Chapter 275\u00a0<\/p>\n
I waited.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seconds stretched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, he spoke-but not to the room. Not to an imaginary audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes fixed on me again that the intensity he only had when he was serious about something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be honest,\u201d he said slowly, \u201cI don\u2019t think about thrones when I imagine the future.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stayed still, afraid to break whatever fragile honesty had surfaced.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think about our sons,\u201d he continued. \u201cAbout August and fan growing up without knowing what it\u2019s like to sleep with one eye open. Without being taught who to hate before they learn how to choose.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI want them to know a peaceful life,\u201d he said. \u201cOne where strength doesn\u2019t mean violence, and power isn\u2019t something you cling to out of fear of losing it. I want them to get to be kids and not just warriors in training.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He glanced at me then, eyes dark and earnest. \u201cIf I become king, it won\u2019t be because I wanted a crown. It\u2019ll be because I want to build a world where they never have to fight for the right to exist.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t speak for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was it. That was the answer he\u2019d been circling since the campaign began-the truth beneath all the strategy and restraint.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it was more than that. It was the thing that had been building in him since he saw the boys that day in the park. Since he realized that they were still alive and I had been hiding them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew enough about his upbringing to know that Nolan never got to be a child, not really. Every carefree day that August and Ian got to experience was precious to him. They were precious to him. Hearing him say it out loud didn\u2019t reassure me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Deep down, I had known already that he was fiercely protective of them. Not just their physical safety, but their happiness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, hearing him lay it out like that made my heart ache in the best way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I reached out, brushing my thumb along his jaw. \u201cThat\u2019s your vision,\u201d I said softly. \u201cYou just haven\u2019t let yourself say it out loud.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He swallowed. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t sound\u2026 grand enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sounds real,\u201d I replied. \u201cAnd right now, that\u2019s what people are responding to. Not promises of dominance. Not tradition for tradition\u2019s sake.\u201d I smiled faintly. \u201cThey\u2019re responding to you. The real you, not the ice and anger you\u2019ve been hiding behind.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His hand came up to cover mine, warm and steady. \u201cI don\u2019t want to lie to them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen don\u2019t,\u201d I said simply. \u201cTell them exactly that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned forward, resting his forehead against my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him the way he so often held me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re allowed to want peace,\u201d I murmured. \u201cEven if you\u2019re built like a storm.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A quiet breath of laughter escaped him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 275\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially then,\u201d I added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He straightened a little, some of the tension finally easing from his frame.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d he said. \u201cFor reminding me why I\u2019m doing this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled, pressing a kiss to his temple. \u201cAnytime, Your Majesty.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He snorted. \u201cDon\u2019t start.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cToo late,\u201d I said, grinning. \u201cNow come on. If you\u2019re going to change the future of the kingdom, you should probably get some sleep.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSleep is the last thing on my mind right now,\u201d he said with a grin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you start,\u201d I huffed at him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stood, pulling me up with him, his hand warm and sure in mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cToo late, princess,\u201d he teased.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0f0d \u0f51\u0f44\u0f0d\u0f0d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I started to protest the nickname, but he pulled him forward suddenly and scooped me over his good shoulder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I squeaked in surprise and clung to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNolan! You can\u2019t just throw me around like this, you\u2019re injured!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not that injured,\u201d he muttered as he carried me up the stairs to our bedroom. \u201cI\u2019ll never be that injured.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re being a bastard,\u201d I groaned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He only laughed. I sighed in defeat and wrapped my arms around him to steady us as he carried me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we headed toward the bedroom, I glanced back once at the darkened windows, the city lights flickering beyond\u00a0<\/p>\n
them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Storms were still gathering. I could feel that much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But for the first time in days, the future didn\u2019t feel like something to fear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It felt like something worth fighting for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
P\u00a0<\/p>\n
Share\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 275 Chapter 275\u00a0 I waited.\u00a0 Seconds stretched.\u00a0 Finally, he spoke-but not to the room. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-unremembered-mate-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23844"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23844\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}