Rin's intricate plan, a tapestry woven with threads of deception and manipulation, was steadily unfurling. Each calculated move, each whispered word, found its designated place in the grand scheme. His next crucial step was to forge a connection with Selvara, the quiet, fearful girl who seemed so easily swayed. Yet, mere obedience wouldn't suffice; he craved her trust, or at the very least, the convincing illusion of it.
Simultaneously, he began subtly orchestrating a different, equally vital game. During his meetings with Varros, Rin artfully sprinkled mentions of Orien and Aiven, consistently referring to them as his "trusted wings." Whenever Varros steered the conversation toward leadership or power, Rin would casually interject with accolades for Orien's unwavering loyalty, Aiven's burgeoning cleverness, and the promising potential he saw in the rest of their small guild. He acknowledged their current weaknesses but emphasized that their true value lay in their unwavering loyalty and untapped potential.
Varros, ever the pragmatist, listened with a polite, almost detached curiosity. "You trust them deeply, your Highness?" he inquired one afternoon, a delicate wine glass poised at his lips.
"Of course," Rin replied, a disarming smile gracing his features. "For this mission to General Dren, I want Orien to lead. He's the only one I trust enough for this."
Varros leaned forward slightly, a glint of intrigue in his eyes. "I didn't know your Highness had already unlocked that ability. The Dragon Wing blood, was it?"
Rin blinked once, a perfectly timed flicker of feigned surprise. "How did you know?"
Varros's thin smile broadened. "Let's just say, I pay attention. Perhaps now, it's time we show the world just how united our families are. The wedding,it must happen soon. It'll inspire the nobles to rally behind us."
Rin's lips curled into the perfect, knowing smile. "Yes… I'm excited too. Let's not waste time."
Yet, the instant Varros departed, the warmth that had so readily bloomed on Rin's face evaporated, replaced by a chilling impassivity. "Now I understand why Kaelion took his children," Rin thought, his mind a steel trap of cold logic. "He betrayed his own father for the throne. And now this man,this insect thinks tying his daughter to me will restore the Varros bloodline. Whether he's good, bad, or somewhere in between, it doesn't matter. He needs to die." But not yet. Varros still served a purpose, for now.
Later that evening, the moon casting long, spectral shadows, Rin strolled through the manicured garden toward Selvara's quarters. She was always the same: quiet, her voice a barely audible whisper, her gaze perpetually averted. Even now, she sat by the window, her head bowed in quiet contemplation.
He stopped before her, his voice a soft murmur, "Why do you always avoid looking at me? Are you afraid?"
Selvara's voice, when it came, was as gentle and ephemeral as a summer breeze. "No… My mother used to tell me never to look directly at the one I'm meant to marry. It's improper."
Rin stared at her for a moment, a flicker of something akin to understanding passing through his cold eyes. The Varros family had systematically crushed her spirit, molding her into a creature of silence, a decorative piece, utterly obedient. No surprise there, he mused.
"With me," Rin said, his voice laced with an almost imperceptible hint of a challenge, "you can do what you want."
Slowly, as if breaking a long-held taboo, she raised her eyes to meet his. And for the very first time, Rin saw something raw and unvarnished in their depths,not fear, but a profound, aching desperation.
"Your Highness…" she began, her voice a mere tremor. "Can I be honest with you?"
"Please do."
"My family… they always treated me like trash. I never knew how wrong it was until I left that place. I've always dreamed of something different. A family built on love, not power. Somewhere peaceful, with good people. I want that more than anything."
She paused, her voice trembling now, the vulnerability in her words stark and exposed. "But I can't escape my father. And I know I have no say in anything. That's why I ask this of you…" She looked him dead in the eyes, her gaze unwavering, a silent plea for release. "If you don't like me… if you're going to treat me like he does… then please just kill me now. End it. Let me rest from this pain."
Rin's smile remained unchanged, a fixed, unsettling mask. But inside, his mind whirred, studying her with a detached curiosity, utterly unmoved by her raw plea. "Even the pathetic have their dreams," he thought, a cold, clinical assessment. "She's soft, but perhaps salvageable. And once Varros is gone, she will be better off. She just doesn't know it yet."
He stepped closer, his hand reaching out to gently rest on her head, a gesture that seemed almost tender. "As long as you listen to me," he whispered, his voice a silken thread, "I will be the light that changes your life."
Selvara closed her eyes, a shiver passing through her delicate frame. Whether it was fear, overwhelming relief, or a complete surrender to her fate, Rin neither knew nor cared. Because for her… the struggle had only just begun.