—Asian Continent—
The hot steam from the bath still filled the room, forming thin mists on the mirrored walls of the presidential suite.
The bathroom door opened and Kael appeared like a living sculpture.
His white hair fell in heavy strands as he dried it with a fluffy towel. Another towel hung carelessly around his waist, revealing his flawless physique — muscles defined by the northern military discipline, with discreet scars here and there.
Without hurry, he walked to the desk near the panoramic window.
The city below pulsed with golden lights, floating buildings, and advertising drones blinking in sync.
But the real glow came from the cellphone screen.
1 new message – From: My Empress.
@ Victoria: "I hope you're destroying egos with your ice diplomacy. I wonder if you still remember the taste of my mouth or if the political dinners have already enchanted you…"
Kael raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curling into a lazy, satisfied smile.
He typed back, with that refined humor hiding his true longing:
@ Kael: "I have been in two countries in the last three weeks, attended eleven meetings with ministers with unpronounceable names, and almost signed peace between two rival conglomerates with mushroom tea and imperial tofu… The real torture, however, is not being in your arms. — Signed: An exhausted and needy prince."
He had barely placed the phone on the desk, ready to grab a shirt, when…
Pling. New message.
@Victoria: "Hmm, so you're needy… and probably just in a towel right now, aren't you? Did you know I miss you? Your whispers? Your icy gaze? Your warm hand on my cold back? I bet that icy face of yours would melt any diplomat… Send me a photo. Or… something worse might happen."
Kael stopped. The smile grew. He sighed, looking at the phone as if it were dangerous.
@ Kael: "Victoria, stop playing with fire. You know that kind of provocation is an illegal diplomatic weapon on ten continents."
But of course, he took a selfie. One of those sneaky ones: towel still at his waist, messy hair, and that look of "I'm innocent, I swear."
Sent. Seconds later, Pling.
@Victoria: "Perfect. That's my new wallpaper. Now tell me… has any exotic courtesan tried to throw herself on your bed at those imperial dinners?"
Kael's eyes widened. A chill ran down his spine.
He typed hurriedly, in theatrical despair:
@ Kael: "I SWEAR BY THE SACRED SNOW OF CRYON THAT I DIDN'T LOOK AT ANYONE! If any woman breathed too close, I changed tables! I ate salad staring at a painting of the emperor not to sin! If my soul is scanned now, it will show: 'Property of Miss Victoria' — Please, don't kill me."
Silence.
Kael stared fixedly at the screen, still panting, as if the very Queen of the Frozen were judging his morality.
Pling.
@Victoria: "Good answer. I'm still considering forgiving you… depending on the next selfie you send me."
Kael sat down on the bed with his hand on his face, laughing quietly. "This woman will kill me before any diplomatic treaty... and I will die smiling."
A subtle knock at the door. The assistant's voice echoed, restrained and formal. "Prince Kael, the meeting at the hotel restaurant is scheduled in fifteen minutes."
Kael nodded while grabbing his phone from the desk. "Understood."
Before getting up, however… he smirked to the side.
With a fluid movement, he let the towel drop and changed into a tight black brief that highlighted every inch of his war physique.
He grabbed the phone, raised an eyebrow, and took the perfect selfie — full body in the mirror, briefs in place, hair still damp, and that look of "you caused this, Victoria."
Message sent:
@ Kael: "For my Empress to remember what she has and improve her mood. P.S.: Restricted view to your eyes only."
With the mission (and provocation) sent,
Kael quickly dressed: a tailored dark blue suit with silver details, a silk tie discreetly embroidered with the Cryon emblem, and an imperial brooch with icy crystals pinned to the lapel.
Impeccable. Unbreachable. Deadly elegant.
Going down to the lower floor, the five-star hotel restaurant opened like a modern opera hall: floating chandeliers, black marble floor, tables with holographic dividers for private meetings, and waiters with almost supernatural discretion.
Three men and one woman were already at the reserved table.
They greeted him with subtle reverence — no exaggerations, just veiled respect for the heir of the Polar Empire.
The man in the center, Minister Ryuzo, representative of the country's defense consortium, greeted him. "Prince Kael. A pleasure to discuss tomorrow's security with the heir of the coldest of sovereignties."
Kael nodded with a slight smile. "Security... is a luxury everyone pretends to have until the first real crisis. That's why we are here."
A gesture, and the waiters activated holographic privacy shields.
The meeting began politely but quickly dived into the core issue: thermal neutralization military technology, weaponry adapted to extreme polar climate, and artificial intelligence.
Kael presented data on Cryon's arsenal, including newly developed thermal invisibility drones.
The Asian minister, intrigued, raised a question. "We understand that the Polar Empire hasn't shared military technology with allies since the treaty 200 years ago… what changed?"
Kael stared at the man, ice and calculation in his eyes.
"The balance of the world changed. While some play at sabotaging cosmetics companies..." he gave a suggestive smile, thinking of recent attacks on Diamond Tycoon "...others arm themselves in the shadows. If Cryon doesn't change, it will be the next target."
The woman beside the minister typed silently on a tablet but kept her eyes fixed on Kael.
After another hour of negotiations — with adjusted clauses, non-proliferation guarantees, and prototype delivery protocols — the preliminary contract was accepted.
The minister stood. "We will send a copy of the treaty for final review in Cryon. This is an important step."
Kael shook his hand and replied. "And the first of many."
When the meeting ended and the Asians left the restaurant, Kael pulled out his phone.
1 new message from Victoria:
@ Victoria: "You are an idiot, a jerk, and exactly my type of problem. P.S.: That photo is saved in a secret folder. If I lose my phone, you'll have to hack the FBI system. Love you."
Kael laughed alone, putting the phone in his jacket pocket. "I'm her favorite problem. What an honor."
He then left the restaurant, heading to other meetings.
After a long day of formal meetings, tense contracts, and agreements sealed under words lined with ice, Kael returned to his room in the Asian luxury hotel. He loosened his tie, unbuttoned his collar, and threw himself into the armchair, exhausted.
The clock read 23:13. Perfect time to see the true love of his life.
With a touch on the floating panel, he activated the holographic call.
The space in front of him shone, slowly forming Victoria's image… and he almost fell out of his chair.
Tall, smooth bronze skin, long dark violet wavy hair that seemed to dance with the room's lights, vibrant green eyes as if born to shine and, as the cherry on the chaos, wearing a red silk pajama, clinging to the body like a second skin. A pajama more like a "hormonal declaration of war" than sleepwear.
Kael swallowed dry.
His brain froze.
"Uh… hi… V-Vic… you're… beautiful." He cleared his throat and tried to look composed, which made it even more obvious he wasn't.
"Kael?" she said with a mocking smile. "You look thirsty."
He cleared his throat, disguising the blush, and took a deep breath to regain the cold royalty he supposedly was.
"It's not my fault if my fiancée looks like a goddess who escaped from a dream and invaded my mental roof."
She giggled and leaned back in her own armchair, comfortable.
The holograph made it seem like she was sitting right in front of him.
Close. Tempting.
They started talking, like a couple in maximum longing mode.
Victoria began to tell about her routine. "I wake up at five in the morning, straight to the gym, then flights across the Empire for interviews, commercials, and campaigns with sponsors... And at night? Different hotels and cold beds. My day ends like all the others: exhausted and wanting to punch you for being away."
Kael smiled, but it was a smile with stabs of guilt and frustration. "You're trying too hard... your eyes are tired."
"That's the smudged eyeliner. But thanks, husband."
Before he could reply, the hotel doorbell rang.
Kael frowned. "Must be my assistant. Wait a second, love."
He got up and went to the door. But what he found when he opened... was nothing he expected.
A woman. Completely naked. Throwing herself on him as if she were an international lottery prize.
"WHAT—?!" Kael took a sharp step back, dodging the collision of human flesh with total desperation.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?! GET OUT OF HERE!"
The woman tried to grab him again, but he shouted for security and his assistant with the urgency of someone who saw a demon in high heels. "SECURITY! GET THIS CRAZY WOMAN OUT OF HERE NOW!"
Two seconds later, the assistant appeared running down the corridor.
Kael pointed. "Expel. Her. From here. And make sure she NEVER accesses this floor again."
The woman was removed, complaining about something.
Kael slammed the door shut, locked all digital locks, and returned to the center of the room, still with the holographic call active.
Victoria, still there, arms crossed, calm expression… almost too calm. "You took too long."
Kael raised his hands, desperate like a wet dog. "I swear I don't know who she was! She appeared out of nowhere and—"
"Were her breasts bigger than mine?"
Her tone was surgically calm.
Kael froze. Eyes wide open. "I DIDN'T EVEN LOOK! I SWEAR BY THE GLACIERS OF CRYON! I—I WAS TERRIFIED!"
Victoria raised an eyebrow. Then relaxed, chuckling with amusement. "Hm. Forgiven. For now."
Kael collapsed on the sofa as if he had survived a heart attack. "You almost killed me, woman."
She laughed. "You're mine. And no one messes with what's mine."
The subject died there.
They returned to chatting about random topics, movies they wanted to watch together, restaurants she discovered in the Phoenix Empire, and the mutual desire for urgent vacation somewhere just for them.