The Council meeting was a blur of tedious political jargon and thinly veiled insults. Arion stood silently, a ghost in the room, his mind replaying Kyon's cold, impassive gaze and Cassian's cruel smile. The only thing that mattered was the agonizing weight of his new assignment. When the meeting finally ended, the King's voice cut through the air, sharp and clear. "Kyon, a word. And take your new companion with you. He needs to know his place."
Arion's jaw clenched. He was no one's companion. He followed Kyon out of the chamber, the heavy doors thudding shut behind them with a final, echoing sound. As soon as they were alone in the hallway, Arion's frustration exploded. His hands balled into fists, and he shoved Kyon with all his might. The younger prince was caught off guard, stumbling back until he hit the cold, hard stone of the wall. A sharp gasp of pain escaped his lips.
Arion didn't care. He moved forward, grabbing the collar of Kyon's tunic, his body trembling with a mixture of rage and betrayal. A vein pulsed visibly on his forehead, his face a mask of pure fury.
"How could you?!" he snarled, his voice a low, vicious hiss. "You claim me, you brand me, and then you just... hand me over? What am I to you, a possession? A prize for your twisted little games?"
Kyon's eyes, which had been so cold just moments ago, now burned with a dangerous glint. A slow, infuriating smirk spread across his lips. Instead of fighting back, he calmly reached up, his hands finding Arion's waist. He pulled Arion flush against his body, the contact a shocking, intimate heat.
"You're not a prize, Arion," Kyon whispered, his voice a low, hypnotic rumble. "You are my truth. And as you can see, I was simply proving that to the entire world."
Just then, the Council room doors opened, and Cassian stepped out, a victorious smile on his face. He saw Kyon and Arion, their bodies pressed together, Arion's face a mask of furious confusion. Cassian's smile faltered, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.
Kyon, sensing his brother's presence, didn't hesitate. He tilted Arion's head up, and without another word, his lips descended in a deep, punishing kiss. Arion's body, a traitor to his mind, melted into the embrace, his hands instinctively loosening their grip on Kyon's collar. He leaned in, his mind a chaotic mess of anger and undeniable desire. The kiss was a public, possessive statement, a challenge to his brother.
When Kyon finally pulled away, a thin, shimmering string of saliva connected their mouths before it broke. Kyon's eyes were filled with a triumphant fire, a direct message to his brother. Cassian's face was a study in shock and rage. His veneer of calm shattered, and his hands clenched at his sides. He had won the battle in the Council room, but Kyon had just made a public declaration that Arion was, and always would be, his.