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Armored footsteps thundered through the castle, the formidable walls of Castrum Kremnos one of the last things halting the war’s relentless advance.
Mydei quickened his pace, eager to finally see what he’d been deprived of for a week. Each time he left for these expeditions, he ensured the castle walls were fortified, ensured his beloved angel didn’t leave their chambers—much less be disturbed from his much-needed rest.
He wished he could just teleport inside the room, but he’d already used the power of strife to teleport outside the gates. He couldn’t risk destroying the castle—or invoking the ire of his pregnant omega.
Approaching their chambers, he spotted two of his strongest captains standing in front of the door. They gave him a short salute but remained silent. That could only mean one thing. “Is he asleep?”
One of the captains, Teuriceptus, nodded. Phainon’s mood swings had been unpredictable lately, and everyone had suffered from it. Thankfully, the people of Castrum Kremnos adored their queen. Rather than growing irritated, they cooed at his every demand—including keeping silent outside his door.
Mydei sighed lovingly, mouth watering at the thought of holding his omega again. He nodded at the guards—a silent order to leave—which they obeyed without a sound.
The scent of refreshing sunshine on a windy day greeted him as he stepped inside. There was his dear omega, fast asleep. Phainon’s red robe was gathered around his nest in the shadowed corner of the room, away from the light. For a long moment, Mydei simply stood there, committing the sight to memory.
A week of battles, of checking in through their bond, of missing his scent… none of it compared to the real thing. Phainon wrapped in his colors, a hand on his belly, the other clutching the robe close to his nose. His luminous white hair, like fallen snow, spread beneath him like a halo. His angel.
Phainon.
Phainon, whom he thought he’d lost after the brutal battle for the Coreflames. Phainon, now acquired the title Worldbearing, obtained the blessing of Kephale, and had been ready to sacrifice himself for this godforsaken world.
Phainon, whom Mydeimos, God of Strife, had locked in this very room, made queen, made mother, bound to him by duty and love.
His omega—one of the last left—whom Mydei had done everything for, to give him a reason to live. To stay.
Mydei stepped closer, heart stuttering at the soft inhales from those petal-pink lips. A week of nightmares, of blood and horror—his expeditions were getting longer, the war more ruthless. He knelt just outside the nest, the last piece of privacy he could still offer Phainon.
“Phainon, I’m home.”
No response. Mydei’s gaze sharpened. Another habit they need to work on. What if something happened while he was away?
Shaking his head, he leaned closer, brushing his lips against Phainon’s ear, inhaling his intoxicating scent. “I’m back, darling.”
A soft noise. And finally—those eyes. Mydei’s heart stopped, then fluttered, feeling as if he just fell in love all over again, overcome by the dazed way Phainon looked at him. Still feeling the pulls of sleep, but trusting and pliant. Baring his neck in response to his alpha’s scent, even in half-consciousness.
Then came a small kick from his stomach. Their babies. Phainon groaned softly, roused fully as he looked up, delicate lashes fluttering. “Mydei… Alpha, you’re back…”
Mydei smiled, caressing his cheek, utterly besotted. He leaned in, capturing those lips with his own. A soft moan slipped from Phainon as Mydei’s hand rested on the round swell of his stomach. Seven months—and their pups already had their mother’s fire, kicking at the alpha’s touch.
He broke the kiss gently. “How are you? How are they?”
Though the room was on lockdown, the castle under the highest security, he needed to hear it from Phainon himself. The omega blinked, taking a moment—just like what they worked on—to seriously think about his well-being rather than default to ‘fine.’
Finally, Phainon tilted his head, sleepy blue eyes thoughtful. “I’m hungry,” he said, stretching, arching his back. Mydei’s gaze zeroed in on as he caught sight of his bountiful chest, nipples perked beneath sheer fabric. “We’re hungry.”
It was early morning, Mydei noted. He had left the battlefield as soon as the wave of enemies was annihilated, trusting Krateros to handle the aftermath. His teacher understood how desperate he was to return to their queen, after all.
He glanced at the clock in the room. Ten minutes until Phainon’s scheduled meal. More time for him, first.
Phainon turned toward him slowly, lips stretching into a fond smile, wrapping his arms around Mydei’s neck. “Take me to bed, husband.”
Mydei didn’t need to be asked twice. Scooping him up with ease, he carried him to bed, laying him gently among the pillows. He sat across from him, placing Phainon’s feet in his lap and massaging them—part of their daily routine.
Phainon sighed in bliss, a sound so sweet and sated, like he’s in his personal heaven. He was the luckiest alpha in Amphoreus. He’d give anything to remain here, selfishly by Phainon’s side. And he had. He’s done every unimaginable thing, not always with the right mind.
His omega must know. Surely he did. Mydei had clipped his wings, bound him through love and duty. Titans knew he deserved to be pierced by his own spear for it. He kissed Phainon’s ankle softly—a silent apology for what he had done, and what he would continue to do.
For he felt no guilt anymore.
“…Mydei?”
He looked up at his name, always a second away from Phainon’s call. Half-lidded blue eyes peered at him, lost and glowing. Like a little Chimera.
Creatures like the Chimera were a thing of the past now, just as Okhema was no more. There was no Deliverer left to protect it, after all. He hadn’t told Phainon yet, but he wouldn't be surprised if his omega already knew. Somehow, he always did.
He did miss Phainon’s harder muscles and warrior’s strength, though Phainon was still thick and sturdy, still able to match him in battle, his flesh was softer from pregnancy and recent restricted movements. He spied Phainon frowning at the fat around his hips once, but Mydei proved just how much he loves these new transformations of his darling; he would never let Phainon feel insecure about it.
“Turn around, darling. Let me massage your back.”
Delighted, Phainon carefully shifted, sighing in relief once he got comfortable. Mydei spread his legs, letting Phainon settle between them. He worked the muscles gently at first, then firmer, intent on easing every ache.
Phainon purred in pleasure, leaning into him, letting out the softest of moans. Mydei’s inner alpha stirred—primal, hungry, answering what it thinks is its omega’s call.
He released his pheromones into the room, smoky amber filling in the spaces left from his week of absence. As he works the muscles, he lets the silence drift by, his thoughts circling to only one thing that’s been on his mind lately: once the twins were born, he’d care for Phainon’s body first.
And then, he’ll breed him again.
Phainon’s term is getting nearer, and Mydei is getting antsy at the possibility of Phainon being more reckless with his body now that he’s not housing any lives in him. He needs to have something depending on his omega at all times. To make sure that Phainon knows that his absence would hurt, would destroy him.
His canines sharpened as he nipped Phainon’s sun-branded skin, just beside the deep bond mark he’d left years ago. Phainon yelped, but tilted his head, baring his neck further like the perfect omega he was.
That collar—oh, how he adored it. So did many of his people, apparently. Spying numerous art pieces with a suspicious focus on his neck. Though their fascination had waned after Mydei addressed it personally.
Giving in, Mydei sank his teeth into the mark, drawing golden blood. He should have been gentler—but with Phainon, he always lost control.
“Mmh… Nngh— Mydei…”
Those soft cries of his name would be the death of him. Mydei licked the blood, suckled more bruises into the pale skin, listening to the sounds of Phainon’s pleasure. His omega knew better now than to hide pain, discomfort, or practically anything that he’s feeling from his alpha. Mydei is so proud.
Regretfully, he pulled away and checked the time.
“Time for breakfast, darling.”
Phainon nodded, still panting softly, eyes fluttering. So easily tired these days. So easy to overwhelm. So easy to knot.
He will, he'll keep him full today like he always does with the first days of his homecoming from the expeditions. For a lot of reasons really, to make sure Phainon knows he missed him so much, being one. And two…
To make sure Phainon doesn't forget who made him a mother.
His omega's memories get a little bit foggy these days, it's part of what keeps him lethargic, memories—that are not entirely his own, he said—of lives lived by others, as the Worldbearing Coreflame gives life, it also houses life. Thus, one of the prices Phainon has paid. Mydei is just making sure that no matter what, Phainon will know him.
As if on queue, a knock echoes. The servants know by now that their King is home and inside the room, otherwise they would have entered already to serve their Queen. He answers with his back facing the door, "Come in."
The smell of porridge with wheat bread fills the room, Mydei smiling softly from the reminder of Phainon's cravings. Thankfully, it wasn't anything bizarre or practically impossible, his omega says the smell of the wheat bread gives flashbacks of his hometown, Aedes Elysiae, and forever listening to his desires, Mydei made it a point to make it Phainon's breakfast every day.
Plus, it's easier to digest, minimal movement needed. Efficient.
"Set it down, I'll be feeding my queen." He calls out to the servants, hearing a short affirmative. Phainon pouts at him, lower lip jittering, and Mydei is quite familiar with what that means.
Before Phainon could even say anything, he shook his head, and moved away to pull the wheeled table closer, careful to not make the food spill. He knows Phainon just wants to feed himself, but as long as he's here, Phainon won't have to lift a finger.
He makes sure to have Phainon secure against him, kissing the top of his head, "Let me do this for you, I missed you, you know."
At those words, Phainon seems to melt, purring a little at the affection of his alpha. Mydei smiles, endeared at the adorable sight.
They spend their quiet morning resting against each other, glad to finally be within one another's presence.
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
“Ngh…”
Mydei tightened his grip—one hand around his queen’s thighs, the other braced at the nape of his neck, shielding his most vital spots—as he listened to the debriefing.
“…And for now, the wave seems to be weakening,” Krateros reported, resolutely not looking up from the paper in his hands. Mydei’s people—unfortunately, depending on who you asked—were already used to them being… intimately attached.
And during the first days of Mydei’s homecoming, they were literally inseparable.
Mydei wouldn’t have it any other way. Phainon, warming his cock while he listened to mission reports, was a dream he never thought would come true—not in the days when the war was at its most gruesome.
These days, no other thoughts filled his mind but to breed his omega. Knot his omega. Keep his omega safe, away from other people’s eyes. But for now, letting Phainon sit on him like this is soothing that burning ache.
Besides, this was for Phainon’s sake. The pregnancy had made him clingier than ever, constantly craving touch.
Ignoring his teacher for a moment, Mydei rumbled out a soothing sound, tucking Phainon’s head closer to his scent gland. He savored the relaxed sigh that followed, along with the way Phainon clenched down minutely around him.
Satisfied, he asked, “What of the project?”
At that, Krateros folded the paper and clasped his hands behind his back, still avoiding eye contact. “Unfortunately, no further news.”
Mydei frowned. They’d been scouring the region for surviving omegas, or anyone really—those who may have been lost in the chaos of war. Their numbers were few, and any survivor would be invaluable. Especially someone strong enough to endure the carnage. Someone who deserved sanctuary in Castrum Kremnos.
He sighed, a disappointed sound. Which proved to be a mistake as Phainon whimpered at the sound—sensitive as ever to his alpha’s moods—and Mydei immediately soothed him, brushing his cheek.
“It’s not you, angel.”
He looked up and gave Krateros a curt nod—dismissal. They’d speak again another day.
Krateros nodded in return and swiftly marched out, shutting the door tightly behind him.
In the silence that followed, Mydei looked down at the tuft of white hair resting against his shoulder. He couldn’t see Phainon’s expression, but the trembles wracking his frame said enough. That, and the way he could already feel the wet heat clenching around him.
He gave an experimental thrust upward.
Phainon threw his head back, drool already spilling from the corner of his mouth. So sensitive. So perfect.
“ Mh! Mydei…!”
He leaned down to kiss those tear-laced lashes. “I’m here.”
“Ah…” Phainon’s eyes fluttered open, pleasure-hazy and glowing sky-blue. “Alpha… knot me…”
Mydei’s gaze darkened, dropping to the swell of his belly. His hand slid down to cup the softness of his ass, reaching the other entrance—the one they hadn’t used often.
When he began circling it with his fingers, Phainon whined, shaking his head. “ No—! Not there…!”
“I know what you want, princess,” Mydei soothed, “Let me.”
The day Phainon got pregnant had been the same day Mydei’s rut reached its most feral peak. Phainon had been unable to even pee without Mydei feeling the way his cock needs to be buried inside all the time.
If they’d used this second hole back then, maybe Phainon wouldn’t be confined like this. Maybe he’d still be roaming the outskirts of Kremnos, searching for remnants of his hometown. Doing what he loved.
But...
Mydei tilted his head back, staring down at the golden sun-brand on Phainon’s neck, amber gaze burning.
If Phainon wasn’t pregnant, he’d already be gone.
And then he wouldn’t have this : Phainon throwing his head back and moaning his name, chanting how good he feels, how full he is, how he wants to be pregnant again and again with his pups.
That’s what broke Mydei.
He growled, pushing two thick fingers into his slick hole, at the same time thrusting hard up into Phainon’s cunt. His reward was a desperate, keening cry, his queen’s juices spilling and dripping down to soak the sheets.
Mydei’s gaze locked onto Phainon’s face, not missing a single twitch—how those sweet lips shaped the syllables of his name.
He groaned deep in his chest, the sound rumbling. Phainon loved when he purred like this.
“Like an overgrown lion,” Phainon would coo, petting his hair like he actually was some tamed, wild animal. “I love it.”
Mydei made sure to do it every night before they slept. Phainon’s head tucked into his shoulder, one hand on his belly. Sometimes, Phainon would respond with his own precious little purr.
And in that moment, Mydei could pretend they lived in a world where they were free. Where peace was real.
If this was the life they’d been forced into, then Mydei would make it the most comfortable one possible. It might not be normal. But it would be good.
He kissed Phainon’s chin, then thrust into his cunt again. The wet warmth gripped him tightly, welcoming him home.
Mydei groaned, adjusting his grip on those milk-white thighs to keep from falling back. Phainon often complained about how heavy the pups were. Kremnoan babies were large—and carrying twins on a first pregnancy made it even harder.
He continued working his fingers into Phainon’s ass, feeling the way his omega’s grip on his shoulders tightened, another moan echoing through the room. Loud enough to be heard outside.
Mydei didn’t care. He stopped being subtle the moment they married—maybe even before that. He didn’t mind letting the world know that Phainon was his. The people revered him as King—thus revered Phainon equally as Queen. The only one who could stand beside him.
The only one who could take his knot.
“Mmh…” Mydei groaned, enchanted by the sight and feeling. He missed this. On his expeditions, the sounds of Phainon pleasuring himself in their shared bond were torture. Begging for his alpha. Crying about how lonely he and their babies were. How his cunt ached to be filled again.
He’d make it up to him now.
He thrust hard and deep, hands gripping those meaty thighs. Phainon arched back with a gasp—so far that he might have heard a crack—but Mydei didn’t stop. He knew his omega liked being treated like an equal. And in this, he would not fail him.
He growled, holding Phainon steady as he slammed into him, hips relentless, squeals pouring from parted pink lips.
“ Mh! Ah! M-My dei—Alpha! Please!”
“I know, darling,” he murmured, eyes drinking in every inch of Phainon’s wrecked face. “I’ll give you what you need. You’ve wanted this so long, haven’t you? The toy wasn’t enough. Your fingers weren’t enough. Nothing fills you like I do.”
Phainon nodded frantically, snow-white hair whipping with the motion. “Aah—! O-Only you, alpha! Only your cock—Ngh—! Feels this good!”
Mydei’s cock pounded mercilessly into that soft, sensitive spot. Another deep thrust—and Phainon screamed his name, cumming hard, his walls clenching desperately. Mydei groaned at the feeling, hips snapping harder, faster, even as Phainon sobbed from overstimulation.
Tears spilled freely now. Mydei licked them up, savoring the taste—salty and sweet, unmistakably Phainon.
His omega whined in protest, but Mydei didn’t stop. He chased his climax, still using the body that was his. With a guttural growl, Mydei slammed into him a few more times, his knot beginning to swell.
Phainon screamed, voice hoarse, tongue hanging out as drool dripped from his lips. “Aungh! Fuck! Ugh— so good… !”
“Yeah, darling?” Mydei thrust harder, sweat glistening on his back. “Your tight little cunt always begs for more, doesn’t it?”
“Mmh! Ye–Yeah! Please, Alpha—knot me—!”
He chuckled, not slowing in the slightest. With one hand, he yanked his fingers free from Phainon’s ass— schlk —and wrapped it tightly around his pale throat.
Phainon let out a strangled moan, eyes rolling back. Another orgasm ripped through him—his pussy squirting.
Mydei licked his lips, leaned in, and plunged his tongue into Phainon’s mouth. Another brutal thrust—his knot locking, binding them as one.
He swallowed Phainon’s scream, nothing more than breathless air, before finally pulling away with a wet smack. He kneaded Phainon’s sensitive ass, earning another sob.
“Slutty omega,” he growled. “Even pregnant with twins, you still want to get bred?”
“Ahh…” Phainon panted, dazed and wrecked.
Mydei clicked his tongue fondly and adjusted them, shifting to lie on their sides, keeping himself knotted inside. His large hand slid protectively over Phainon’s stomach—possessive, anchoring.
He nuzzled into his mate’s ear, licking softly. “Rest, darling. I’m not done with you yet.”
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
The soft amber glow of the lamplight cast long shadows on the stone walls of their chamber, flickering like flames licking at the edges of their bed. Outside, the wind rustled against the thick curtains, but inside, the air was heavy—thick with heat, sweat, and the lingering scent of sex.
Phainon stirred restlessly.
He should have been asleep. Mydei had made sure of it—holding him until his trembling subsided, letting his fingers card through his damp hair as his omega panted softly against his throat. But now…
Now, Phainon was rutting against him again. Soft, needy rolls of his hips as he pressed himself back onto the still-knotted cock inside him. Mydei’s eyes fluttered open, glowing faintly in the low light, predatory and sharp. His voice came, low and rough, rumbling from deep in his chest.
“You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
Phainon whimpered. “I–I can’t sleep. I need you—” His voice cracked, lips parted as he ground down again, ignoring the overstimulation. “I need you, Alpha…”
A slow smile curled over Mydei’s lips. His large hand slid over Phainon’s belly, round and full. He palmed it, possessive and reverent, before dragging that same hand down, between Phainon’s thighs—where slick still leaked, hot and shamefully wet.
“You’re full of me already,” Mydei murmured, licking the shell of his ear. “So why are you still begging?”
“Because— ngh —I need it again,” Phainon gasped, his face flushed, body trembling, back arching against the heat that radiated from his alpha. “Please—please, I want you to use me more…”
The desperation laced in those words made something snap inside Mydei. He shifted behind his mate, keeping their bodies locked together as he slowly rolled them both so that Phainon was pinned—on his front now, belly cushioned by the nest of silks and soft pillows beneath. The knot had softened slightly during rest, but Phainon’s movements had kept it from slipping out completely.
Now, Mydei pulled out just enough to make Phainon sob at the emptiness.
“So insatiable,” Mydei growled, trailing his mouth down the curve of Phainon's spine. “You’re going to ruin yourself if you keep begging me like this.”
“Then ruin me,” Phainon gasped, voice cracking, eyes wet and dazed with need. “Make me yours again. Please…”
That was all the invitation Mydei needed.
He gripped his cock in his rough hand, already thickening with renewed hardness, dragging it along that puffy, soaked slit. The heat radiating off Phainon’s cunt was maddening—so hot, so wet, like it had been waiting for him all day. And Phainon has; their shared bond throbbing with need when Mydei informed him yesterday that he might come back today.
Mydei slid back in with a punishing thrust, the slap of skin loud in the quiet room. Phainon screamed into the sheets, hands scrabbling for purchase.
“ There, ” Mydei snarled, unable to help himself, bending over him, biting into the skin between shoulder and neck. “You’ll take all of it, my queen.”
Phainon sobbed into the pillows. Loud, broken sobs that came not from pain but from sheer intensity—his body thrumming with sensitivity, with need, with the overwhelming ache of being filled again and again.
Mydei grabbed his wrists and pinned them above his head with one hand, the other splaying over his lower back. He drove into him with relentless force, hips slapping against the soft curve of Phainon’s ass, the wet sounds obscene.
“Don’t you dare hold back,” Mydei growled, commanding. “I want to hear how much you need me.”
“I—fuck, n-need you, Alpha—!” Phainon wailed, his voice cracking in a high sob. “It hurts, it feels so good—f-fuck, you’re so deep, I can’t—!”
“But you can,” Mydei purred darkly into his ear. “You will take every drop I give you, until your womb’s bursting.”
He thrust again, sharp and brutal. “And even then, I won’t stop.”
Phainon’s toes curled, legs trembling violently as his orgasm tore through him, body convulsing around the thick cock impaling him. His scream was guttural, raw—and Mydei didn’t let up.
Instead, he wrapped an arm around his swollen belly, anchoring him in place, and fucked harder.
“Good little omega,” he breathed, voice velvet over gravel. “Made to take me. Made to carry my pups. Perfect for me.”
Phainon’s body was drenched in sweat, hair plastered to his neck, lips swollen from where he’d been biting them. “M-Mydei—knot—please—!”
That possessive gleam in Mydei’s eyes ignited into something feral. He growled, fangs bared as his knot swelled once more, locking him deep inside that trembling, weeping cunt. His orgasm surged up from his spine, violent and white-hot, and he slammed into Phainon one last time, filling him again with his thick, potent seed.
They both trembled—Phainon from overstimulation and sheer, pulsing fullness; Mydei from the force of his own climax, shuddering as he milked his omega again.
Their bodies stilled, knotted together once more.
Mydei leaned down, pressing a kiss to Phainon’s shoulder, licking up the salt of tears and sweat. “You’re amazing, my love,” he whispered, devoted words that are more vow than reassurance. “You take me so well...”
Phainon whimpered softly, still twitching from the aftershocks of his climax. The steady thrum of Mydei’s heartbeat at his back calmed him, even as his cunt continued to pulse around the knot locking them together. Their bodies were slick with sweat and arousal, yet neither moved to clean up. Mydei’s arm stayed wrapped protectively around his middle, the heavy weight of his palm grounding Phainon through the haze.
“Alpha…” he breathed, voice hoarse and thick with exhaustion, “You’ll break me.”
Mydei chuckled low in his throat, rumbling with pride. “You say that every time, princess. Yet here you are, still greedy for more.”
A soft, breathy laugh escaped Phainon before he winced, shifting his hips instinctively—only to be met with a growl and a firm grip on his thigh.
“Don’t move,” Mydei warned, nosing into the crook of Phainon’s neck and inhaling deeply, “You’ll spill.”
Phainon moaned helplessly, nodding against the pillow. “Don’t wanna spill,” he whispered, his hand finding Mydei’s and twining their fingers together, resting it atop his bump. “Want to keep it all in…”
“Good boy,” Mydei purred, placing a reverent kiss to the corner of his mate’s jaw. “My perfect queen. Look at you… stretched open and full. You were made for this.”
The omega let out a shuddering breath, eyes fluttering shut. “Feels so full… but good. Safe.”
They laid like that for a long while—wrapped in each other, bathed in the warmth of afterglow and shared scent, their bond thrumming contentedly between them. Mydei could almost believe the world outside their walls didn’t exist. Almost.
But it did. And it demanded attention.
“I’ll have to leave again soon,” Mydei murmured eventually, guilt weaving through the words like thread through fabric. His lips remained pressed to the shell of Phainon’s ear. “A small unit at the northern edge. There’ve been rumors of movement. Scavengers or survivors—we don’t know.”
Phainon tensed slightly, and Mydei felt it.
“…I want to come with you,” Phainon whispered.
Mydei’s entire body went rigid.
“No.”
“Please.” Phainon turned to face him, weak but stubborn, eyes glassy with tears not yet fallen. “I can still fight. You know I can. I’m not helpless just because I’m carrying. I hate being left behind, Mydei.”
“You’re not being left behind,” Mydei said sharply. Then, softer, more strained: “You’re being protected. You and our children.”
Phainon’s throat bobbed, the words catching behind his teeth. “But I hate it,” he finally said, voice cracking. “I hate feeling like some relic in a glass case. I was a warrior before I was yours. I annihilate Titankin. I crossed cities looking for survivors. I helped people.”
Mydei cupped his face, fingers trembling slightly as he rested their brows together.
“And now you help me, ” he said. “Every single day. By being alive. By carrying our legacy. I know you hate this, Phai—but I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
There was silence between them.
Then Phainon whispered, “You’d burn the world.”
“Yes,” Mydei said without hesitation. “I would. For you? I already did.”
A long pause. Then:
“Then… I want to help rebuild it.”
Mydei’s breath caught in his throat.
They stared at each other in the dim light—two souls forged in war and tied by something deeper than blood or fate. Mydei looked at his queen, his mate, and saw not weakness in his fragility but unmatched strength. A survivor. A beacon of light. Someone who bears the world on his shoulders.
Eventually, he nodded.
“When the twins are born,” he said quietly. “When they’re strong and safe, we’ll go together. Wherever you want.”
Phainon’s smile was soft, tired, and full of the kind of hope that made kings kneel. “Promise?”
Mydei sealed it with a kiss.
“Promise.”