Quinn stood outside the grand doors of the royal study, the wood dark and imposing, engraved with their family's crest. He took a breath and knocked
"Enter," came the deep, steady voice from within.
He pushed open the doors and stepped inside. The study was vast, lined with shelves of old tomes, war maps covering one wall. Behind an enormous desk sat King Calder, his crown resting beside a pile of reports.
The king's sharp gaze remained fixed on the parchment before him.
Quinn approached, standing before the desk. He bowed low. "Father."
The king did not look up. "Speak."
"I've come to request an escort for Sofia. She's returning from the outer districts tomorrow," Quinn said, his voice measured. "I'm asking you to assign some of the Gifted to ensure her safe return."
At that, King Calder's pen paused. Slowly, he lifted his gaze, eyes cold and unreadable. "The Gifted are already deployed. Every one of them is serving the kingdom."
Quinn's jaw tightened. "You know how dangerous the roads are, Father. The hollows grow bolder by the day. Surely you can spare a few."
"You presume to dictate my forces?" the king replied, his voice quiet, but edged like a blade. "What authority grants you this right?"
"I'm not asking as a prince," Quinn said, stepping closer. "I'm asking as Sofia's brother. I'm asking you, not for me—but for her."
A silence fell between them, heavy and cold. Then, King Calder rose slowly from his chair.
"You forget yourself," he said.
"Father, please—"
The air shifted. Suddenly a crushing pressure flooded the room, invisible yet undeniable. Quinn's breath caught in his throat as his knees buckled under the weight of the king's aura of dominance. The force pressed him down, suffocating, until his palms hit the floor.
"You dare question me?" Calder's voice rumbled, each word a hammer strike.
Quinn trembled beneath the weight, gritting his teeth. "She's your daughter—"
The pressure lifted as swiftly as it had come.
Quinn gasped for air, chest heaving.
"She is strong," the king said, sitting again, pen already moving. "I will not coddle her. Sofia will return, or she will not. That is the world we live in."
Quinn rose shakily to his feet, fists clenched. "She's still your daughter."
"And you're still my son," the king replied without looking up. "Remember your place."
Quinn stared a moment longer, then turned and left, the doors shutting behind him with a final thud.