can't be that bad."

"It's worse," I breathed, nearly a whisper, but he heard it, and something dark crossed the tether.

"Alina," he warned. "It will be much better if you tell me now. You know I will find out eventually."

I sat for a moment, considering staying silent, but I finally surrendered, wanting to get it over with now. The candle flickered and flared. The reflection of the flame danced in Aleksander's colorless eyes, which were focused on mine as he waited patiently.

"Today, I was visited by someone during the public session." I gulped. "... It was Nikolai."

"And where did my guards take him?" he asked calmly, but his furious eyes told a different story.

I sunk deeper into my seat. "They didn't." Again, his maliciousness crossed the connection. "The guards left."

"Why?" he seethed through clenched teeth.

"I ordered them to, so I could speak with Nikolai alone."

A muscle in the Darkling's jaw twitched. I flinched when he got up abruptly from his seat, the chair legs scraping across the floor. Aleksander took slow strides toward me, his footsteps muted by the rug. "So, what did you and the wanted criminal discuss alone?"

He stood tall beside my chair. I kept picking at my food, deflecting my gaze as I spoke. "He did as I asked. I wanted Nikolai to wait a month to give us time to prove we could rule. I thought maybe Nikolai would leave it be, let us have the crown. But I was wrong." I stopped eating and fiddled with the skirt of my kefta. "Nikolai wants the throne."

I could hear the Darkling trying to take deep breaths and keep calm, but it wasn't working well.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him no."

"And?" he prodded.

"And... then I let him go."

"You!—" he yelled, then cleared his throat and lowered his voice, trying again. "You what?" It still didn't come out less menacing.

"I couldn't kill him."

The Darkling huffed and ran a hand through his jet-black hair. "Stand," he ordered. His demand made me want to do the opposite, but I swallowed my pride and stood to face him. His hand rose and cupped the back of my neck, his fingers weaving under my hair. "I don't think you realize what you've done."