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The fire in the Emperor's hall became officially marked as an unfortunate accident.

News spread was strictly limited to those within Mevani's palace walls, and even then, details were extremely scarce.

A young archer with superhuman powers was never mentioned, and those who had seen unfathomable things that day were ordered to keep their mouths shut.

And so, the work of overtaking Mevani pressed forward unhindered by the fire.

Kel, for one, couldn't help but be surprised at the ease in which the spectacle she created was dropped, all due to a few words from the Emperor as he lay in bed.

But remembering all the other bizarre things in the Emperor's repertoire--an ancient underground society, a strictly guarded forest with strange happenings, secret tunnels littering Serin's palace--suddenly it seemed such occurrences must be commonplace for soldiers under the Dragon Emperor.

In unrelated news, the Emperor had appointed a newly recruited soldier as his attendant once again.

And a random girl from Mevani, who'd been lingering around the palace like a ghost, had disappeared. (Not that anyone noticed or seemed to care.)

Oh, and the guards stationed outside the Emperor's room had been compelled to keep one more secret:

The Dragon Emperor, conqueror of lands and ferocious leader of the Empire, appeared to be having difficulty with his attendant.

"I still don't understand," Kel murmured, stationed on a wooden chair with her arm propped against the window sill. "The king is already dead, so why does the previous royal family need to be executed as well?"

"You can't be serious," Calix groaned, frowning as he swallowed a spoonful of bitter medicine left by the old doctor. "Even if you are as dense as a rock, surely you can understand the politics of this situation."

"Dense as a rock?!" Kel huffed, crossing her arms. "Why don't you fire me and hire a smarter attendant then!"

Their stalemate had started the day the Emperor's messenger revealed that the date had been set for Adriell and her father's execution.

At first, Kel simply felt a little uneasy about the situation. She didn't voice her discomfort until later on, as talks of the execution continued floating around Calix's room.

And as the cursed day drew nearer and the Emperor refused to budge, she'd begun full on arguing.

"I am your superior, Keliyah," Calix narrowed his eyes dangerously. "It'd be better to stop all this nonsense once and for all."

"Oh yeah? Is that why you slept with me?" Kel retorted, unfazed. "Is that just the normal relationship between a superior and his subordinate?"

Calix sighed, closing his eyes.

One of the things he found endearing about Keliyah was the way she spat fire at an expression that would have sent any of his soldiers running with their tail between their legs.

But at this moment, that trait was proving to be incredibly frustrating.

"No. Look, I'm sorry," he responded. "But why is this such a big deal to you anyway? These are the people who threw you away, you know."

Kel flinched as the man spoke.

Why did she care so much? Why did her throat clench up and heart stop beating at the thought of her betrayers dying?

"It's not about who they are," she lied, gripping at her chest. "Executing more people just doesn't seem necessary, is all."

"You're not afraid of me anymore." Calix swung his legs to the ground, his gaze focused on Kel. "You don't try to run away from me anymore."

With each step, he listed off more.

"You didn't bat an eye when an old acquaintance was injured and then died in front of you."

"You pushed Dashien away for what I assume was the first time in your life."

When he reached her, he leaned forward, placing both arms on the back of the chair to lock Kel in.

"I thought you'd become less soft. But maybe I was wrong."

Soft.

Weak.

They were things Kel had never felt about herself until she was betrayed by everyone she knew and loved.

She'd always thought she was strong, brave, and fierce.

But after losing everything, she'd realized that with nothing to lean on, she was small and unstable.

She'd had to rediscover herself again--to learn who she was and what her true feelings were.

And finally, after finding closure with her past and people from it, she, like the Emperor, had thought she'd become strong once again.

"Then maybe I haven't changed at all," Kel scoffed, shoving the man's arms away. "Maybe I never became stronger, and maybe I never will."

She turned her face away from Calix, staring absently at the window.

"Because I still can't watch them die."

"Kel.." Calix reached for her cheek, but she shrugged him off.

Exhaling heavily, the Emperor straightened up.

"The bonds of another's affection only chain you down," he remarked as if it was a phrase he had been reciting his entire life. "Caring about other people and especially letting them care about you makes you weak."

Kel froze. Why could she distinctly hear Itzae's voice in Calix's words? Was it something the old man had ingrained in him as his teacher?

No. Even if it was phrased the same way as the old man's 'parables of wisdom', Kel knew he'd never say something so heartless. His love for Dash and Kel had always been clear, and he never deterred them from bonding with each other and those around them.

And it wasn't as if Calix even followed the advice he just spouted.

He had Ira and Thane. She'd seen them; she'd seen the bond between them.

Besides that, he had Itzae whom he spoke of with such fondness and Lila whom he refused to be angry with when he had reason to.

And he had-

"Then what about me?" Kel whispered. "What am I to you?"

"You.." Calix trailed off.

Every time he clashed with this girl, he who was a master strategist and she who allowed herself to be led blindly by her emotions, she still managed to get the best of him.

"You.." the Emperor repeated, his dark expression softening.

"You are my weakness."