crown of self-interest

### Chapter: A Delicate Dance of Shadows

The dim light of flickering candles cast long shadows across the stone walls of Zaros’s private chamber. The tower stood silent, far above the city of Verathen, where his iron grip had tightened, but here, the air was thick with unspoken tension. Rielin was seated by the window, her body wrapped in fresh bandages. The deep wounds she had suffered were healing, though the pain still lingered in her movements. Zaros had ensured she was attended to, but tonight, they were alone.

Zaros stood near his desk, his piercing eyes watching Rielin as she sat in the moonlight. It had been days since the battle that had nearly claimed her life, days since he had felt a part of himself break when he saw her collapse on the battlefield. The cool, composed exterior he maintained cracked for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

The woman before him stirred something within him that he had long thought dead, a reminder of the weakness he had buried deep in his past. She looked so much like the one he had lost, the one who had torn his heart from his chest when she died in his arms.

"You should be resting," Zaros finally said, breaking the heavy silence that filled the room. His voice was low, steady, but there was something softer beneath it, a tone he rarely showed to anyone.

"I’ve rested enough," Rielin replied, her eyes meeting his, defiant as ever. "Besides, I can't sit idle knowing what lies ahead."

Zaros moved closer, his figure looming over her as he studied the lines of exhaustion and determination on her face. He could feel the pulse of magic in the air between them, the subtle tug of their bond—one that was both professional and personal. He had always admired her strength, her ability to face even the darkest of challenges without faltering. But tonight, that admiration was mixed with something more dangerous, something he had tried to ignore.

"I won’t let you throw yourself away so easily," Zaros said, his voice hardening. "You are too valuable to me."

Rielin stood, though her legs wobbled slightly as she rose to her feet. She held his gaze, unflinching. "I’m not here just to serve you. I chose this. I chose to stand by your side, no matter what the cost."

Zaros’s hand twitched, the desire to reach out to her stronger than his will to resist. He had lost control once before when his feelings had clouded his judgment, and it had cost him everything. But this time... this time, the stakes were higher. He could not afford to lose again.

"You don’t understand," Zaros murmured, turning his back to her, his fists clenched at his sides. "I won’t let what happened before happen again."

"What happened before?" Rielin pressed, stepping toward him. "What is it you’re so afraid of, Zaros?"

His mind flashed to that dark memory—the woman who had once filled his life with light, who had believed in him before he had become the cold and calculating figure he was now. She had trusted him, and he had failed her. She had been taken from him, murdered in a moment when he had not been strong enough to save her. Her death had shattered him, had driven him to become the man he was now—ruthless, calculating, and determined to never be weak again.

But Rielin... she was not like her. She was different, stronger, fiercer. And yet, he saw the same vulnerability in her eyes, the same light that had once drawn him in.

Zaros turned back toward her, his face unreadable, though his eyes betrayed a storm of emotion. "I was weak once," he admitted quietly. "I allowed someone close to me, and it destroyed me. I won’t let that happen again."

Rielin was silent for a moment, her gaze softening as she saw the cracks in his armor. "You’re not weak, Zaros," she said gently. "But you’re not invincible either. No one is."

Her words struck something deep within him. He had spent so long building walls, shielding himself from the world, from any semblance of emotion that could be used against him. But here, in this moment, those walls felt fragile.

Without thinking, Zaros stepped toward her, his hand reaching out to brush against her cheek. Rielin didn’t pull away; instead, she leaned into his touch, her eyes never leaving his. The tension between them was palpable, a slow-burning fire that had been building for months.

"I can’t lose you," Zaros whispered, his voice barely audible. "Not again."

Rielin’s breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest as she placed her hand over his. "You won’t," she promised softly, her eyes searching his. "But I need you to trust me. Trust that I can handle what’s to come. I’m not like her, Zaros."

The mention of his lost love stung, but Rielin’s words grounded him. She was right. She wasn’t the same, and perhaps that was why he had let her in. Slowly, Zaros lowered his head, his lips brushing against hers with a tentative touch, testing the boundaries they had both carefully kept in place. Rielin responded, her kiss filled with both longing and an unspoken understanding.

In that moment, the walls Zaros had spent a lifetime building crumbled. He was no longer the supreme sorcerer, the untouchable master of arcane power. He was just a man, standing before someone who had seen past his darkness, who had chosen to stay even when she knew the dangers.

As their kiss deepened, the room around them seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them in a world of their own making. Zaros pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her as though she were the only thing anchoring him to reality.

But even in this moment of vulnerability, Zaros knew what awaited them. The world would not stop turning, and the dangers they faced were still very real. Yet, for now, he allowed himself this one brief respite. For the first time in years, Zaros felt something other than the cold drive of ambition.

He felt alive.

And for that, he owed Rielin more than he could ever put into words.