Absolute Sovereignty
Chapter 40: Deals in The Dark

Chapter 40: Deals in The Dark

Kaelen trudged back to his chambers in Vernal Keep, each step heavier than the last, as though the stone corridors themselves conspired to drag him down.

The council meeting had been a relentless gauntlet of arguments, veiled threats, and impossible decisions, all piling onto the already crushing weight of leadership.

The fate of Caldris—his kingdom, his legacy—rested squarely on his shoulders, and tonight, that burden felt like a millstone grinding him into dust.

He pushed open the door to his chambers, the familiar creak of hinges a hollow greeting. Inside, the dim light of flickering candles cast long, wavering shadows across the room, their glow barely touching the corners where darkness pooled.

The hearth held only dying embers, a faint red pulse that offered little warmth, yet the atmosphere was thick with intimacy and secrecy—a sanctuary and a trap all at once.

There, in the midst of this shadowed stillness, sat Elara.

She lounged in a chair, legs crossed with deliberate ease, her silk dress draped loosely over her form.

One smooth thigh peeked out from the fabric, a subtle invitation that contrasted with the sharp intelligence glinting in her eyes.

The dress clung where it pleased, hinting at the curves beneath, radiating a casual sensuality that belied her true nature—a key player in the elusive White Lotus, the shadowy organization that thrived on secrets and power.

The air was heavy with her perfume, a heady blend of exotic spices and something subtly dangerous, curling around him like a memory he couldn’t shake.

It reminded him of their past encounters—nights of whispered confidences and stolen touches, where desire and deception danced in equal measure.

"You called for me, Your Highness?" Her voice was smooth as honey, laced with a teasing amusement that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

Her eyes followed him, glinting in the candlelight like a predator sizing prey.

Kaelen nodded, crossing the room to a small table where a decanter of wine gleamed in the low light.

He poured himself a goblet, his movements deliberate, the clinking of glass against glass cutting through the silence like a blade.

It was a false calm, a fleeting pause before the storm he knew was coming.

"I want to know the Lotus’s decision regarding our proposed partnership," he said, his tone steady despite the exhaustion gnawing at him.

Elara’s smile widened, but there was a calculating edge to it now, a hint of the game she played so well.

She uncrossed her legs and rose, the silk of her dress swaying with her fluid motion as she approached him.

"The Lotus recognizes your potential, Kaelen," she said, her voice softening around his name.

"They see the shift in view you’ve brought to Caldris. But they refuse to formally align anyone, especially not with you—not yet, not with Xarnis breathing down your neck. They propose reopening negotiations after the war."

Kaelen sighed, the sound rough with frustration as he took a sip of the wine.

The rich, velvety liquid slid down his throat, but it did nothing to ease the knot in his chest. He’d expected this—the White Lotus was a shadow, their loyalties as fluid as water, their autonomy their greatest treasure.

He’d have to prove himself, secure Caldris’s future, before they’d commit.

"Fine," he said, his voice shifting to a clipped, businesslike tone. "For now, I’ll accept their terms. But I need more. Tell me about Xarnis. Who’s backing them? Who’s supplying them? Who’s going to help those bastards?"

Elara closed the distance between them, her steps silent on the stone floor, her presence a sudden heat against the cool air.

She stopped mere inches away, her breath warm against his ear as she whispered, "You would put business before pleasure, Your Highness? That’s unlike you" Her fingers brushed the line of his jaw, light as a feather yet sparking a shiver down his spine.

Kaelen met her gaze, a flicker of amusement dancing in his tired eyes despite the gravity of the moment.

"Business," he replied, his voice low and husky, "is rather pressing at the moment."

Her lips curved into a knowing smile, and the air between them crackled with unspoken tension. "Very well," she murmured, her mouth brushing his ear. "But perhaps we can multitask."

What followed was a collision of desire and strategy, their bodies drawing together as if pulled by an invisible thread.

It began with soft touches—her fingers trailing down his arm, his hand resting on her waist—then escalated into something fiercer, more urgent.

Their lips met in a kiss that was both tender and ravenous, a tangle of need and calculation.

The room filled with the sounds of their mingled breaths, the rustle of silk as her dress slipped to the floor, and the creaking of the bed frame as they fell into it. Candlelight painted their entwined forms in gold and shadow, every movement a dance of power and surrender.

As their passion deepened, Kaelen’s mind remained razor-sharp, his need for answers as insistent as his physical hunger.

Between gasps and moans, he pressed her, his voice raw with desire and determination.

"Tell me, Elara," he whispered, his hand tightening on her hip, anchoring her to him. "Who’s funding Xarnis’s war preparations?"

Elara, lost in the throes of their intimacy, her defenses crumbling under his touch, let the truth slip past her lips.

"The Emperor," she gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders. "He’s secretly funding Xarnis, providing them with resources, support—making certain they are victorious while he plays the impartial judge."

A cold fury ignited in Kaelen’s chest, his eyes flashing as the revelation sank in.

"I knew it, that bastard!" he growled, his grip shifting to her chin, tilting her face to meet his blazing stare.

His movements grew rougher, more urgent, fueled by anger and a fierce resolve. The Emperor thought him a pawn.

But the smug bastard had another thing coming.

In the aftermath, they lay entangled in the rumpled sheets, their bodies slick with sweat, the air thick with the scent of spice and exertion.

Elara watched him, her eyes narrowed, a flicker of something unreadable—regret, perhaps, or calculation—shimmering in their depths.

She’d handed him a dangerous truth, one that could shift the tides of war, but at what cost to herself? Her loyalty lay with the Lotus, but her survival might now hinge on Kaelen’s success.

As she drifted into sleep, her hand resting lightly on his chest, he felt the weight of her gamble settle beside his own.

Kaelen’s thoughts churned, plotting his next move. The war ahead was not just a fight for survival—it was a quest for vengeance, a chance to reclaim his destiny from those who’d sought to control it.

He reached out mentally toward his system, the interface that tethered him to something greater, darker.

But he pulled back, hesitating.

Consuming more souls might bolster his strength, but it risked letting his past life—the one tied to the Voidwell—swallow him whole.

There was still too much to learn, from both this reality and the one he’d left behind. He couldn’t afford to lose himself, not when Caldris needed him most.

Yet, as the candles guttered out and darkness reclaimed the room, a whisper lingered in his mind: perhaps he’d already become one with the Void.

Perhaps, there was never truly any escape.

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