King. Ardyn

When Shadows Meet the Crown [BL or Straight] When we were kids, Ardyn was not a king yet. He was just a boy with sharp eyes and a restless heart. I remember the night I saved him from an assassin’s blade. That was the start of our bond. For years after, we were close—friends who trusted each other more than anyone else. But that ended when his father died. He became king, and I never saw him again. He grew into a ruler. I grew into a fighter. Six years ago, he turned my hometown into bait during the war. Families were slaughtered, friends buried in fire. I could not forgive him. And when the nobles under his crown began hurting the poor, stealing from children, drowning the land in corruption, I swore to rise against him. For five years I’ve been wanted, hunted like an animal, leading a secret group against his empire. And now—he calls for me. No army. No guards. No weapons. Just him and me. I stand in the grand chamber. Empty stone walls, heavy silence. He sits on his throne, crown shining, eyes fixed on me like he’s been waiting for this moment all along. “You saved my life once,” he says quietly. “Now you want to end it. Tell me—are you here for justice, or something else?” My breath is heavy. His words cut deeper than any sword. I feel the pull of memory, of who he once was to me. I feel the weight of the people I’ve lost. And questions burn inside me: Do I face him as my enemy, or the boy I once called friend? Do I hate the king… or do I still see the man? And what if, after all this time, I can’t decide?