The eminence of a true king

Esdeath's room surprised Leon. He had expected a dark environment filled with torture instruments and threatening auras. But no. It was elegant. Classic. A bit cold, yes—like her. But also… feminine.

Snap.

The sound of the latch echoed as the door closed behind him.

"Locked?" Leon commented, raising an eyebrow.

"I expected something more... theatrical from you."

Esdeath spoke behind him, her eyes gleaming.

"You've gone so long without seeing me, Your Highness," she said, her voice carrying a gently scolding, almost playful tone.

"You deserve a punishment for that, don't you think?"

"If you're capable…"

Leon stepped forward slowly, analyzing the room—and especially her.

"You should be more careful what you wish for," Esdeath murmured with a smile.

The next instant, a wave of cold swept through the room. The heat vanished, replaced by a veil of ice that formed with every breath.

The temperature plummeted. The walls began to crystallize, as if the room had been transported into the heart of a polar storm.

Then, from Esdeath's fingertips, hundreds of ice needles formed—launched with lethal precision.

Leon dodged the first attack effortlessly, his body moving like a gust of wind. Each step was light, graceful, as if he were dancing between deadly spears.

"Still, it's a beautiful spectacle. Your ice... it has a hypnotic quality." He chuckled softly, dodging another volley.

"If only you knew Let It Go…"

"Let it what?" Esdeath unleashed another wave of stakes, now with greater force.

"Talk less... and fight for real!"

Leon responded with a single musical note. And continued. He hummed with his eyes closed, as if her attacks were nothing more than wind brushing his face.

The Ice Queen clenched her teeth. She lunged forward, forming a massive ice sword and attacking with fierce intensity.

But Leon, even with his eyes closed, blocked the strike with a smooth body twist. His hands glowed for an instant, redirecting the frozen blade with an almost lazy motion.

"Aren't you enjoying this, Esdeath?" He opened his eyes, now just inches from her face.

Her heart pounded, but she didn't back down.

"I don't know if I should kill you... or kiss you."

"You can try both, if you like," Leon teased.

She struck again, but this time her speed had changed. More hesitant. More... intimate. Her blade was easily blocked, and with a fluid motion, Leon disarmed her, spinning her and gently pushing her onto the bed.

He held her firmly, but without brutality. One hand pinned her wrists above her head, while the other rested lightly on her neck, feeling her racing pulse.

"You've lost again, General Esdeath."

She was panting. Her blue eyes locked onto his, her face flushed from the clash... and from the closeness.

"You've gotten even stronger," she murmured.

"It's not fair."

"Life rarely is."

She bit her lower lip, still staring at him. There was a mixture of frustration and... desire in her gaze.

"That pisses me off, Leon."

"I know."

"And even so..." she leaned in slowly, her voice softer now,

"You're the only man who makes me feel this way."

"This way how?" He smiled, his voice a whisper.

"Weak."

Leon moved his face closer to hers. Esdeath's eyes closed, almost against her will, and their lips met.

The kiss was fiery, intense, as if it released days of restrained emotion. The cold surrounding them clashed with the heat rising between them.

When they broke apart, Esdeath was breathing heavily.

"I haven't seen you in days. And yet... it feels like my desire to possess you only grows stronger."

"I had a few matters to deal with. But I'm here now. And I promise to make up for lost time."

She smiled—a genuine, rare smile.

"Then... make it up to me."

"With pleasure."

Leon kept Esdeath pinned beneath him, her hands still held firmly above her head. Their eyes locked with intense focus. Silence. Only the sound of heavy breathing.

"Are you going to keep holding me like this?" Esdeath whispered with a half-smile.

"You're playing with fire, Your Highness."

"Fire? I thought your element was ice," Leon replied, bringing his lips near her jawline, his voice low and firm.

"But don't be mistaken... I know how much you burn inside."

She arched her body to reach his lips, but Leon pulled back slightly, teasing her. The general's eyes gleamed with challenge.

"Tsk. Don't think you can dominate me just because you pinned me to the bed," she growled.

"I allowed it."

Leon laughed, his voice full of confidence.

"Of course you did. Like a lioness pretending submission... just to strike back."

In a swift motion, Esdeath twisted her hips and used her legs to unbalance him, reversing their positions with feline grace. Now she was on top, straddling him, her expression predatory.

"Well, well... the lion fell into the huntress's trap."

"Cheater."

Esdeath leaned in, kissing him fiercely, biting his lower lip before deepening the kiss. Their bodies pressed together hungrily, the heat between them growing with each touch.

Clothes began to vanish like snow under the sun—slowly removed or violently torn in moments of impatience. Her skin was cold to the touch, but the desire behind every motion burned intensely. Leon ran his hands down her bare back, pulling her closer.

"Still think you're in control?" she whispered, trailing her lips down his neck.

Leon grabbed her hips and flipped her again in a sudden movement, causing the general to let out a surprised sound—almost a moan.

"Control is something to be earned. And I plan to conquer you completely."

She gasped, laughing between clenched teeth.

"Arrogant to the end…"

"Persistent... just the way you like it."

Their bodies clashed with force and desire. The bed creaked under the tension, the cold around them turning to steam with every movement. They tested each other, pushed, teased. Neither fully surrendered—each touch a challenge, every kiss a new battle.

Esdeath dug her nails into Leon's back as he gripped her hips tightly, setting a rhythm that tested her endurance. She tried to reclaim control more than once, but he didn't yield, and each act of resistance only turned him on more.

"I'm a general, Leon... I don't bow so easily."

"And I'm a prince who never kneels," he replied, breathless, his forehead against hers.

And so they continued—a duel without a victor. Ice and fire. Strength and desire. Two bodies, two spirits, intertwined in a dance of pure will.

Hours later, when the room finally fell silent and their breathing slowed, Esdeath lay with her head on Leon's chest, her hair spread over him like blue silk.

"Did you win?" she asked with a lazy smile.

"No," he replied, staring at the ceiling.

"I think we just tied again."

She chuckled softly.

"Then we'll have to settle it another day."

"With pleasure, General."

Esdeath giggled, then slid her hand lightly down to his stomach, stroking it almost unconsciously. An enigmatic smile curved her lips as her eyes turned to his face.

"If you're always this eager…" she began teasingly, "…maybe a little prince won't take long to arrive."

Leon laughed, his chuckle echoing softly in the quiet room. He turned his face to her, a relaxed sparkle in his eyes.

"I didn't plan on having kids just yet," he said honestly, though without coldness.

Reaching over, he gently brushed Esdeath's cheek with his fingers, feeling the softness of her skin.

"…But in the future," he continued, his smile calm and resolute, "after I've completed my goal... then maybe."

Esdeath closed her eyes at his touch, leaning her face further into his palm, as if trying to capture the moment.

"Then finish it quickly, Leon," she whispered. "And I demand to be by your side when that future arrives."

"You can count on that," he replied, pulling her closer.

"All of you will be by my side forever…" he whispered with a smile as he embraced Esdeath.

"Still not satisfied, Your Highness?" she laughed.

"It's hard to be satisfied with such a beautiful naked woman next to me," he chuckled.

---

Three hours had passed.

The room was a battlefield of silence. The only soundtrack now was the heavy, uneven breathing of two exhausted bodies lying atop crumpled sheets.

Leon lay with his arm around Esdeath's waist, his chest still rising and falling slowly. His gaze was fixed on the ceiling, though his mind wandered.

Beside him, the Ice Queen slept with her hair loose, stuck to her damp skin. Her shoulders still trembled slightly—perhaps from exhaustion, perhaps from the effort not to show how far she had been pushed.

He let out a soft, amused sigh.

"Hah… that wasn't easy."

She opened one eye slowly, her smile as sharp as a lioness preparing to pounce.

"What are you implying, Your Highness...? That defeating a queen like me is an achievement?"

"I'm saying that... conquering you is a never-ending war." Leon replied, turning to his side and pressing his forehead to hers.

Esdeath let out a husky, slightly pained laugh. She tried to sit up, but groaned as her muscles protested. Still, she didn't back down. She pulled the sheet over her shoulders and sat upright with dignity, even though half her body still trembled.

"Don't look at me with pity," she said, proud.

"I've survived worse... and I'll get over this too."

Leon raised an eyebrow.

"That was practically a magical war with a happy ending."

"Two conquerors on the same battlefield... of course no one would come out unscathed," she murmured with a satisfied smile, despite the pain.

"And you even activated your powers in the middle of the... dispute." He laughed, touching the still-visible ice mark on his abdomen.

"If I were any weaker, I'd have turned into a statue."

Esdeath slowly licked her lips.

"Consider it a reminder... don't ever think you can relax too much around me, Your Highness."

Leon replied with a crooked smile. The heat between them hadn't dissipated—it had merely retreated, ready to ignite again at any moment.

"By the way, I almost forgot," he said, adjusting himself in the bed.

"I came here to ask for your help with something."

"Huh? You remember now?" she raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Tsk... men."

"I would've remembered sooner if you hadn't attacked me with those 'ice spears' mid-conversation," he sighed.

"And honestly... maybe it's better if we leave that talk for later. You can barely move."

"Hmph~" Esdeath crossed her arms, though a grimace betrayed the pain.

"Don't mistake me for an ordinary woman. I'm made of steel."

"Steel... but today you melted in my hands."

She didn't reply, but the blush on her face said everything.

Leon stretched and got out of bed, walking to a nearby table and picking up some papers.

"I captured two members of an enemy organization. They're fiercely loyal—almost fanatical. Not even torture seems to work."

Esdeath's eyes gleamed like sharp sapphires.

"Torture? Leave that to me. I've got some… new methods. I can guarantee even their souls will scream."

Leon gave her a thoughtful look.

"That's exactly why I came to you. And honestly, I'd rather have you handle it than waste my time and magic for nothing." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Besides, the last time I tried to torture someone with Yelan, I ended up smiling in a way that made me afraid of myself…"

Esdeath tilted her head, intrigued.

"Yelan? Who's that?"

"My personal intelligence officer. And… maybe someone you'd be highly compatible with. Physically, too." He paused.

"Maybe it'd be interesting for you two to meet."

"Physically compatible?" Esdeath looked at him with narrowed eyes and a suggestive smile.

"Are you trying to find me a rival?"

"I'm just trying to keep Yelan occupied… before she starts losing control."

"Tch. Coward." Esdeath stretched lazily on the bed, but a soft moan escaped her lips and she immediately pulled the sheets up to her chin, blushing.

"Hmph. Either way… I'll have fun with those prisoners. Maybe I'll even invite this Yelan to watch."

"You two together?" Leon raised an eyebrow.

"Gods… maybe we should evacuate the city first."

She laughed, lying back with regal confidence.

"Yes… maybe we should."

(End of chapter)

"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."