Chapter 30 – Thorns Beneath the Roses
The moonlight filtered through the palace windows, casting silver streaks across the marble floor. In the prince's chamber, silence reigned… until it was broken by a soft laugh.
"I thought you were asleep," Kimo murmured.
Oki, standing by the window with her long hair dancing in the breeze, turned. "I was… until someone kept calling my name in his sleep."
Kimo's eyes narrowed playfully. "Lies."
Oki stepped toward him, slowly. Her nightgown shimmered like moon-dipped silk. "Prince Kimo," she teased, placing a hand over his chest, "is it really so hard to admit… that I haunt you?"
He caught her wrist gently. "You don't haunt me, Oki… you've possessed me."
The air pulsed between them—warmth beneath the frost. Kimo bent his head down slightly, lips nearly brushing hers.
Oki whispered, "If we do this… it's no longer just protection."
Kimo's gaze burned into hers. "It hasn't been for a long time."
Their lips met in a kiss deep with restraint, yet bursting with everything left unspoken. He held her waist, tracing the curve of her back with reverence, while her fingers tangled in his hair. Their bodies pulled close, but before it deepened too far, Oki gently pulled back, her breath uneven.
"We're not ready," she murmured.
Kimo rested his forehead against hers. "Then let me earn it."
---
By morning, whispers buzzed across the kingdom.
"She vanished during the fight… did you hear?"
"Some say she was never even real."
"A maid turning into a demon? What nonsense!"
At the royal hall, where nobles gathered in glittering attire, tension crackled.
One of the elder council members stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I speak only out of concern—how do we trust a girl like that beside the prince?"
Before Kimo could speak, the king stood.
His voice was firm. "Oki saved this palace more than once. I trust her with my life—and the life of my son."
Murmurs spread through the room, uncertainty and shame mixing like poison in wine.
The queen smiled sweetly, too sweetly. "Yes, but does loyalty mean keeping secrets from the crown?"
Kimo met her eyes coldly. "Some secrets protect the crown, Your Majesty. From enemies… within."
The queen's smile faltered.
That night, in her private chamber, she paced furiously. "He's slipping away. That girl—she's poisoned his heart."
Her reflection in the mirror stared back, and her voice twisted darkly. "If the king won't turn against her… I'll turn the whole kingdom instead."
She raised her hand and whispered in a forgotten tongue. Shadows gathered. A plot bloomed in darkness.
Back in Kimo's room, Oki sat quietly beside him, watching the stars.
"They'll come for me," she said.
"Let them," he replied, holding her hand tighter. "They'll find I'm no longer alone."
Outside, the wind stirred. The storm wasn't over—it was only beginning.
To be continued…