The moonlight spilled across the stone balcony like melted silver, its glow softening the sharp edges of the palace towers. Inside Damien's chambers, the air was heavy with the silence of goodbyes not yet spoken. Helena stood by the window, arms folded, her expression unreadable.
"It's almost time," she said quietly, not turning to look at him.
Damien, seated near the hearth, rested his chin on his fist. "I know."
They had spent the last week playing their parts, weaving a performance so convincing that not even King Lucian or the palace council dared to question it. Helena had played the role of a potential queen with such grace and intelligence that some of the maids already whispered about wedding preparations. Damien, for his part, had clung to her like a lifeline, though inwardly, he was simply grateful for the freedom she gave him to breathe away from scrutiny, from forced decisions, from aching heartbreak.
"I'll miss this room," Helena said with a faint smile, still looking outside. "Though the walls are a bit too serious."
Damien chuckled. "They match the people who built them."
She turned then, walking to the center of the room. "I want you to do something for me before I go."
"What is it?"
"Call Alec. Tonight. Bring him here. The three of us need to talk before I leave."
Damien raised an eyebrow. "You want to tell him?"
"Yes." She nodded. "He deserves to know. No more jealousy. No more confusion. Let's end it properly. And besides…" Her lips curved. "It'll be fun to see his face."
Later that evening, Alec arrived, his expression tight and defensive, eyes flitting between Helena and Damien. "So," he said cautiously, "Is this an ambush or should I be flattered?"
Helena didn't waste time. "We need to tell you something important."
Damien stood, walking to Alec's side. "Everything between me and Helena... it was all an act."
Alec blinked. "What?"
Helena stepped forward, speaking calmly. "There's no engagement. No feelings. We pretended. For the king. For the council. And… maybe to make you jealous," she added with a sly grin.
Alec looked between them, mouth open, then let out a breathless laugh. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious," Damien replied.
"And it worked," Helena added. "You looked ready to start a war every time I touched him."
Alec groaned, rubbing his forehead. "You two are insufferable."
"But now you know the truth," Damien said. "There's nothing between us. She's leaving tomorrow."
Helena's smile softened. "You can have your prince back."
For a moment, Alec was silent. Then he nodded, his voice quiet. "Thank you… both of you. For telling me."
A comfortable silence settled between them. The tension that had strained their shoulders now dissolved into laughter and relief.
But then Helena's tone shifted. "There's one more thing."
Damien straightened. "What is it?"
She glanced around cautiously, her voice lowered. "I've been watching. Listening. And there's a guard… I don't trust him."
Alec frowned. "Which guard?"
"I don't know his name. He's tall, lean, barely speaks. He always seems to be around. Once, I saw him near your chambers, Damien. Just standing there, pretending to fix his armor."
Damien's face darkened. "You think he's spying on me?"
"I think someone is using him," Helena said. "Maybe he's the one behind that shadow you've been sensing. Or maybe he's just a pawn. But something is off."
Alec's jaw tensed. "We'll look into him. Quietly."
"Good," Helena said. "Don't let your guard down."
They nodded in agreement. But before the conversation ended, Damien reached out and took Helena's hand.
"Thank you," he said softly. "For everything."
She gave a slight curtsy, her eyes glinting. "I'll return when I'm needed."
The next morning, the palace was unusually quiet. A light drizzle had painted the cobblestones with a dull sheen as Helena's carriage stood waiting near the gates. The king wasn't present to see her off, nor were the council members just a handful of curious nobles, a few guards, and Damien and Alec.
Helena wore a simple traveling cloak, her fiery hair tied back in a neat braid. She hugged Damien tightly, then Alec, whispering something that made both of them smile.
"I'll be watching," she said as she stepped into the carriage. "Don't do anything foolish."
The carriage wheels rolled forward, pulling her away from the palace. Damien and Alec stood at the top of the palace steps, side by side, watching until she disappeared into the morning fog.
"She was right about that guard," Alec said quietly.
"I know," Damien murmured. "We'll deal with him."
"And what about the council?"
Damien exhaled. "Let them believe the engagement is real. For now, it gives us space."
Alec nodded. "And gives us an edge."
They turned and walked back inside, unaware that the very guard Helena had warned about was watching them from behind a pillar his eyes dark, his expression unreadable...
The amber light of dusk painted the palace halls in gold as Damien stepped out of the meeting chamber. Prince Caspian's subtle teasing still echoed in his ears "So, Helena's calming your stormy heart now?" and his father's rare nod of approval lingered in his mind. But all Damien felt was the weight of a truth only a handful knew.
He walked briskly to his chambers, nodding at the guards with a practiced smile. When he entered, he found Alec by the tall window, silhouetted by the moonlight. Arms crossed. Eyes unreadable.
"I've been waiting," Alec said, voice cool but tight with emotion.
Damien shut the door softly behind him. "I know."
There was silence. The air between them crackled, heavy with restrained pain.
"You lied to me," Alec said, stepping forward. "I watched you flirt, touch, smile like you meant it with someone else. You knew how that would feel, and you did it anyway."
Damien's throat tightened. "I thought it was the only way to protect us… and mislead the council. I didn't want you hurt."
Alec's jaw clenched. "You didn't want me hurt so you hurt me anyway?"
Damien moved closer. "Alec… I'm sorry. You mean more to me than any crown, any deception. Please believe that."
Alec studied him for a long second… then his lips curled into something darker.
"I believe you," he whispered. "But you still need to be punished."
Damien blinked. "What?"
Alec reached behind Damien, locked the chamber door, and then turned the prince's chin up with two fingers.
"For lying. For making me jealous. For making me think I'd lost you," Alec murmured. "Strip. Now."
Damien obeyed, trembling not with fear, but anticipation. Alec took his time tying his wrists with silken cords, pushing him gently onto the bed. "You'll take everything I give you tonight," Alec growled. "No safe words. Just truth. Just us."
What followed was intense, a raw exchange of dominance and surrender. Alec's lips branded every inch of Damien's skin with kisses and nips. His hands guided, restrained, punished and praised. Damien moaned, gasped, pleaded for more, for forgiveness, for Alec's love. He got it all.
Their bodies moved like fire and storm consensual, wild, deeply emotional. When it was over, Damien collapsed into Alec's arms, chest heaving, eyes misted.
"I'm yours," Damien whispered. "In every way."
"I know," Alec murmured, kissing his temple. "Don't you ever forget it again."
Later that night, as Alec slept beside him, Damien stirred awake. A cold whisper skated down his spine. Something was wrong.
Pulling on a robe, he stepped into the corridor and nearly collided with Caspian.
"You feel it too?" Caspian asked, unsheathing a dagger from beneath his cloak.
Damien nodded. "Helena's warning… the guard she suspected. We need to act now."
Together, they orchestrated a silent trap. Guards were reshuffled, a dummy shadow placed in Damien's bed, and torches dimmed to darkness. They waited in silence, hidden.
An hour passed. Then footsteps soft, deliberate.
The guard crept close, eyes fixed on Damien's chamber door. He moved with the confidence of someone who'd done this before. But when he reached for the door, Caspian stepped from the shadows and struck.
The man fought like a beast wild, precise but Alec arrived just in time to help restrain him. They disarmed him and uncovered black markings inked beneath his uniform symbols of a secret allegiance.
The next morning, the throne room buzzed with tension. King Lucian sat with a hard stare. Damien, Alec, Caspian, and the council stood in a semi-circle around the restrained guard.
"Speak," the king ordered.
The man's eyes were calm, even amused. "I did what had to be done. The prince was never meant to survive."
Murmurs rose from the council.
"Who sent you?" Caspian growled.
The guard smirked. "You'll never know. I swore to my Master. Death is better than betrayal."
Before anyone could react, he twisted, kicked one guard away, and in a flash, a small blade slid from his boot. With one swift motion, he slit his own throat.
Blood sprayed like a ribbon. Gasps erupted. The room spun into chaos.
Guards rushed forward, but the man was already crumpled on the floor, lifeless.
Alec stepped protectively in front of Damien. King Lucian roared, "Secure every post! Search every soldier! Find out who his master is!"
Caspian's fists were clenched, eyes locked on the corpse. "He wasn't working alone," he said grimly. "This runs deeper than we thought."
Damien, still shaken, whispered, "Then we'll dig them out. One by one before they bury me."