The morning sun crept through the gauzy curtains of the villa, casting soft light across the bed where Zara lay, tangled in sheets and limbs. Lucien stirred beside her, his hand lazily tracing patterns on her hip, as if memorizing the feel of her.
"You're not nervous?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.
Lucien's lips curved. "About marrying the most dangerous woman in the world? Only a little."
She rolled on top of him, her hair falling like a curtain between them. "Dangerous? I'm a kitten."
He chuckled, flipping them so she was beneath him. "You're a lioness. And I'd walk into your den every time."
Their lips met, slow and soft. There was no urgency in this kiss, no edge of desperation. It was a promise. A quiet reassurance. And yet, the passion simmered just beneath the surface, always ready to erupt.
"We should get up," Zara whispered.
Lucien kissed her again. "We have time."
But they both knew that time was slipping.
Preparations for the wedding had accelerated, and their guest list was a who's-who of global elite. Royals, moguls, former enemies now forced to smile for the camera. Security was tight, as threats still loomed from shadows—remnants of Damien's allies and whispers of Sebastian Vale's return.
Zara stood by the balcony, robe cinched tight, watching the waves crash beyond the cliffs. Her thoughts were a storm. She hadn't told Lucien about the file she'd received the night before—an encrypted message from an unknown source. It only said one thing:
"He'll never let you be happy."
Was it Sebastian? Helena? Or someone else entirely?
Lucien approached behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You're thinking too loud."
She leaned back against him. "Do you ever feel like we're standing on borrowed peace?"
"Maybe. But I'll buy every second of it with blood if I have to."
His words should've been chilling. Instead, they were comforting.
Later that day, Zara slipped away during the final fitting of her gown. She needed answers. Helena was still in custody, but she'd requested a final meeting with Zara—alone.
The room in the holding facility was dimly lit. Helena looked different. Bruised pride hung around her like a faded crown. Yet her eyes sparkled with something Zara didn't like.
"Congratulations," Helena said coolly. "A wedding to unite empires. You always were a good strategist."
"What do you want, Helena?"
"To warn you. Sebastian doesn't care about your ceremony or your crown. He wants your soul. And Lucien's. He'll use your love to break you both."
Zara's jaw tightened. "He failed before. He'll fail again."
Helena leaned in. "You underestimate the kind of monster he is. And you've never had something to lose the way you do now."
Zara stood, spine straight. "You're wrong. I've already lost everything once. This time, I'll burn the world down before I lose it again."
She left without another word.
Back at the villa, Lucien was waiting. He looked at her like he knew where she'd been.
"Did she say anything useful?"
Zara hesitated, then nodded. "Only that love is our greatest weakness."
Lucien stepped forward. "No. Love is our greatest weapon. And tomorrow, we show them just how unstoppable we are."
That night, they didn't make love with fire and desperation.
It was slow. Reverent. Lucien worshiped every inch of her with his mouth, his hands, his voice. Zara cried out softly, not from pain or ecstasy, but from the overwhelming ache of knowing that this man had become her entire world.
When he entered her, it was with care and unspoken devotion. Their bodies moved in a rhythm that was neither frantic nor practiced. It was instinct. A dance choreographed by fate itself.
Afterward, they lay entwined in silence. No walls between them. No secrets.
"If anything happens tomorrow—"
"Nothing will," he interrupted.
Zara turned to face him, eyes shining. "But if it does, promise me you'll survive. You'll fight. Even without me."
His throat worked around the emotion. "You are the reason I fight. Without you, I don't want the war."
A tear slipped from her eye. "Then let's win it together."
Outside, the moon cast silver shadows across the sea. Inside, two warriors in love prepared for a battle that had yet to begin.