Kai hated mornings.
He especially hated royal mornings.
He especially especially hated royal mornings spent pretending to be a cold-blooded assassin while stuffed into skin-tight black leather and corseted like a sausage at war with physics.
"Stupid boots," he hissed, stumbling down the marble hallway, clutching his side. "Stupid palace. Stupid spine-crushing outfit. How did Valeria breathe in this?"
The convoy was nearly ready. Lanterns glowed faint gold through the misty courtyard, casting long shadows over silver-trimmed carriages and soldiers adjusting armor. Nobles and guards bustled in choreographed chaos, and horses snorted impatiently in rows.
Kai stood at the edge of it all, arms folded, trying to look deadly while internally screaming.
He hadn't slept much.
Toma and Len believed him — sort of. Enough to agree not to slit his throat.
But not enough to trust him unsupervised.
Which is why he now had two guards tailing him like loyal shadows.
And standing at the center of the convoy, barking orders and smirking like he owned the world, was Prince Rael — the charming, infuriating, too-handsome-for-his-own-good royal brat.
Kai hated him.
Mostly because the prince kept looking at him like he knew.
Like he could see through the skin, through the smirk, through the eyes that no longer belonged to Valeria.
Rael spotted him and waved lazily. "Ah, my favorite assassin."
Kai forced a smile and whispered under his breath, "My dagger's getting twitchy."
Rael approached, looking far too put-together for someone who probably slept in a silk bed surrounded by peacock feathers and ego.
"You're late," he said.
Kai shrugged. "I like to make an entrance. Adds to the mystique."
Rael raised an eyebrow. "Is that what we're calling it now? You tripping over your own scabbard earlier was mystique?"
"I was testing your guards' reaction time."
"They failed."
Kai scowled. "Exactly."
Rael chuckled. "You're different lately."
Kai crossed his arms. "We keep having this conversation. Maybe I got a haircut. Or maybe you're just projecting."
Rael leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Or maybe the Ghostblade I once trusted is hiding something. And I intend to find out what."
Kai met his gaze, trying not to flinch. "You're very dramatic for someone who still wears lace cuffs."
Rael's grin returned. "You're very defensive for someone with nothing to hide."
Before Kai could come up with a snarky comeback, the royal commander blew his horn. The convoy began to move, a smooth mechanical procession of horses, soldiers, scouts, and nobles.
Rael offered his arm like a gentleman.
Kai blinked. "I can walk."
"Of course you can. But you look better when you don't stomp like a drunken mercenary."
Kai hesitated.
Then looped his arm through Rael's — only to immediately regret it. His whole body tensed. The prince's warmth was disarming. His scent? Unforgivably nice. Like crushed cedar and danger.
As they walked, Rael lowered his voice again.
"You know," he said, "when I first hired you… I didn't expect you to be this entertaining."
Kai gave a dry laugh. "Glad my near-death aura brings you joy."
"You weren't like this before."
Kai glanced sideways. "Before what?"
Rael didn't answer.
But the air shifted. There was something unsaid in his silence. Something sharp.
Something painful.
Kai cleared his throat. "So where are we going?"
"To the city of Velden," Rael said. "There's a summit. Boring, political things. You'll hate it."
"Then why am I coming?"
Rael smirked. "Because someone's trying to kill me. And I trust you to handle it."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "You're trusting the assassin to protect you from other assassins. That's bold."
Rael looked at him with something unreadable in his eyes. "I trust you more than most of my court. Even now."
That hit harder than it should have.
Kai turned away. "You really shouldn't."
---
Later That Night – Campgrounds, Forest Border
The royal convoy had stopped near a dense pinewood, torches flickering in the breeze. Tents had been raised, and a bonfire crackled at the center of the camp. Nobles laughed, guards patrolled, and wine was passed around like candy.
Kai sat by himself on a log, arms folded, trying not to look suspicious while eavesdropping on everyone.
Every so often, someone passed by and nodded at him — or her. Sometimes with respect. Sometimes with fear.
Valeria, it turned out, had many reputations.
Few of them friendly.
He didn't belong here. Not in this body. Not in this story. And the longer he stayed, the more tangled the web became.
Someone had put a bounty on him.
Someone had stolen his body.
And Valeria had died — or vanished — with the secret behind it all.
And now Prince Rael was staring at him from across the fire like he knew something was broken inside him.
Kai looked away.
Too much warmth in that gaze. Too much danger.
And the worst part?
He didn't know if Rael was the villain in this story… or the only one who might believe him if he ever told the truth.
"Valeria," the prince said, approaching.
Kai sighed. "What now? You want to braid my hair?"
"I wanted to say something... odd."
"You usually do."
Rael didn't smile.
He crouched beside him, lowering his voice again.
"I dreamt of you last night."
Kai stiffened. "…What kind of dream?"
"Not that kind," Rael said, though the corner of his mouth twitched. "You were… different. Softer. Scared. You were calling someone's name."
Kai's blood turned to ice.
Rael looked at him. "You were calling for… Kai."
Silence.
Too sharp. Too deep. Too close.
Kai forced a laugh. "I don't remember my dreams. I'm usually too busy stabbing people."
Rael stared at him a moment longer, then stood.
"Goodnight, Valeria."
Kai didn't reply.
Because suddenly, for the first time in days, he was afraid.
Afraid of Rael.
Afraid of what Valeria might have told him before all this.
Afraid… that the prince might somehow be the only person who could unravel the truth.
And afraid of what would happen to his heart — if it listened too closely to the way Rael said his name.