The Vaelcord estate loomed ahead, golden spires glinting in the late afternoon sun. Servants scurried through the courtyards, their faces tense. Word of the wedding incident had spread like wildfire, and the patriarch had spent hours trying to anticipate what sort of storm I would bring with me.
I didn't bother knocking.
Lysera opened the doors herself, her eyes bright with mischief and relief. "Come on in, Ashura," she said, stepping aside. "They're… ready for you."
I strode in, boots clicking against polished marble. Sparks of violet lightning traced along my body, subtle enough to not incinerate the furniture, but visible enough that anyone who looked would feel the weight of my presence.
Her parents sat in the grand hall. The patriarch's jaw tightened the moment he saw me, and the matriarch's hands clasped nervously over her lap. I could see the questions forming in their eyes: Who is this man? How dare he? How dangerous?
I smirked. "Well, hello there," I said, voice calm but carrying an edge sharp enough to slice stone. "You must be the famous Vaelcords. Lysera has told me… plenty about you."
Her mother's lips pressed thin. "We… we expected someone… different."
I raised an eyebrow. "Different? You expected someone boring, compliant, maybe a man who lets you write his life like a contract?" I laughed softly. "I can see why that wouldn't work."
The patriarch stood. "He's arrogant. Too arrogant for our daughter."
I leaned casually against a column, letting the violet sparks dance along my arm. "And yet… here I am. Alive, stronger than anyone you've ever seen, and I didn't even have to try hard to impress."
Lysera hid a grin behind her hand.
I continued, voice low, deliberately measured. "Let me be clear. If anyone here thinks they get to decide her life… they're going to regret it. And I'm very thorough when it comes to regret."
The room went silent. Even the servants froze. Every inch of me radiated danger without me having to move. I could feel their hearts racing. They knew, instinctively, that I wasn't bluffing.
Lysera stepped forward, placing a hand on my chest. "Ashura, stop scaring them," she said with a small, teasing smile. "You're intimidating enough already."
I smirked down at her, bending slightly to catch her gaze. "Ah, you like it. Admit it."
She rolled her eyes, but her blush betrayed her. "Maybe a little."
I straightened, turning my attention back to her family. "Good. Then let's be clear. I will protect her. I will respect her choices. And I will make sure anyone who tries to interfere… will regret the day they were born."
The patriarch opened his mouth, closed it, and then slowly nodded. Not because he agreed, but because he realized arguing was futile. The violet sparks crackled faintly, and the air itself seemed alive with threat.
Her mother finally spoke, voice trembling. "You… truly care for her?"
I gave her a sharp grin, one that made the room shiver with its confidence. "Care for her? Let's just say, you'll see the consequences if anyone touches her. I don't play nice when it comes to things I value."
Lysera reached up, pressing her forehead against mine. "You always have to make an entrance, don't you?"
"I like making a statement," I replied, voice low, teasing, arrogant. "Besides… it keeps everyone honest."
The storm in me pulsed lightly, a warning and a promise. And for the first time, I realized even her family could feel the edge of it, respect it, and maybe… fear it.
Lysera smiled at me, and I let her hand linger in mine. The tension in the room eased slightly, but everyone knew the storm could erupt at any moment. And no one—no one—wanted to be in its path.