Page 75 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

Snow inhaled sharply at the threat, but she didn’t argue. She knew he meant it. And she knew she would stand beside him; consequences be damned.

“Just… be careful,” she murmured. Her expression softened, the fierce Princess giving way to the sister beneath. “It’s harder for us to protect individuals when our duty is to protect the realm. There will be times when you have to make decisions that break hearts—especially your own.”

Rain looked away, jaw flexing. The truth of it settled heavily between them, thick as smoke.

Snow reached out, brushing her fingertips against his arm; meant as a gesture of comfort, though it barely dented the storm inside him. “I want you to be happy, Rain. Truly. But we both know happiness isn’t something you get to keep easily.”

He swallowed, the ache in his chest tightening until it felt like a physical wound.

“I’ll research for us,” she continued, straightening with renewed purpose. The shift in her posture was subtle but familiar, a sign of Snow slipping into strategist mode.

“I have time between my meetings with the Ladies of Ribbon, and council is quiet until the end of the week. You focus on strategy. I have a feeling things are going to change quickly, and I want us both as prepared as possible.”

Rain nodded slowly, the weight of destiny, duty, and love pressing down on him all at once. Snow’s presence steadied him; she always had but the storm inside him didn’t ease.

Not when Jay’s face kept flickering through his mind.

Not when the memory of his bruises still burned behind his ribs.

Not with the future tightening around him like a noose.

Chapter 28

The clink of silverware was the loudest sound at the table. A lavish spread had been laid across the polished surface– steaming platters of roasted meats, glazed root vegetables soaked in honey, and overflowing bowls filled with in season fruits. The chandelier overhead cast a warm glow over the room, but no one could mistake it for comfort.

At the head of the table, Azrien hungrily tore into a plump, bloodied steak. Tension permeated the room, yet he remained untouched by it, wearing a grin carved too sharply to be genuine. He leaned back with one hand lazily curled around the stem of a crystal goblet, eyes glittering with amusement as if privy to a joke only he understood. His rare mood; jovial, almost indulgent, hung over the room like a trap waiting to spring. Rain restlessly fixated on that energy, determined to decipher the reason behind it.

“Isn’t this nice?” Azrien said, voice smooth and edged with satisfaction. “A family meal. Together. Free from discord.”

Olivis nearly dropped her knife. She smiled a little too quickly, too tightly, then tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear as if it could hide the tension coiled in her shoulders. Rain didn’t need to scan her to feel her anxiety; the constant side-glances she cast between him and her husband were more than telling. A pit of dread had settled in Rain’s stomach, the unknown gnawing at him as the energy of each person only deepened his unease.

“It is lovely, dear,” Olivis murmured. Beside her, Navy banged her spoon against her bowl in delighted rebellion, blissfully unaware she sat in the eye of a storm.

“Bubbles, bubbles, bubblessss!” she giggled, bouncing as she used her power to conjure shimmering bubbles in her fruit drink. Olivis would usually scold her for using magic at the table, but not today. Today she was far too distracted to notice.

“Oh, to be three,” Azrien chuckled—an uncharacteristic sound. “I trust everyone is enjoying themselves?” he asked, lifting his goblet.

No one answered immediately.

Rain sat back, eyeing his father with caution. Snow sat stiffly beside him, her fork hovering mid-air. She had barely eaten, her attention fixed entirely on Azrien, searching his face for clues. For threat.

Rain finally met his father’s gaze, unblinking. “Why are you in such a good mood?”

Azrien’s smile widened, shark-like. “It is simply such a pleasure to sit and eat together in peace. Must there be more to it than that?”

Rain tilted his head, scanning his father’s energy again. Now that Azrien was talking, his guard had slipped. There it was; that familiar undercurrent of cruelty and calculation.

“Yes,” Rain answered boldly. “With you, there always is.”

A pause. The air thickened.

Azrien’s eyes narrowed as he took a slow gulp of wine. Snow’s hand came to rest on Rain’s sleeved forearm, a delicate plea for restraint. Azrien only laughed. He set his goblet down with a soft clink and turned his gaze toward his wife.

“Olive, would you do the honours?”

Olivis’s eyes widened, her expression flashing like a deer caught in headlights.I’m not going to be happy about it. I don’t want to be here. Don’t make me say it.Rain’s mind swirled with her frantic energy as he focusedon her. He pitied her for a moment before shifting his empathic attention back to his father. A flicker of hesitation crossed her features. She cleared her throat, smoothing invisible creases from the napkin on her lap. She didn’t look at Rain when she spoke.

“Rain, darling,” she began carefully, “considering the recent changes to your betrothal…”