Snow sat alone in the antechamber after leaving the princess’s quarters, the collar around his throat pressing against skin worn raw from years of use. His hands rested on his knees, fingers still, his posture as straight as any knight trained for courts and battle. Yet his thoughts were not on war or duty. They lingered on the name.

Snow.

It was simple. Small. Not a title or a chain, not one of the grand names he had once borne as a duke of another land. It had not been forced on him by Kael Vetras, spoken like a curse disguised as ownership. It had been given by a child. A child who looked at him not as a weapon, not as a shameful spoil of war, but simply as something that was hers.

And because it did not come from Kael, he found himself… liking it.

The door opened. The Emperor entered.

Kael’s presence filled the chamber before his words did. His cloak of crimson trailed behind him like a tide of blood, and even without raising his voice, the air seemed to press heavier against Snow’s chest. He stood at once, bowing his head low.

“You are pleased with the name she gave you.” Kael’s tone was not a question, but a statement, cutting through the silence like a blade.

Snow’s throat worked before he found words. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Kael stepped closer, his golden eyes narrowing with faint amusement. “Good. Then you will serve her without hesitation. You will protect her as you protect me.” He paused, voice dropping lower, the weight of command sharpening every syllable. “Understand this, Snow. You do not exist without me. You breathe because I permit it. You are loyal because I demand it. And if she is harmed under your watch, your death will be slow.”

Snow bowed deeper, every muscle locked tight. “Yes, Your Majesty. I understand.”

Kael’s hand brushed against the collar at Snow’s throat, the barest graze of iron under his fingers. Snow did not flinch. He had learned not to.

“Good,” Kael said at last, stepping back. His voice softened, though it was no less dangerous. “She is mine. And now, you are hers. Do not confuse the order of things.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Snow whispered.

Kael turned, the sound of his boots echoing against the marble as he left, leaving the air lighter in his absence. Snow lifted his head slowly, drawing in a quiet breath. The collar weighed the same as always. The command still bound him.