Her fingers turned white from gripping the key so tightly, but Stella didn't care. Was she in pain, or was she in a void? She couldn't tell. The one thing she knew was that she was disappointed. Brandon hadn't lied to her, and there wasn't much to be upset about, really. But Stella had gotten closer to him, told him everything, and trusted him. Brandon had days to tell her about himself – at least the fact that he was the heir to Nyxoria! Her eyes were focused on the patterns on the floor, almost as if she wanted to memorize them, when there was a knock on the door she was leaning against. She had no idea which room she was in. The only thing she knew was that she had left as soon as Sky fell to the ground and before Brandon could follow her. She thought she had lost him, but apparently, she hadn't done a good enough job.
"Go away."
"Stella, please. Let's talk."
In response to Brandon's calm voice, Stella raised an eyebrow, shrugged her shoulders, and crossed her arms. "Isn't it a little late to talk, your majesty?" Brandon leaned his forehead against the door, closing his eyes in frustration. Damn you Sky, he thought to himself. They had never fought once in all these years. Now he was acting like a spoiled prince. Brandon had never felt the need or desire to use the threat he had used on him today. It was as if a different person had emerged from within him. He realized, in horror, just how far he could go for Stella. He had no idea what state Sky was in or if he was aware of the foolishness he had committed or the friendship he had tarnished, but he didn't care. Brandon had already remained silent long enough among the killers of his family.
"Stella, gorgeous, come on. If you just listen to me, you'll understand everything." As Stella's frown deepened, she felt conflicted. She actually wanted to open the door, unsure of her stance towards Brandon at the moment. Brandon didn't have to tell her anything. He hadn't forced Stella; she had willingly poured out everything to him. Brandon had simply listened and been there for her. As she bit her lip, she slowly rose from the cold floor. She didn't want to act too childish, but learning such a truth from a surprise egg had hurt her. That blonde surprise egg, Sky. Adjusting her dress quickly, she stood in front of the door. The key was still tightly clutched in her hand. Finally, taking a deep breath, she relaxed her fingers and inserted the key into the lock, opening the door. She stood behind the door for a while, and Brandon waited expectantly for her to open it. Both stood in anticipation before Brandon, unable to wait any longer, opened the door himself.
As Stella took a step back, Brandon entered through the door he had partially opened, feeling his patience beginning to wear thin. He had no intention of venting his anger and frustration on Stella, of course. Stella looked at him, and he looked at her. Their flirtation was evident, not hidden at all, but the fact that their relationship was still very new was an undeniable reality. Their shaky relationship could crumble at the slightest mistake, and they were both terrified of that happening.
As silence filled the empty room, Stella glanced around. It was a very small room, with a round table and chairs around it. It was charming enough for a tea party because, despite its small size, the room had a beautiful view. The walls were lined with bookshelves, and its oval shape added a certain charm to the room, making it seem like a place Samara would use for her small talks. As Stella moved towards the sitting nook built between the bookshelves, Brandon sighed and followed her. Were they going to fight? They were moving forward without knowing for sure. But her opening the door was a step forward for both of them.
"I was going to tell you. But it's not as you think; my family renounced the throne. I don't see myself as belonging to the Nyxoria kingdom to hide my position." While listening to him with furrowed brows, Stella began playing with the edge of her short skirt. There was undoubtedly a misunderstanding, an unknown. But she didn't feel like asking any questions. "It didn't seem like you weren't a part of it when you threatened Sky." As Brandon knelt at her feet, his heavy knight uniform made a solid sound on the smooth marble. Stella turned her gaze to him, Brandon had already started playing with a strand of her hair. "My family left Nyxoria due to a disagreement between my father and grandfather. We moved to Eraklyon. Then my mother and father..." Though his voice trailed off, Stella nodded, indicating that she was listening and wanted him to continue. But Brandon didn't know how to explain the rest.
Because Stella would ask. She would ask why he stood among the people who killed his parents, why he served them. Why he endured this, despite being the heir to the most powerful kingdom in the universe. What would Brandon say? The lies he told himself?
"How?" Stella murmured. Brandon understood she was asking how they died, which was the difficult part to explain.
"King Erendor thought they were traitors." He cleared his throat, trying to buy time, but for Stella, that was enough. Her eyes widened, and her heart began to race. "So?" Brandon looked into her eyes, then nodded, confirming her thoughts. It made it a bit easier for him, at least he didn't have to let the words fall from his lips. "Brandon, what are you doing here?" The whispered question seemed to penetrate Brandon's consciousness. His eyes never left Stella's as she grabbed his hands and pulled him to sit next to her. Since he hadn't given an answer yet, Stella, finding another opportunity to speak, shook her head and looked at the Eraklyon commander with concern. This man, whom she saw and knew as the strongest character, had earned both her respect and interest from the first day. Stella felt like she was in a fairy tale, captivated by the enchantment of being around him. So much so that her panic attacks had ceased, her crying had stopped. The palace she had felt trapped in no longer seemed so suffocating. She didn't know if those who tried to kill her had attempted another assassination, but as long as Brandon was around, she was as sure as her own name that no harm would come to her.
"Do you want revenge? But why did they…" It was a difficult question to finish. Why didn't they kill you along with them? Biting her tongue, she looked at Brandon, choosing to swallow her words. Brandon, on the other hand, was scrutinizing her with interest. Apart from Helia, he had never talked about these issues with anyone, and even Helia had not been keen to discuss them unless Brandon brought them up. Brandon had also preferred not to bring them up. Stella had taken a different approach. She had quickly recovered from the shock and immediately started questioning, but above all, she couldn't hide her fear. Brandon had never thought he would easily get used to having someone care for him. But with Stella, it had become child's play.
"He didn't want to kill his friend in front of Sky. Afterward, he learned that my family and I were royalty, that we carried noble blood. To prevent a war, he kept me hidden until my grandfather found out I was alive." Stella looked at him expectantly, holding back the urge to ask what happened next, though it was evident in her demeanor. Normally, this would have made Brandon smile, but the gravity of the situation had drained his face of expression. "He wanted to take me, but Erendor didn't allow it. I guess they still don't know that he was the one who killed my parents."
"I thought your grandfather was dead." Hades, known as the greatest and longest-lived king of Nyxoria, had been mourned as if a massive stone had fallen in the center of the universe when he died. The king, who owned darkness and many planets, had left his people with a glimmer of hope in Brandon's uncle, King Arslan, who now sat on the throne. Now, Brandon was revealed to be another savior of those exhausted hopes. "He did die. My uncle is on the throne now. He knows about me and is doing everything he can to get me to take the throne, but it's pointless."
"Brandon..." She knew she shouldn't interfere, but how could she stay silent? Brandon was precious to her; she didn't just want to spend time with him. But if he valued himself so little and pursued revenge without her intervention, neither she nor time could save him from heartbreak later. It might seem selfish, but she didn't care. She couldn't watch Brandon send himself to his death. "You could deal with Erendor after you take the throne." Her words could seem harsh to an outsider but for Stella, Eraklyon or Erendor didn't matter, along with Sky they could all go to hell. The only thing that would've bothered her would've been Bloom's heartbreak.
Brandon shook his head, frowning, his eyes seemed to focus on something far away. It felt as if Stella's hands were no longer in his, but very distant. The reason was his inner conflict. He had no plan, just a desire for revenge. Of course, but he had never thought about how it would be done. There was no other way to be equally vengeful than killing Sky, and Brandon wasn't heartless enough to kill his childhood friend, especially the one who was the sole reason he was still alive. Even after everything Sky had done these couple of days, Brandon wasn't one to betray the friend that was a good one for a long time. "Stella, I'm not returning to a kingdom my family abandoned."
A new wave of curiosity washed over Stella, causing her to pause for a moment. Then she freed one hand from Brandon's grip and reached to cup his cheek. This action drew all his attention back, making Brandon feel like a small child. He had to use all his willpower not to surrender to Stella's touch. She slid closer to him, eliminating the space between them. Stella wasn't afraid. Brandon never had an aura that scared her from the start.
"Why did your family leave the kingdom?"
As silence rang in her ears, Stella leaned her chest against Brandon's arm and rested her chin on his shoulder, looking at him from beneath her lashes. God, Brandon thought. How can she make my entire body tremble and steal my mind away even in such a dark and profound matter?
"I don't know," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. The closeness of Stella's face had robbed him of all seriousness. As his face neared hers, he realized Stella was using her allure to get answers. This wasn't the first time, but this time he was struggling to resist. Brandon's face drew closer to hers. His thoughts were far from serious. He held back a sigh. Their breaths mingled, and Brandon wished for some obstacle to appear before it wasn't too late, otherwise, he would lose control, and he wasn't the only one aware of it. "Why don't you try to find out something you don't know? Especially about such serious matter. Maybe there's an answer that will change things."
"Maybe," Brandon murmured, brushing a stray lock of hair from Stella's face with his nose. Stella licked her lips and bit her lower lip slowly. As Brandon's hand moved to her waist, the desired obstacle had delayed its arrival, as if he were trying to announce it to the universe. He abruptly pulled Stella onto his lap. Though she murmured in surprise, Brandon took it as a sign of approval, gripping her waist a little tighter and helping her spread her legs on either side of him. This position undoubtedly changed their flirting dynamic significantly. Stella tangled her fingers in his thick but perpetually messy hair and Brandon closed his eyes with pleasure.
"I can help you find out."
His eyes opened slightly as Brandon paused to understand what she meant. Then he groaned and pulled Stella closer. Even if the whole universe burned, it would have to wait because his only desire was currently sitting in his lap.
"Let's find out together."
"Stella," he groaned, but Stella pressed herself against him, making Brandon moan and open his eyes. His surprise was evident, and Stella smiled at him with an innocent look like she didn't do anything. "I want to be with you. To help you." For a brief moment, he thought about it, a very brief moment. His seriousness had dissipated, but the danger and importance of the situation brought Brandon back to his senses. The effect Stella's body had on him hadn't faded, but he instinctively re-engaged his logic, which had been a mistake to disable in the first place. "I won't drag you into this."
Stella frowned, recognizing from Brandon's firm voice and expression that this wasn't a situation she could resolve with her allure. "Alright," she nodded, showing her hurt. This was another tactic. "I thought we were past that." Brandon rolled his eyes and grinned at her, "I'm the last person you can manipulate, gorgeous." Gorgeous, Stella felt her body relax hearing him call that again. She could easily get used to this.
She bit her lip, and they gazed into each other's eyes for a long time. Sighing in defeat Brandon broke the silence first, "Okay, but don't expect much." Stella's smile made Brandon hesitate for a moment. If she had smiled at him like that in the beginning, she could have made him do whatever she wanted from the start. He would try to keep this truth hidden as much as possible. "In the end, if there's no better solution, I will stay by your side no matter what. I promise." And right there, Brandon felt the greatest shock and warmth of his life. For the first time, he felt valuable and surrounded by the trust of someone so beautiful, strong, and captivating. Brandon fought against his body's denial and gently lifted Stella from his lap, pressing a deep kiss to her bare shoulder. As he inhaled her scent, Stella looked at him with a mix of surprise and affection. The promise they made to each other felt sealed in that moment. Brandon hadn't voiced it aloud, but Stella had heard it. It was more than a promise to stay by each other's side always. It was a promise of belonging.