The first time he held a sword, he was five.



The first time he killed a man, he was ten.



By fifteen, he was a war hero.



By twenty, he was a King.



And by twenty-one, everyone feared him.



He was born not as the heir to the throne, but as a spare.



His older brother was the crown prince—a boy of pure nobility, trained for diplomacy, groomed to be the perfect ruler.



But him?



He was a monster in the making.



From a young age, he was called a genius. A prodigy with the sword. A brilliant tactician. A mind sharper than any noble could handle.



And that was exactly why they wanted him dead.



His siblings feared him. The nobles feared him. Even the royal family whispered about him behind closed doors.



"A second prince with too much power is dangerous."



"We should keep an eye on him."



"Better yet... we should remove him."



At ten years old, his siblings sent assassins to his chambers.



A boy his age should have cried.



Should have begged for mercy.



Should have died quietly.



But instead—



He killed them all.



It was the first time he tasted blood.



The first time he realized—



He would never be safe unless he made others fear him first.



And so, he trained.



He fought.



And when his family grew desperate, they threw him into war.



If he was going to be a monster, he might as well die on a battlefield.



But instead, he returned a legend. He led armies. He crushed rebellions. He became the sword of the kingdom.



And the moment he returned from war, he saw it—



His family's panic.



They had created something they could no longer control.



And so—



They tried to kill him again.



But this time?



He struck first.



A brother died screaming in his own chambers.



The first brother fell in the throne room, his blood staining the marble floors.



His third brother begged for mercy before he severed his head.



And his last brother—



The only one he spared.



Not out of kindness.



Not out of guilt.



But because he needed one last witness.



Someone to tell the world what happens when you challenge the monster you created.



And so, in the end—



The spare prince became the King.



A ruler bathed in blood.



And the world feared him.



The nobles trembled at his name.

The council bent to his will.

The entire kingdom whispered of the tyrant King.



And yet—



Despite winning everything, despite forcing the world to kneel—



It all became...



tedious.



Because ruling a kingdom was nothing but politics, backstabbing, and paperwork.



Because no matter how many wars he won, no matter how many enemies he crushed—



Life had become empty.



He had no fear left to conquer.



No enemies worth fighting.



No one who dared look him in the eye.



Until—



Her.



The first time he met Thalia, he was mildly irritated.



She was clumsy, nervous, and terribly unaware of social decorum.



A simple palace maid, completely unremarkable.



Or so he thought.



Then—



She looked him in the eye.



Not with defiance. Not with hatred. Not with fear.



But with the most clueless, shameless expression he had ever seen.



And for the first time in years, he had been genuinely caught off guard.



He watched her fumble with tea trays.



Watched her trip over nothing.



Watched her argue with nobles like she had no survival instincts.



She was so... ridiculous.



And yet—



Day by day, something changed.



He started looking for her. He enjoyed the way she talked back. He enjoyed the way she acted like he was just a normal person. He enjoyed every single expression she made.



And before he knew it—



Her presence had become something he needed.



Until the nobles tried to take her from him.



And that—



Was their first mistake.



===



THE KING'S RESPONSE TO NOBLE THREATS AGAINST THALIA



✔ Noblewoman #1 tried spreading rumors about Thalia. Her entire estate suddenly burned to the ground.



✔ Nobleman #2 tried bribing the council to remove her. He was mysteriously exiled within the week.



✔ Noblewoman #3 tried humiliating her publicly. Her family lost all royal favor overnight.



✔ An assassin tried to get rid of her. His corpse was found the next morning, nailed to the castle gates.



===



He had warned them.



Thalia was his.



And no one—



Not the nobles. Not the council. Not even God himself—



Would take her from him.



When the knights reported Thalia missing—



The entire palace held its breath.



Because they already knew.



They knew what was coming.



The King stood dead silent.



Golden eyes burning.



Then—



He whispered only one word.



"Find her."



The knights scattered.



The entire city was locked down.



Markets were searched. Taverns were raided. Any noble suspected was arrested on sight.



And then—



When the search proved too slow—



He decided to go himself.



Because if the world thought he was a monster before—



They were about to see what true terror looked like.



The war hero was back.



And this time, he was hunting for his queen.