Valaia’s breath hitched, her pulse roaring in her ears. Kalythra’s command was law, an undeniable pull wrapped in sultry allure.

She hesitated, her gaze locked on the princess’s, searching for any hint of mercy or hesitation. There was none. Kalythra’s eyes burned with possession, the kind that devoured and consumed.

Slowly, she rose to her feet. Her hands went to the clasp of her cloak, and it fell to the floor, pooling around her boots. She pulled at the ties of her tunic next; the fabric slipping from her shoulders as she peeled away the layers of armor and clothing that had protected her both physically and emotionally.

Each piece discarded felt like another layer of herself stripped bare, leaving her vulnerable before the woman who had wrapped her in chains far stronger than steel.

Kalythra watched, her smile predatory, her eyes roaming over Valaia’s body with the hunger of a conqueror surveying her prize. When Valaia stood completely bare, the princess stepped closer, her fingers trailing along Valaia’s collarbone.

“You’re exquisite,” she murmured, her voice a mix of admiration and dominance. “And you’re mine.”

Valaia swallowed hard, her heart hammering in her chest. She wanted to speak, to say something sarcastic, but the words caught in her throat as Kalythra’s hand moved lower, tracing the curve of her waist.

“You’ve done well, my servant,” Kalythra continued, her touch light but electrifying. “But I need you to understand something.”

Her hand stopped, resting just above Valaia’s pounding heart. “Your loyalty is no longer just a duty. It’s a bond. One that cannot be broken.”

Valaia’s jaw clenched. “And if I refuse?”

Kalythra’s smile turned cold, her fingers digging into Valaia’s skin just enough to make her wince. “You won’t refuse.”

The air between them crackled with tension. Kalythra leaned in, her lips brushing against Valaia’s ear. “Because you crave this as much as I do. The power, the connection, the inevitability of us.”

Valaia’s resolve wavered, her body betraying her as heat coursed through her veins. She hated how Kalythra could unravel her so easily, how the princess’s presence made her forget herself.

Kalythra stepped back, a smug smile on her lips as she took in Valaia’s conflicted expression. “Good girl,” she said softly.

She returned to the bed, reclining like a queen awaiting worship. “Now, come here and show me just how loyal you can be.”

Valaia’s fists clenched at her sides. Her mind screamed at her to resist, to walk away, to fight against the hold Kalythra had over her. But her feet moved on their own, carrying her to the edge of the bed.

The princess’s hand reached out, pulling her down with surprising strength. “That’s it,” Kalythra whispered, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “Give in, my servant. Let me consume you.”

As Valaia surrendered to Kalythra’s intoxicating dominance, a part of her knew that this moment would change everything. Whatever boundaries had existed between them were gone, shattered by the dark magic that bound their fates together.

Kalythra’s hands roamed Valaia’s body like a sculptor marveling at their masterpiece, her touch equal parts reverent and possessive. Valaia shivered as the princess’s nails trailed down her sides, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Her body responded despite her mind’s protests, heat pooling in her core as Kalythra’s lips brushed the curve of her neck.

“You’ve been so good to me,” Kalythra murmured against her skin, her voice a blend of honey and sin. “Bringing me the heads of those who dared conspire against me. Securing my throne. But your greatest service is yet to come.”

Valaia’s breath hitched, her body torn between yielding to the sensations Kalythra elicited and resisting the pull of her words. “What do you mean?” she managed to ask, her voice strained.

Kalythra leaned back, her gaze locking onto Valaia’s with an intensity that made her stomach flip. “Oh, sweet servant,” she said, a smirk playing on her lips. “You think you’ve finished your task? This was only the beginning.”

Her fingers curled under Valaia’s chin, tilting her head up. “I need you, Alia. Not just for your blade or your loyalty. I need you—your strength, your spirit, your very essence. Together, we will rule in ways these pathetic nobles and boot kissers could never imagine.”

Valaia frowned, unease twisting in her gut. “Rule? Princess, what are you talking about? You already have the crown.”

Kalythra’s laughter was low and dark, sending a chill down Valaia’s spine. “The crown is meaningless without true power. And true power,” she said, her hand trailing down to Valaia’s chest, resting above her heart, “lies in the magic that courses through our blood.”

Valaia’s eyes widened. “Our blood?”

Kalythra nodded, her smile widening. “Do you think it’s a coincidence, my servant, that you were drawn to me? That despite everything, you always come back to my side? There’s a bond between us, deeper than loyalty or desire. It’s fate.”

Valaia’s mind raced, pieces of her fragmented memories clicking into place. The strange pull she felt toward Kalythra, the moments of lost time, the dark magic she had glimpsed but never fully understood—it all pointed to something far greater than she’d realised.

“I don’t believe in fate,” she said, her voice trembling despite her attempt to sound resolute.

Kalythra’s grin turned predatory. “You will.”

Before she could respond, Kalythra’s lips claimed hers in a kiss that was both demanding and consuming. It was as if the princess was pouring all her power, all her intent, into that single act, branding Valaia in a way that went beyond the physical.

When they finally parted, Valaia’s chest heaved, her body thrumming with a strange energy that felt both foreign and familiar.

“Now,” Kalythra said, her tone soft but commanding, “swear yourself to me completely. Not just as my servant, but as my equal. Together, we’ll reshape this kingdom—and the world beyond it.”

Valaia hesitated, torn between the love she couldn’t deny and the growing dread in her heart. But as she looked into Kalythra’s eyes, blazing with passion and power, she realised that her choice had already been made the moment she returned to the palace.

Taking a shaky breath, she nodded. “I’m yours.”

Kalythra’s smile was triumphant, her hands pulling Valaia closer. “Good. Now, my love, let me show you what it means to truly belong to me.”