Page 163 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

Rain pressed on gently.

“By killing Drazier while he has no heir, his throne becomes vulnerable. And I intend to take it.”

Snow’s breath hitched; a small, sharp sound she tried to swallow.

Rain felt her fear.

Felt her love.

Felt her terror of losing him.

He wanted to soften the truth, to cushion it, but to what end?

Snow deserved honesty.

“This is our first step toward rebuilding the Rainbow Kingdom,” Rain said, voice steady, purposeful. “We always assumed our journey would begin here, that I’d inherit the Blue throne first. But now I see it. Every sign, every event, has been steering me toward the Reds instead.”

He leaned back, settling into a posture of quiet certainty, shoulders relaxed, hands resting loosely on the armrests, gaze unwavering.

“I am the rightful heir to the Blue Kingdom. I don’t need to defend that. I don’t need to cling to it. My future—our future—depends on forging a new direction.”

His eyes narrowed with determination.

“Once I become the Red King, I can heal my relationship with their people from within. Right now, they fear me more than anyone. This is my chance to turn that fear into alliance. To secure our foothold in the Rainbow realm.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.

Snow stared at him; her brother, her twin, her other half and Rain felt her emotions shift.

Fear didn’t vanish.

But it made room for something steadier.

Something braver.

Because Snow knew him.

Knew his heart.

Knew his sense of justice ran deeper than blood, deeper than duty, deeper than fear.

And she knew; even if it terrified her, that Rain was right.

He paused, a thoughtful expression softening the sharp lines of his face as he shifted the conversation.

“I intend to invite the princesses to sit upon a reformed Red council,” he said. “If they’re willing to accept the responsibility. As we reshape our world under a unified Kingdom, they’ll have a key role — so long as they have adequate support around them. We can use the Red kingdom as the foundation, reshaping from within- giving human and aetherial a platform; a voice, under my reign”

Snow sat forward, elbows resting on her knees, her brows knitting as she absorbed his words. Her mind was always quick; Rain could feel the gears turning, the way she sifted through possibilities, risks, consequences.

“I can see the bigger picture unfolding,” she murmured. “It’s a bold move. With our enemy no less.”

She exhaled slowly, lowering her feet to the floor, grounding herself.

“I really don’t give you enough credit,” she admitted, a small, rueful smile tugging at her lips. “You are as incredible as I am.”

Rain snorted softly, but Snow wasn’t finished.

“But Rain… you are not alone in this.”