"Your Majesty!"

Oliver called out, rushing swiftly toward me.

The skirmish against the members of the Black Sun appeared to have ended. All that remained were the strewn bodies of our attackers and the still-burning corpse of the man who seemed to have been their leader.

My flames still sizzled softly against his charred flesh, though they had begun to lose their intensity.

Around us, the gathered crowd fell into a stunned silence before hushed whispers broke out. For a peaceful town like Solmire, untouched by such violence for centuries, this sudden bloodshed had to be profoundly shocking.

As their King, I felt a bitter pang of guilt for bringing such chaos to one of my own towns.

Regardless...

I drove Hyperion’s point into the ground, leaning heavily on the hilt to steady myself.

Damn. The toll of summoning the Helios Flames was heavy, but setting that aside, my shoulder... 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

I could see fresh blood seeping through the makeshift bandage Mia had wrapped around the wound.

"Your Majesty! Are you alright?!"

Mia’s voice rang out as she rushed up from behind.

"Somehow..." I managed a nod.

"How could you do that?!" She shouted, her voice filled with anger.

Damn, she was furious.

I had never seen her so angry, nor had I ever imagined she would direct such angered expression at me. I was still her King, but I could hardly blame her for raising her voice.

The safest option would have been to stay by her side when that man charged through the smoke. Mia would have definitely protected me. But... I chose the risk. I chose to step away from her guard and strike him down myself.

Call it arrogance or foolishness, yes, it was definitely reckless but I had to do it. I felt a sense of responsibility, but deeper than that, I had wanted to kill him myself.

From this day forward, as the King of Helios, I was the greatest symbolic enemy of the Black Sun. My life would continually be threatened by their members, by foes far stronger than the ones we faced today. I had to get used to it. More importantly, I had to prove to these bastards that I was no weak King they could simply dispose of by sending ten mere assassins after me.

"Sorry about that..." I offered Mia an apologetic smile.

Now I truly felt bad.

Her face was deathly pale and stricken with horror; I really thought she might cry actually. She simply gritted her teeth.

"Please, do not move," she said, immediately dropping to her knees beside me.

I sank down to one knee as well, yielding to my exhaustion.

"Brother, there is still an archer unaccounted for. I will tend to His Majesty, please secure the surroundings," Mia told Oliver as he reached us.

Oliver gave a curt nod. Without a word, he slammed his hand down, summoning thick earthen walls to encircle us, shielding us from the prying eyes of the crowd and any lingering threats before vaulting gracefully onto the rooftops.

"He probably ran away. Do not worry," I told her.

"Please, stay silent, Your Majesty," Mia retorted.

She pulled another vial, but this time she retrieved other remedies as well. Taking something that resembled a medicinal salve, she pressed it gently against my bleeding wound.

She reached down to tear yet another strip of fabric from her tunic.

"You will end up naked if this continues," I pointed out lightly.

"Why are you treating this so playfully, Your Majesty? If something had happened to you..." She bit her lower lip, her hands working gently but swiftly against my shoulder. "Do you not understand how we would feel? We who are sworn to protect you?"

I looked at her. She seemed really troubled, still shaken by what had nearly unfolded here.

Her grandfather had been killed alongside mine, the King he had sworn his life to protect, all those years ago.

Yes. I could understand why this meant so much for her.

And I could understand, too, why Arges had chosen to send them both.

They were capable, more than capable, amazing in truth but beyond their strength, they carried a pride and a loyalty that had been forged in grief, kindled in the shadow of a grandfather who had died shielding his King and Queen. Many might call that a failure, given that my grandparents had still died. But the fact remained, he had given everything for them. That was no small thing.

Setting that aside, Arges had entrusted my life to both of them. If anything happened to me under their watch, they would bear every consequence of it.

Now I was truly beginning to feel what I did.

It was well and good that I had been strong enough to handle the situation at the end, but the risk I had taken was real. If I had died...

Well. You could rewrite the whole world with enough ifs, but the risk had been real and I could not pretend otherwise.

"I needed to kill him myself, Mia," I told her quietly, exhaling.

More than for stupid pride or anything, it was important for my own person, that I managed to kill that man who was sent to kill me.

"There was no need to take such a risk," she replied, her voice carrying a sharp edge. "We could have subdued him and you could have finished it after, Your Majesty, as you did in Helianth."

She was right. In Helianth, I had drawn out two assassins much the same way, but I had only struck the killing blow once Oliver and Mia had already restrained them, with no threat hanging over me.

This time had been different.

"I am the King of Helios, Mia," I said, meeting her gaze seriously. "If I do not take risks when it matters, if I do not show some measure of steel, then these bastards will believe they can bring my Kingdom to its knees." I narrowed my eyes. "Not just the Black Sun, everyone must understand that Helios is not a crown to be trifled with."

More than ever before, we had to show today that we were strong and united.

The hard edge in Mia’s expression softened at that, almost despite herself.

"Your Majesty..." She said after a moment. "I admire that resolve, truly. But that is all the more reason why we must protect you,; and all the more reason why Your Majesty ought not to throw himself into unnecessary danger when it can be avoided."

I glanced at her.

Her face was quite close to mine as she worked on my shoulder. She really was beautiful, long dark lashes framing those luminous, light caramel eyes that were ever so slightly glassy, not from tears exactly, but from the kind of sustained fear and tension that leaves its mark regardless of how composed one tries to remain.

I reached out and gently took hold of her chin.

"Y—Your Majesty?" Mia looked up, or rather, I had tilted her face toward me.

She looked surprised, caught off guard.

I was not a man who fell easily for women. But I had always been drawn to a particular kind, loyal, steadfast, honest, those who remained true to themselves no matter the circumstances.

Arges had truly given me two diamonds to guard my life. They were both exactly the kind of people who belonged at his side, and now, at mine.

"Do not be afraid," I said with a quiet smile. "Nothing will befall your King." I held her gaze. "Until I restore Helios to its days of glory, I will expect you by my side, Mia Lawburn."

She parted her lips as though to speak, then the words seemed to falter. A flush crept slowly across her cheeks.

"Y—Yes," she stuttered, dipping her head quickly.

I smiled and let her return to her work.

Well, now at least I felt relieved that the biggest threat had been dealt with.

With the number of the Black Sun’s members deployed along that stronger member, I was sure this was their main plan to kill me off.

Before they even plan anything else, we would be already on our way back to the Capital.