Bound by the Mark of Lies (BL)
Chapter 407 - 401: The poisonous offer

Chapter 407: Chapter 401: The poisonous offer

Olivier.

But not the cold strategist from the throne earlier, not the serpent Gabriel had learned to cut around in war councils. This was the Olivier Gabriel remembered from before the betrayals and the blood, a figure draped in soft midnight blue, the cut of his coat elegant and perfectly fitted, his blonde hair swept back just enough to reveal the smooth line of his face. His smile was easy, warm even, as if Gabriel had just stepped into a private memory rather than a cage.

"Gabriel," Olivier said, his voice rich, melodic, touched with the faintest echo of laughter. He stepped forward, hands open, as if welcoming an old friend. "It’s been far too long."

Gabriel stopped just inside the room, the door clicking shut behind him. The shard’s air felt heavier now, saturated with the careful perfume of nostalgia and longing.

So this is the game, Gabriel thought, his expression carefully neutral.

Olivier’s smile deepened, the kind of smile that had once turned entire courts in his favor. "You look just the same," he said, his tone fond, almost wistful. "Do you remember the night we stood on the eastern balcony? How you laughed then? How sure you were that we could change the world?"

The memories flickered, unbidden, vivid: the night wind against his face, the feeling of hope so close it burned.

Gabriel’s hands stayed at his sides, fingers steady. "I remember," he said softly, voice smooth as glass, giving nothing away.

Olivier’s eyes softened, stepping closer, his charm winding around every word. "Then you remember we were unstoppable, you and I. Let us be that again, Gabriel. Just like before."

Gabriel’s heart didn’t skip. His breath didn’t catch. He let the nostalgia wash over him like a tide against stone, steady and unmoved.

Inside, behind the quiet mask, his mind sharpened, blade-bright.

’Nice try, Olivier,’ he thought. ’But I know what you are now.’

He tilted his head faintly, letting the faintest curve touch his lips, just enough to keep the illusion alive.

"Let’s talk," Gabriel murmured, stepping further into the chamber with deliberate calm, ready to play the part until the trap he and Goliath had set could begin to close.

Olivier’s hand hovered near Gabriel’s back, never quite touching, a gesture calculated to feel familiar. He guided him through the archway and out onto the balcony, where the air was soft and perfumed with a sweetness that didn’t belong to this season.

A round table waited, set with silver and crystal, the faint hum of ether keeping the wine cool and the dishes warm. Beyond the railing, the false city stretched into a twilight haze, lanterns flickering like distant stars.

Gabriel stayed standing as Olivier gestured to a chair.

"Sit," Olivier urged, his voice smooth and charming, like honey laid over a blade. "It’s been too long since we shared a meal."

Gabriel’s eyes swept the balcony, then settled back on Olivier. He was not here to eat.

"Why," Gabriel asked evenly, "did Your Majesty want a bonding contract with me?"

Olivier’s smile curved like smoke, pleasant and immediate, as though the question were nothing more than a tease. He rested his hands lightly on the back of the chair opposite Gabriel, studying him as though measuring how far the mask would hold.

"Because you move faster than anyone else in this court," Olivier said simply. "Because you see angles no one else does. That hasn’t changed."

Gabriel tilted his head slightly, his expression as smooth and unreadable as polished glass.

"You told me you didn’t see me that way two years ago," he said, voice quiet, almost conversational.

Olivier chuckled softly, as though the memory was something sweet. "Ah... two years ago," he mused, the sound warm, coaxing. "You were confused then, just after your first heat, just starting to untangle what you felt. And yes, I told you I didn’t see you that way."

He leaned an elbow against the back of the chair, his smile widening with something that might have passed for affection if Gabriel hadn’t known better.

"Gabriel, dear," Olivier said gently, almost indulgently, "you were just another enamored boy, dazzled by someone older, someone untouchable. I wanted you... mature. Ready for me."

A shiver traced down Gabriel’s spine, cold and involuntary. His fingers curled slightly against his thigh under the table, hidden from view. He didn’t let it show on his face.

Because now he understood.

Olivier hadn’t wanted him then because he was still in progress. Olivier had been waiting, waiting for the experiment to settle, for the last laboratories to finish perfecting what they’d done to him, for the leash to tighten before reaching out for his toy again.

Gabriel let the silence stretch for a moment, the night air heavy with the hum of ether lanterns and the faint pulse of the shard itself. He gave a thin smile.

"You waited," Gabriel murmured, his voice low and calm, though something dangerous threaded beneath it.

Olivier’s smile never faltered. He straightened slowly, hands lifting in an almost theatrical gesture, as though offering his explanation like a gift too delicate to refuse.

"Of course I waited," he said, voice low and threaded with that practiced warmth. "Look at you now, stronger, sharper... complete." His gaze softened, or rather, pretended to soften. "I’m sorry for letting you wait, Gabriel, but you are far too important for me to rush our bond."

Gabriel’s lashes lowered just slightly, his tone calm, almost curious.

"Bond... Your Majesty," he said, tilting his head, "that doesn’t sound like you want me as your Empress."

Olivier’s laugh was soft and rich, as though the very suggestion amused him. He stepped a fraction closer, leaning a hand against the table’s edge. "Of course not," he murmured, his voice honey-slick. "You are far too precious to be placed in that role. You are perfect at my side without the dangers, without the crown’s burden. Why would I ever risk you?"

Gabriel studied him in silence, every word winding around him like silk, every cadence chosen to tug at old wounds and newer doubts. But behind Gabriel’s steady gaze, his thoughts were moving like blades in the dark.

"So you would keep me hidden," Gabriel said softly, "a bond without a name."

"A bond without a cage," Olivier corrected, smiling with that easy charm meant to disarm. "Imagine it, Gabriel, no council meetings, no daggers in the dark, no endless demands. Only what we choose to give each other."

Gabriel’s fingers tapped against the table slowly. "And in return?"

"Only your presence," Olivier said, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial murmur. "Your insight. Your brilliance. It’s all I’ve ever wanted."

Gabriel let a faint smile touch his lips, thin, cold, unreadable. "You make it sound so easy."

"It is easy," Olivier whispered, leaning in as though sharing a secret. "All you have to do is say yes."

The shard’s false night air wrapped around them, soft and heavy. Gabriel met Olivier’s gaze without blinking, letting the silence stretch until it began to feel like a blade itself.

Then he answered, voice smooth as polished stone.

"I’ll think about it, Your Majesty."