The night had already advanced past midnight. The moon remained suspended, silvering the world with its soft light, and the steady sound of water falling over the stone became a background melody. The surrounding forest, normally menacing, now seemed to bow in silence, respecting what had happened there.

Exelia and Kael sat side by side on the same stone where minutes before they had given in to the heat of a repressed desire. Now, dressed again, they stared at the stream running between the stones, as if searching for some answer they couldn't quite put into words.

Kael broke the silence first.

"That was quite... intense," he said, his voice deep but without arrogance, simply stating the obvious.

Exelia didn't look away from the water. Her long, damp hair still clung to her shoulders, a silvery lock swaying in the wind.

"That's just how it is," she replied simply.

Kael arched an eyebrow, intrigued by her serenity.

"Is that how things are?" he repeated, turning to face her. "I mean... did you want that?"

Exelia took a few seconds before answering. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment, as if seeking order for her own thoughts.

"I thought carefully before taking that abrupt action," she said finally, her voice firm but filled with a subtle melancholy.

Kael tilted his head curiously.

"Was there really that much to think about?"

Exelia finally looked at him. Her eyes held the intensity of someone who had seen battlefields and impossible decisions.

"Yes," she stated. "Because before anything else, before being called a witch, I was the leader of the army. Queen Eleanor's most trusted general. My name wasn't associated with delicacy, or with the idea of 'woman.'" I was merely an armed arm, a strategist, a piece of war.

She paused. The night wind blew, bringing the scent of moss and damp earth.

"So... making the decision to sleep with you, to cross that line... isn't something I could take lightly," she concluded, her voice low but filled with honesty. "Not with you. The future Witch King."

Kael sighed and looked away at the moon's reflection on the water. For a moment, he seemed to weigh her words.

"It's not quite like that," she said, almost in a whisper.

Exelia arched an eyebrow.

"It's not quite like that?" she repeated. "Then tell me... what do you mean?"

Kael was silent for a few moments. The sound of the stream was the only answer, until he let out a soft, humorless laugh.

"I have no interest in being king."

The statement hung in the air like a dangerous confession.

Exelia stared at him silently, and then, to his surprise, a smile curved her lips. Not a mocking smile, but something softer, more intimate.

"It's better this way," she murmured.

Kael turned to her, confused.

"And why?"

Her smile remained, but her eyes shone with something between amusement and bitter irony.

"Because you could never be king, Kael. Not with the current Queen... and certainly not with your mother."

He narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher her meaning.

"What are you implying?"

Exelia leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees. Her tone was almost confidential, as if she were sharing a dangerous secret.

"That they would both fight over you as if you were a trophy. They would try to monopolize every decision, every glance, every ounce of power that orbited around you." Your mother and the queen have a possessive instinct that would probably get in the way. With you in a position of power, not only would they want to help you, but they would take up all your time; it would be a disaster.

Kael frowned, absorbing those words. He'd never stopped to think about it that way, but deep down, it made sense.

Exelia continued:

"And if there's one thing I've learned in all my years as a general… it's that a kingdom can withstand external wars, invasions, betrayals. But it doesn't survive long when the conflicts come from within."

The moon illuminated his face, highlighting the serious line of his expression.

"A king torn between two such voracious forces can never reign. And in your case, Kael, those forces are the two most dangerous women this world has ever known."

Kael watched her silently, fascinated by her clarity. Exelia wasn't just a witch or a general; in that moment, she seemed like a prophet describing an inevitable fate.

He smiled, a slight, almost resigned smile.

"You speak as if you've seen this happen before."

Exelia didn't take her eyes off him.

"No, certainly not…" she replied. "But perhaps you simply know too well how the nature of power works."

The silence returned, but this time it wasn't uncomfortable. It was a silence laden with weight, as if they were both digesting not only what they had said, but also what they had done.

Kael took a deep breath, running a hand through his still-damp hair.

"So…" she said, her tone almost playful, but with something deeper hidden beneath, "is that why you thought so much before? Because sleeping with me would be… risking entering this arena?"

Exelia looked away to the water, where the moon reflected her own face.

"Partly," she admitted. "But also because, after all this, I no longer know where the general ends and the woman begins."

Kael stared at her for long seconds. Then, he moved a little closer, close enough for their shoulders to touch.

"I know where the woman begins," she said, her voice low, charged with intensity.

Exelia took a deep breath, and for a moment her expression almost wavered, almost dropping her mask of control. But soon she regained her firm posture, though the smile on her lips betrayed her.

"You are dangerous, Kael," she murmured.

He smiled back.

"And you only realized that now?"

They laughed together, and for a few seconds the weight of their conversation dissipated into the early morning air. But behind the laughter, they both knew the words spoken there would not be forgotten.

The water continued to flow, eternal, as if indifferent to the human drama unfolding at its edge.

Exelia smoothed her hair back.

"You know…" she said, more serious again. "I don't regret it. Not even a little. But that doesn't mean it will be simple."

Kael watched her, his red eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

"Nothing worthwhile is simple," he replied.

And in that instant, something shifted between them. It wasn't just desire, nor just respect. It was a silent alliance, forged as much in intimacy as in truths spoken without disguise.

Exelia sighed, leaning back slightly, resting her hands on the cool stone.

"The moon is beautiful today," she commented, as if changing the subject.

Kael also looked up at the sky.

"It is," he agreed. "But not as much as you."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her smile.

"You really are hopeless."

He shrugged.

"Nor do I want to be."

As Kael and Exelia sat side by side on the rock, in complicit silence before the moonlit stream, the world seemed to hold its breath for them both. But miles away, another spectacle was taking place.

In a valley hidden by the mountains, hundreds of female figures gathered in a circle. There, in the center, rose a vast panel of arcane energy, a living screen of magic, pulsing with purple and gold runes. The surface of the spell accurately reflected the intimate scene between the prince and the general, with an almost immoral clarity.

There were about two hundred witches—young, old, novice, and war veterans—who watched with almost religious attention. Some were open-mouthed, others chuckled among themselves, and many clapped in muffled applause, as if witnessing the climax of a play.

"By the Moon Goddess…" one of the younger ones murmured, her eyes wide. "I thought it was just a rumor…"

"Rumor?" another retorted, laughing loudly. "Girl, this is living history! General Exelia, who never let any man even dream of her, now gives herself to the prince… and not shyly, but with all that fire!"

A chorus of giggles ran through the circle.

Further back, an elderly witch, with deep wrinkles and eyes filled with wisdom, leaned on her staff and spoke in a low voice, but firm enough for everyone to hear:

"Don't treat this as just entertainment. Don't you understand? What happened here is a milestone. A union… a seal of power."

The younger ones looked at each other, still giggling nervously, but little by little the gravity of the old woman's words silenced the crowd.

However, not everyone was in awe. Some, more uninhibited, still vibrated with enthusiasm:

"A seal of power"? one of them scoffed, her eyes shining. "I only saw the general showing that she still knows how to use weapons that aren't of war!"

Several laughed. Others agreed, nodding their heads in malicious approval.

But deep down, there was more than laughter. There was a collective excitement, a fervor that spread like wildfire. After all, it wasn't just sex. It was the future unfolding before them, and they all knew it.

"Did you notice?" a red-haired witch said, her eyes flashing. "He didn't refuse. He didn't hesitate. He accepted Exelia as she is, even with all the burden of being a general, even with all the weight of war. That means something."

"It means he's not weak," another added seriously. "A man who fears a woman of power can never dream of ruling."

The words echoed, and for a moment, the magic panel seemed to glow more intensely, reflecting the scene where Kael and Exelia now laughed together, shoulder to shoulder, before the stream.

A wave of murmurs ran through the circle. Some witches began to clap rhythmically, as if celebrating a victory. Others raised goblets of enchanted wine, toasting fervently.

"I'd say we already have a couple to lead the coming ages," said one of the elders, smiling wryly. "Exelia, the indomitable general, and Kael, the uncrowned prince… together, they could set the world ablaze."

"Or save it," corrected a soft voice from the crowd.

Silence fell for a moment. This duality—destruction or salvation—seemed to hang in the air like an invisible sword.

Some of the more political witches whispered among themselves:

"And the Queen? What will she say when she finds out?"

"And his mother?"

The comment brought back the tension. Many frowned. Others drank faster, trying to dispel the thought. Because they all knew that, as beautiful and captivating as that intimate moment was, it carried with it the seeds of future disputes.

Still, the collective energy was euphoric. The general who had never bowed to anyone had bowed, willingly, to Kael. And Kael, the prince who claimed not to be king, had accepted.

The younger witches began to sing playful chants, improvising verses about the "future king and his general" as if it were a tavern song. The older ones laughed, but didn't stop them.

Atop the magic panel, the runes shifted, forming the clear image of Exelia smiling at Kael, and this drew even louder applause.

Suddenly… CLAP!

A witch batel pauma.

"Ladies, let's delete all the images of this wedding scene and keep it to ourselves, okay?" She said, "We don't want to trigger a cataclysm of possessive Mother and Grandmother. Come on, delete everything."

"YES, DREAMER!"