I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

The temple gardenn was quiet, shielded from the central plaza by high stone walls. The oak trees overhead kept most of the courtyard shaded, with bits of light scattered across the gravel.

Marielle walked slowly, her hands folded over the front of her cloak, staring down at the smooth pebbles as her boots kicked up tiny puffs of dust with every step. Zarius walked beside her, his long strides shortened to match her pace, his tall frame cutting a broad, protective shadow beside her.

For a long while, neither of them said a word. The only sounds around them were the faint splashing of a stone fountain nearby and the distant, muffled hum of the capital streets beyond the walls.

”So,” Zarius began, his low voice breaking the silence effortlessly. He kept his eyes fixed on the winding path ahead, his hands hanging loosely at his sides. ”Have you made up your mind, or are you still hopelessly confused?”

Marielle let out a quiet, huffed breath that was half a laugh and half a sigh. She kicked a small grey stone out of her path, watching it bounce into the manicured grass.

”What do you want me to do, Brother?” she asked quietly, her usual theatrical energy completely absent. She didn’t look up at him, keeping her eyes glued to the ground. ”If you tell me to pack my bags and head back to the North tonight, I’ll do it. If you tell me to fight it, I’ll cause a scene that will make the princess regret ever mentioning my name.”

Zarius stopped walking.

Marielle took two more steps before realizing he had paused, freezing in place and turning back to look at him.

Zarius turned his head toward her, his dark brows slightly pulled, his expression entirely serious and stripped of any harshness. ”It’s your life, Marielle. You live it the way you want to live it.”

He stepped closer to her, the heavy leather of his boots crunching against the gravel.

”I am not going to order you to run, and I am certainly not going to order you to throw yourself into a political marriage,” Zarius continued, his tone dropping into a steady, unshakeable calm. ”My job, the only thing I care about when it comes to you, is watching your back, supporting whatever choice you make, and destroying anyone who tries to hurt you because of it.”

Marielle stared at him for a second, her lips parting slightly before she let out a bitter, quiet chuckle. She folded her arms loosely, turning away to look at the blooming white roses lining the courtyard wall.

”You know...” Marielle murmured softly, her voice barely carrying over the gentle splash of the fountain. ”I’ve never really thought about romance. Or weddings. Or finding some grand partner to build a life with.”

Zarius remained quiet, listening patiently as she spoke.

”My whole world has always been you and the North,” she admitted, a faint, nostalgic warmth touching her features for a fraction of a second before fading again. ”That’s literally all I ever cared about. When I graduated from the academy, all I could think about was becoming strong enough to stand beside you. I wanted to be useful. I wanted to be capable of protecting our people so you wouldn’t have to carry every single burden on your broad shoulders alone.”

She looked back up at him, her eyes shining with an old, lingering hurt that made Zarius’s jaw tighten slightly.

”That’s why I went traveling,” Marielle whispered, her voice trembling just a bit before she caught herself. ”To learn more advanced spells. To sharpen my magic. To become someone who could actually hold the northern border if things ever went to hell.”

She pressed her lips into a tight line, dropping her gaze back to the path.

”And it was an excruciating decision,” she added softly. ”I hated being away from home. I hated being away from you. And the worst part... the absolute worst part was coming back and realizing how much you had been suffering while I was gone. All those months you were dealing with that wretched curse alone, fighting for your life every single day, and I wasn’t even there to hand you a cup of water.”

Zarius let out a long, quiet breath, stepping right up to her and placing a large, warm hand on top of her head, ruffling her hair just like he used to when they were children back in the fortress.

”Looking back, it was for the best that you were away,” Zarius said quietly, his voice carrying a softness he rarely allowed himself. ”I was a disaster, Marielle. I don’t even like thinking about those months. I certainly wouldn’t have wanted you sitting by my bed every day, watching me fall apart.”

Marielle snapped her head up, her eyes flashing with a sudden, fierce intensity that instantly swept away her sadness.

”But don’t worry, Brother,” she snapped, her voice suddenly dripping with a dark, violent resolve. ”Whoever dare to do that to you... whoever put that curse on your blood in the first place... I swear on our parent’s grave, I will pull out their fingernails one by one until they are bleeding so hard they can use the blood to wash their own face.”

Zarius blinked, taken aback for half a second before a broad, genuine smile spread across his face.

He shook his head, looking down at her with a mix of utter fascination and deep, quiet pride. No matter how much she put on a theatrical mask for the rest of the world, underneath it all, Marielle was a true northern wolf, viciously protective, completely ruthless when it came to her family, and more than willing to get her hands dirty.

”There she is,” Zarius hummed softly, his smirk softening into a fond, grounded smile. ”I was wondering where my terrifying little sister went.”

Marielle let out a bright, loud laugh, the sharp tension in her chest finally easing under his warm response. ”I’m serious! I’ve been practicing dark binding spells just in case we ever catch the culprit.”

Her laughter bubbled up for a moment longer before slowly dying down into the quiet atmosphere of the courtyard.

She took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before slowly letting it out. The playful energy she’d carried all morning finally faded, leaving her expression calm and serious.

She looked at Zarius, her posture straightening, her shoulders lifting with a solemn, resolute grace.

”I’ve made up my mind, Brother,” Marielle said quietly.

Zarius looked down at her, his dark eyes waiting patiently for her words.

”I will accept the betrothal with the Princess.”