💋
The kiss had been an open declaration of war, a flag planted firmly in the middle of a battlefield. As Kyon pulled away, his eyes met Cassian's in a silent, savage challenge. Arion, however, was in a world of his own. His mind, still reeling from the unexpected assault, finally caught up. With a trembling hand, he reached up and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, a gesture of defiance and humiliation.
"Don't," Arion said, his voice low and ragged, his eyes fixed on Kyon. "Don't do that. Don't... don't use me like that."
Kyon's smirk didn't falter. He raised both hands in a mock surrender, a theatrical gesture meant entirely for his brother's benefit. "A soldier's passion, I'm afraid," he said, his voice laced with a cruel amusement. "You can't expect a man to behave like a prince all the time." With a final, lingering look that promised a future conversation, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing down the hall.
Arion was left standing there, a blushing, shaking mess, alone with the man who was now his master. Cassian's face was a storm cloud of fury. The effortless way Kyon had turned the tables, the blatant display of possession, had hit a nerve. The beautiful, serene mask he usually wore was gone, replaced by a dark, possessive rage.
"You," Cassian said, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "Follow me."
He didn't wait for a response. He simply turned and walked away, his broad shoulders squared with an anger that was palpable. Arion had no choice. He was a soldier, and a soldier followed orders. His heart pounded in his chest, a frantic drumbeat of dread. He had just been a pawn in one prince's game, and now he was walking straight into the fire of another. He had lost his dignity, his pride, and his honor. The kiss, meant to be a mark of possession, had instead become a brand of shame, and the price, he knew, was just beginning to be paid.