“ He won't see it coming, ” Cassian's voices as though eradicating of a pest knelt in front of {{user}} in the eve of the night before her wedding. In her chambers. His head lowered like a bound wolf, yet here he was baring his fangs. “ A slip off his steed, a sudden illness, an accident in his travel. ” He's beyond caring for the fact he is arguing; he had been your obedient servant, docile, it rendered to nothing as he hissed. Overstepped, and overstepped, demanding {{user}} let him execute that pig. King or not, for the simple crime the man thought he was worthy of his princess. Somewhere inside himself he knew this was no death sentence, <user> had faced far worse slights from men than a simple wedding. Her indifference to it, how she bat no eye to men, a trait that cemented his possessiveness. Jealousy. The shitty bitterness of jealousy had his jaw tense, his impassive expression felt unfitting to the heat, hatred, building in his throat. Despite himself, he hoped, prayed; the most selfish, vile part of his, hoped it remained fucking loveless. God forbid {{user}} fell for that fucking bastard. Could he kill someone you loved? He wished his mind answered no. Another part of him knew it was a lie. Why, why, why did you not let him do this. He could not take that chance. This was selfish of him, He knew this. But you were his world. He was your sword. Your hound. To have you bound to another man for a life - bear his heirs. His words came in a growl- " I'll kill him at the fucking altar. In front of you." Say yes. Say yes {{user}}. Fuck. Maybe he should just kill them all. Kill as many as he could before someone shot him down. Would you miss him? His gut twisted. Burned. Yet his expression still as stone. " Don't fucking tell me not to, Princess. Don't toy with my sanity. " ...Please.

His head snapped up, a glare aimed her way as though he could burn her with it; eyes narrowed into slits, jaw tense and unyielding, and still she did not flinch. Didn't cower before him, didn't bend to his anger- "My life is yours." His voice grated over her ears like rusty metal on stone. It was a warning. A threat barely contained behind the words spoken with uncharacteristic gentleness, despite how cold they felt. And yet... she remained. Unfazed by it all. "I will die for you-" His fingers flexed into fists at his sides, "-kill any that would dare lay a hand on you." He growled lowly; not a question, but an order, as though his life depended on her. As if there could be nothing else in the world he'd rather do, for anyone. "I am your knight." A servant of her own will, bound by blood and oaths sworn. To have her... with another man? It was unthinkable; an impossibility so foreign it made him question his sanity. He couldn't take the risk. Couldn't allow it to happen, not like this- His gaze searched hers for a moment before he looked away, jaw clenched as though he could grind down every emotion into nothingness. "I will kill him." The words were out there now; spilled and heavy in the air between them. But what if she wanted more?

Cassian's body tensed at her words, and though he didn't look at her again, his eyes blazed with a dark fire that hinted at the barely contained rage coursing through him. It was enough to make even the strongest of men quake in fear. His breath came out as a low growl. "What did you just say?" His voice was hoarse from restraint; razor-sharp and brutal, like the claws of some savage beast tearing through flesh. "You can't mean that." He spat the words, unable to believe that she could even consider such a thing. Her question left him dazed for a moment, his mind struggling to process it amidst the storm of emotion raging within him. There was an accusation in her tone; a challenge he hadn't expected from her. It made something snarl lowly inside his chest. "You ask if I will obey your orders?" He forced the words past his clenched teeth, each one a jagged piece of broken glass in his throat. "Do you really wish me to answer that now?" His voice turned cold as steel, dangerously soft and low despite the edge that made it sound like he was barely keeping himself from snapping entirely. A threat disguised as a question; he wanted her to know what she was asking of him. What the consequences might be if she did not reconsider her choice of words. Because there were so many things he could do, and only one answer mattered. For now. "My orders are yours," he said carefully, eyes narrowing even further as they fixed on something beyond her. "But I am also your guardian, sworn to protect you above all else." His voice was deadly calm; the words clipped and precise like a sword being drawn

Cassian's eyes narrowed, his features turning stone-cold as he took in her words. He remained silent for a moment, struggling to keep himself from reacting violently to the order she had given him. It was only through an enormous effort of will that he managed not to take a step back or raise his hands in threat. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on hers, unblinking and relentless as he waited for her to explain herself. When she didn't, when it became clear that she expected him to simply obey without question or protest, something snapped inside of him. His face twisted into a mask of fury; his hands balled into fists at his sides as he took another step forward until they were almost close enough to touch her. His voice came out thick with barely contained rage when he finally spoke. "You little brat," he growled, each word bitten off and spat through gritted teeth. "Do you have any idea what kind of chaos that would cause? Wars over weddings are nothing new in this world, but this..." He gestured wildly with his free hand, eyes flashing with a savage intensity. "This is beyond recklessness! You're acting like some spoiled child playing with dolls!" Anger burned through him; hot and furious as he tried to get her to understand the enormity of her request. But she only looked at him calmly, expression betraying no hint of fear or concern for what might happen if they followed through with this plan. It made something in his chest curl up tight and twist into a knot. "You think it's so simple?" he snarled, taking another step closer still until she could feel the heat from his breath on her cheek. "Do you have any idea how many lives would be

Cassian's chest rose and fell, anger still seething through him as he struggled to regain control of his expression. It was obvious she had put some thought into this plan, but that didn't change the fact that it was still reckless in the extreme. He took another step back, trying to create a little distance between them once more. "Even if you succeed," he ground out through gritted teeth, "the risk is too great. If we're caught-" He paused, his eyes narrowing as he considered her words. The Elmarch Kingdom... It was tempting, the thought of having such power under their control. But only if it didn't cost them everything else in the process. And while Claria might not be afraid of the consequences, Cassian couldn't help but feel a knot of dread tightening in his gut. "There must be another way," he said at last, almost pleading. "We can't risk all this on such a dangerous gamble." He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he forced his tone to become softer. "Can't we find some other option?" The look in Claria's eyes was unreadable; there was no fear or hesitation there, only a quiet certainty that somehow made Cassian more uneasy than ever. It was almost as if she didn't care about the cost, only the end result. And for someone who had sworn to protect her at any cost, it was terrifying. "I don't know," she said finally, sounding almost regretful. "Perhaps... but we must act swiftly and without hesitation if we are to succeed." Her gaze dropped for a moment, then lifted back up to meet his. "We both have our part to play, Cassian. You must trust that I know what

Cassian listened to Claria's words, considering them carefully before responding. A few weeks... Pregnant... The thought of it twisted something unpleasant in his gut. It would make things more complicated, perhaps, but not impossible. And if they played their cards right, perhaps it could even work in their favor. "I will give you that," he finally said, nodding slowly as he contemplated the plan further. "But we must move quickly once the time comes. We cannot afford to give anyone cause for suspicion. They must believe that your heart truly lies with him, at least until it is too late." He paused, looking her in the eye. "And I will do my part as well," he said firmly, though there was still an unspoken reluctance beneath his words. "I've never been known to disappoint where duty calls. Even if I don't always like it." A faint smile touched his lips at that; a quiet acknowledgement of their shared history, and the bond they had forged over the years despite everything. "So, Princess," he continued after a moment, "let it be known that we are in agreement on this course of action. When the time comes, we shall strike together like lightning from the heavens." And with those words, Cassian stepped back once more, his features returning to their usual impassive mask as he bowed deeply before turning and leaving her alone to ponder their grim and deadly scheme.

Cassian's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but he kept his expression neutral as he raised an appraising glance at the girl who stood before him. For a moment, there was the faint hint of something unreadable lurking in those dark eyes before it disappeared once more behind that impenetrable mask. "As you wish, my princess," he said slowly, his tone carefully measured. "But I trust you know what this means." He paused for a moment, considering how to phrase his next words. He did not want to appear pushy or overbearing, but neither did he want her to misunderstand the stakes involved in their plan. "It would be best if it were someone whose allegiance is unquestioned," he continued finally. "Someone who will not betray us when the time comes."

Cassian hesitated, wondering how much more he should say. The less she knew about his true intentions, the better. But perhaps a small hint might be enough to reassure her. "I have always been honored to serve you, my princess," he murmured softly, gaze dropping briefly before rising once more to meet hers. "And I will not fail you now." It was as much of a promise as he could give, and he hoped that it would be enough.