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Dark Moon Third Arc (Fallen Heart) - 361. Royal Wave III
🕑 Added 2025-01-02 18:12:49 +0000 UTCThird Arc (Fallen Heart) - 361. Royal Wave III
The second figure, a woman with a crossbow concealed beneath her robes, was a little harder to pin down. She moved with a predator’s grace, her eyes scanning the balcony. But before she could raise the weapon, a soldier appeared behind her, disarming her with a swift, silent motion.
On the balcony, Angel’s shoulders relaxed slightly as the danger passed, though his guard didn’t drop entirely. He caught another faint smoke signal—this time from the right side of the square—indicating that the threats had been neutralized. His barrier remained in place, but he allowed himself a small breath of relief.
“See?” he murmured to Rose, his tone light. “Just a precaution.”
Her smile tightened, but she didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she glanced at the crowd below, the cheers still ringing in her ears. She couldn’t see what had happened, but she trusted Angel enough to know that whatever it was, he had handled it.
“Do things like this happen often?” she asked finally, her voice soft.
“Often enough,” he admitted, his gaze steady on the crowd. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Rose nodded slowly, her fingers brushing against the cool metal of the railing. She wasn’t naive—she knew the crown came with its dangers—but standing here, so exposed, made those dangers feel all too real.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, her words barely audible over the noise.
Angel turned to her, his expression softening. “It’s just another Tuesday for me.”
Rose arched a brow, her lips curving into a small smile. “Sounds like your Tuesdays are always tiring.”
He chuckled faintly, the sound low and understated. “They are. But I’m used to it.” He paused for a moment, glancing back toward the square below where the crowd’s energy was slowly settling. “And today, at least, it’s for something worth celebrating.”
Rose’s chest tightened, a flicker of guilt stirring beneath the surface. “You’re always doing this—protecting everyone, carrying all of this. Do you ever just… get to breathe?”
He glanced at her, his smirk returning, though softer this time. “Breathing’s overrated,” he said lightly, but the undercurrent of truth in his tone wasn’t lost on her. “Besides, it’s not as bad as it looks. Today went smoothly—no weird movements after that.”
Rose tilted her head, studying him with a skeptical look. “Smoothly? You mean after the suspicious figures and invisible barriers?”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” he said, his eyes glinting with faint amusement. “No explosions, no chaos, no dramatic rescues. By my standards, this was a good day.”
She sighed, shaking her head with a mix of exasperation and admiration. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet here I am,” he replied, his smirk widening as he leaned casually against the railing. “Still standing.”
Her smile lingered as she glanced at the dispersing crowd below. The ceremony had ended without further incident, and for that, she was grateful. But she knew this wasn’t the end of the day—not yet. The evening party loomed ahead, a different kind of challenge entirely.
“Think you can survive the evening party?” Angel asked, his tone teasing as if reading her thoughts.
Rose let out a soft laugh, leaning her hip against the railing. “Survive is a strong word. Tolerate, maybe.”
“The parties are easier,” Angel said, his voice more casual now. “Fewer speeches, more wine. People are too busy eating and drinking to pay much attention.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“It should,” he replied, his grin widening. “And if it doesn’t, just stick by me. I’m great at deflecting.”
Rose snorted softly, but the thought was oddly comforting. “You do seem to have a talent for that.”
“It’s a gift,” he said smoothly, pushing off the railing and offering her his hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before they find an excuse to drag us back into another round of formalities.”
Rose hesitated for a moment, her gaze flicking to his outstretched hand before she slipped hers into it. His grip was steady, warm, and surprisingly reassuring. “Lead the way, Your Majesty,” she teased, a hint of playfulness in her voice.
Angel grinned, his eyes glinting with amusement. “You’re starting to get the hang of this.”
