As the quiet comfort of Adrien and Cassianus's presence settled around me, the door suddenly opened. Indraneel stepped in, his eyes narrowing sharply as they landed on the two, Adrien and Cassianus sitting by my bedside.
"What are you doing here?" Indraneel demanded, his tone icy and biting.
Adrien didn't flinch. Instead, he met Indraneel's glare with a calm, unwavering gaze. "We're here because Quincey needs support something you've never given him."
Cassianus rose slightly, voice steady but edged with frustration. "You don't deserve to be here. You've done nothing but bring him trouble and pain when you should have been the one taking care of him."
Indraneel's jaw tightened, but neither Adrien nor Cassianus wavered. Their words hung heavy in the room, a clear line drawn between those who truly cared for me and those who only left scars.
I watched silently, a mix of relief and unease swelling within me. For once, someone stood up for me and against the one who should have been my protector.
Indraneel's eyes flashed with a complicated mix of anger and something unreadable beneath. He stepped forward, voice tight but firm. "You think I don't care about him? I do! I also care for Quincey."
Adrien's gaze didn't soften, his tone steady as he replied, "If you cared, it wouldn't look like neglect and pain. From where we stand, you've been absent when he needed you most."
Adrien's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, his tone sharp and unyielding. "Indraneel, you need to step back. Quincey is hurting, heartbroken, and bullied. A lot of that pain traces back to you."
Indraneel's jaw tightened, a flicker of pride flashing in his gaze. "Where do you think I have a choice? Quincey is the bride, the soon-to-be crown princess appointed by the king. I have duties I cannot ignore."
Cassianus's voice was cold, edged with a biting clarity that cut through the tension like a blade. "Care? Your 'care' is hollow if it leaves him abandoned and broken. You claim responsibility, yet you leave Quincey alone to suffer. That makes you part of the problem."
Indraneel straightened, regal and defiant. "I am the prince. My position demands sacrifices, including distance. I do what is expected to protect our honour."
Adrien stepped closer, unwavering. "Honour means nothing if it destroys the one you're supposed to cherish. Quincey isn't a pawn or a title. He's a person, someone you've neglected."
Cassianus's cold gaze locked on Indraneel, voice unflinching. "Sacrifices don't excuse cruelty. If you truly cared, you wouldn't let Quincey be broken and tormented like this. Your absence speaks louder than any duty."
Indraneel's expression faltered, betraying the turmoil beneath his arrogance. "Quincey is the bride the king arranged for me. My obligations are not my choice."
Adrien's voice dropped, sharp and relentless. "And yet, you've caused him nothing but pain. He deserves better than empty titles and hollow promises. Step aside if you can't give him your presence."
Cassianus's tone grew even colder, but his words carried a fierce, unspoken care. "We're the ones keeping him safe now, because you failed him. Please don't mistake our harshness for cruelty. It's protection."
Indraneel's eyes flashed with wounded pride. "I am his prince. I won't abandon him."
Adrien's gaze softened, but his resolve remained firm. "Then prove it. Be here for Quincey not as a title or obligation, but as someone who truly cares. Because right now, words and status mean nothing if you can't stand by him when he needs you most."
Cassianus's cold stare remained fixed on Indraneel, his voice low but unwavering. "This isn't just about duty. It's about healing the wounds you helped create. If you can't do that, then step aside and let us protect him."
Indraneel faltered, the weight of their words pressing down on him. His pride wrestled with the truth, the room heavy with unspoken emotions. After a long silence, he finally said, his voice quieter, almost admitting defeat, "Perhaps... I haven't been the prince he deserves."
Adrien stepped forward slightly, offering a glimmer of hope. "It's not too late. You can choose to be better for him, for both of you."
Cassianus's expression softened just a fraction, the coldness giving way to something more like determination. "We all want what's best for Quincey. Don't make him choose between us."
The tension slowly eased, replaced by a fragile possibility that maybe, just maybe, things could change.
I lay quietly, listening to the tense exchange between Adrien, Cassianus, and Indraneel. Their words stirred something inside me, a flicker of hope mixed with lingering pain. So, Indraneel does care... beneath all the pride and distance, there was a part of him that truly cared for me.
That realization settled softly in my chest, offering a fragile possibility of healing. Yet, even as hope glimmered, a sharp ache remained. Elian's presence lingered like a shadow I couldn't shake, reminding me of wounds not yet mended.
I wasn't sure what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, I dared to believe there might be a way through the darkness with them, and maybe even with Indraneel.
I took a shaky breath, the weight of their confrontation pressing heavily in the room. Summoning what little strength I had, I managed to speak, my voice soft but firm. "Please… stop. I don't want to be a burden to either of you. Thank you… both of you, for taking care of me."
Adrien's eyes searched mine, concern deepening, but I held up a hand gently. "I just… I don't want to bother you both anymore. Maybe…" I hesitated, "Maybe you should leave for now."
Cassianus's cold gaze softened slightly, though he remained silent, respect evident in his posture as he stepped back.
"But… Indraneel," I said, turning my gaze toward him. "I want to talk to you. Alone."
The room shifted, tension settling into something quieter, more fragile.
Adrien and Cassianus exchanged a brief, knowing glance before stepping back respectfully, their eyes still filled with concern. Adrien gave a small, reassuring nod. "If you need us, Quincey, we're always close by." Cassianus's voice was quieter, colder, but no less sincere. "Take care of yourself."
As they quietly left, the atmosphere in the room shifted, leaving just Indraneel and me. I searched his face, the uncertainty and vulnerability in my own voice hard to hide. "Do you… really mean it? When you say you care for me?"
Indraneel looked away momentarily, then met my gaze with a conflicted expression. "Don't get me wrong, I do care about you. But the one I truly love is Elian."
His words hit me sharply, but I pressed on, needing clarity. "Then what about Elian? You said you love him. How can you care for me and love him at the same time?"
Indraneel's jaw tightened, the conflict evident even in his voice. "I don't fully understand it myself. I'm torn between duty, affection, and feelings I can barely name. Maybe… maybe I'm as confused as you are."
The room seemed to hold its breath, caught between pain and the fragile hope of honesty.
I studied Indraneel's conflicted expression, the weight of his words sinking deeply into me. "So… you care, but your heart is somewhere else," I whispered, the ache sharpening inside me. "Maybe the chance I hoped for… never really existed."
Indraneel's eyes flickered with guilt, but the raw honesty in the silence between us was undeniable. "I never meant to hurt you, Quincey. But I'm trapped in something I can't ignore."
The truth stung worse than any cruelty. I let the silence stretch, feeling the cold pang of shattered hope settle in my chest. "Maybe… I was just fooling myself. Wanting more from you when there was no more to give."
He hesitated, then softly said, "You deserved so much better than what I've given."
I took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Then let's agree on something that we don't avoid each other, but instead live in a way where we're... collaborators. It's not about pretending feelings that aren't there, but about respecting each other, so neither of us gets hurt again."
Indraneel's expression softened slightly, and I continued, "And after we graduate… I want you to be the one to propose to the king to officially break the engagement. Four years at the academy, and no true feelings developed that means we don't meet the king's expectation ."
A tense silence hung between us as my words settled in, the weight of the decision clear for both of us.
A tense silence hung between us as my words settled in. Indraneel's jaw tightened, the gravity of what I'd proposed sharpening the lines of his face. Finally, he nodded slowly, his voice low but steady. "If that's what it takes to protect you, to protect us both, then I will do it."
I gave a small, grateful nod, relief mingling with the lingering ache in my chest. "Thank you. I don't want to be locked into something that isn't real. But I also don't want to be enemies."
Indraneel's gaze met mine with a rare vulnerability. "Agreed. We'll face the days ahead with honesty, even if it's difficult. Quincey… thank you for giving me this chance."
For the first time in a long while, a fragile understanding passed between us.