I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

The heavy silence that followed Zarius’s sudden, territorial display didn’t seem to faze Gillian in the slightest. While the surrounding took a collective step back, sensing the danger radiating from the Northern Duke, Gillian simply rested a hand on his hip. He looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.

”Well,” Gillian commented, his voice casual as he looked Zarius up and down, completely unfazed by the fact that he was currently being glared at by a man who could snap his collarbone with one hand. ”Someone is exceptionally harsh this morning. What happened, Your Grace? Did you sleep on the hard floor last night to be in such a foul mood, or has this place finally worn out your patience?”

Zarius didn’t move an inch. His shoulder remained a solid wall between Gillian and Cherion, making it clear no one was getting past him. The low rumble in his chest hadn’t entirely faded, vibrating through the quiet room like distant thunder.

”I would appreciate it so much,” Zarius said, His tone lost what little warmth it had, ”if you would keep a strict distance from my mate.”

Gillian didn’t flinch. Instead, he just chuckles, a genuine, amused smirk breaking across his face as he shook his head. He leaned back slightly, resting his weight on one leg.

”I only intended to offer a proper morning greeting to Lord Cherion,” Gillian said, craning his neck in a futile attempt to peek past Zarius.

Zarius’s eyes didn’t leave him for a second. ”And you cannot manage a simple greeting from over there? Must you step directly into his personal space? And exactly what do you think you’re doing with that hand?”

”Fair enough,” Gillian said, raising a hand in an easy, mocking gesture of surrender. ”I’ll admit, Lord Cherion is indeed attractive. Anyone with eyes can see that. But you can relax, Your Grace. I don’t have any intention to take him away from you. Well... of course, unless Lord Cherion himself explicitly chose me over you. If that day comes, I’d be a fool to refuse.”

Zarius’s expression hardened. His jaw tightened as he fought the urge to reach for the sword that wasn’t at his side.

Before either of them could do something stupid, Cherion stepped in. He rested a hand against Zarius’s lower back and looked past his shoulder at the teasing prince.

”Prince Gillian, please don’t jest like that,” Cherion said earnestly, his tone completely serious, though a faint blush was already creeping up his neck from the sheer embarrassment of the public spectacle. He took a small step closer to Zarius. He leaned lightly against Zarius’s side, making no attempt to hide where he stood.. ”There will never be any other scenario. There is no version of this where I am choosing anyone other than His Grace.”

The effect was instantaneous. The harsh, rigid line of Zarius’s shoulders visibly melted. The dangerous, suffocating aura that had filled the sitting room dissolved into nothing, replaced by a sudden, intense wave of quiet satisfaction.

A soft smile touched the duke’s lips. Completely ignoring everyone else in the room, Zarius lowered his head, nuzzling lightly against Cherion’s neck. Cherion could only let out a quiet, embarrassed huff.

”See?” Cherion muttered, his hand moving to pat Zarius’s back awkwardly while trying to ignore the amused looks from the room. ”Behave yourself.”

The intimate, chaotic moment was finally broken by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching from the outer corridor. The doors swung open fully, and the High Priest stepped into the sitting room, his white and gold robes rustling against the stone floor. His face broke into a look of genuine relief the moment his eyes landed on the figure by the fireplace.

”Ah, Princess Iryna,” the High Priest said, his voice warm and resonant as he walked toward her. ”It warms my heart to see you on your feet again so quickly. The heavens truly favored us. The poison was a vile thing, and many feared the worst.”

Iryna stood tall, offering the priest a respectful but firm nod. ”Thank you, Your Holiness. But it takes more than a few drops of filth to keep a Solaric Princess down. I’m feeling well enough that everyone can stop looking at me like I’m halfway to the afterlife. I’m afraid whoever planned this will have to settle for disappointment.”

Before the High Priest could respond to her dry, bloodthirsty confidence, another group filed into the room. It was the Solaric delegation, led by their primary envoy. The moment they crossed the threshold, their eyes swept the room, instantly locking onto Iryna. The envoy’s eyebrows shot up in visible surprise, his steps stuttering for a fraction of a second as he took in the sight of the supposedly dying woman standing upright, looking entirely functional and fierce.

Gillian immediately straightened, his playful demeanor fading as he slipped back into the role of a prince.

He looked directly at the lead envoy, his brow furrowing slightly.

”Your Highness!” he stammered, his hands fluttering in a brief, panicky gesture of distress. ”How... how are you wandering around already? Should you not still be strictly confined to your bed resting? Please, you must sit down before...”

”Calm yourselves,” Iryna interrupted smoothly, raising a single hand to cut off the rising tide of frantic murmurs from the rest of the delegation. Her expression remained entirely cool, an amused but firm smile playing on her lips. ”A bit of poison isn’t enough to keep me down. As you can see, I am perfectly fine now. There’s no need to make such a fuss.”

”What happened?” Gillian demanded, his voice dropping into a low, serious tone.

The Solaric envoy immediately straightened and dipped into a respectful bow.

”Forgive the sudden intrusion, Your Highness,” the envoy stated plainly, keeping his voice strictly confidential. ”We came specifically to seek you out, Prince Gillian.”

Iryna took a step forward, cutting in before the envoy could finish. ”Seek him out? If this is to talk about the poisoning incident, then I guess I shall be present for it too, seeing as I was the one who spent the night coughing up blood.”

The Solaric envoy shifted uncomfortably under her sharp gaze, nodding slowly. ”Your presence is entirely appropriate, Princess Iryna, however your condition...”

”I said, I am fine,” Iryna cut in smoothly, a faint, impatient smirk touching her lips as she waved off his hesitation. ”Come on.” She swept her gaze across the room before giving a polite nod. ”Excuse us.”

Gillian couldn’t help smiling at his sister’s bluntness before turning back to the group. He caught Cherion’s eye first, giving him a reassuring nod, and then let his gaze linger on Zarius with a faint, knowing smile, just to show there were no hard feelings about the morning’s intense territorial display.

With a soft sigh, Cherion patted Zarius’s arm, silently urging him to loosen his grip. He looked at Gillian and Iryna, giving them a brief nod as the prince and princess made their way to the door.