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Arion's mind, still reeling from the shock of seeing two Kyons, struggled to process the King's words. He stood there, a soldier in a room full of politicians, a warrior surrounded by schemers. He felt exposed, out of place, and desperately wanted to return to his cold bath and the solitude of his shame.
"Your Majesty," Arion said, his voice raw but steady, "I am at your command."
The King's lips thinned into a satisfied line. "Good. You have been chosen for a new assignment, one of great honor and responsibility. You will serve as the personal bodyguard to my son, Prince Cassian."
The words landed like a physical blow. Arion's gaze snapped to Cassian, whose cruel smirk widened. He glanced at Kyon, searching for some sign of emotion, some indication of what this meant. But Kyon's face was a stone wall, devoid of any feeling. The silence from the younger prince was a deafening roar in Arion's ears. He was being handed over, a prize from one brother to the other, without a single protest from the man who had so possessively claimed him just hours before.
"Is that... a direct order, Your Majesty?" Arion asked, his voice barely a whisper. He was fishing for a way out, for a loophole, for anything that would spare him this new humiliation.
The King's eyes narrowed. "Do you question my decree, Warrior Arion?"
"No, Your Majesty," Arion replied, his spine straightening instinctively. He was a soldier, and a soldier followed orders. "I am simply... surprised. I was under the impression that I was to serve under Prince Kyon."
Kyon's composure finally broke, a small, almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth. Cassian, however, seemed to relish the moment. "A misunderstanding, I'm sure," Cassian said, his voice a mocking purr. "Prince Kyon has many duties, many political allies to protect. A simple bodyguard would only get in the way. Whereas I... I have need of a man like you, Arion."
The king nodded. "It is settled. Cassian will brief you on your duties. You will start at once."
The dismissal was swift and final. Arion bowed, his mind in a state of chaotic surrender. He had faced down a dragon and emerged victorious. But facing down the two sons of a king, who saw him as nothing more than a pawn in their twisted games, felt like a battle he was already destined to lose. He had no control over his life, his body, or his future. He was a possession, a prize, and now, he belonged to a new master.