Married To The Villain
Chapter 59: The Attack

Chapter 59: The Attack

Chapter 59: The Attack

As the night started, they could hear the owls singing.

Gabriel was beside Lirian, resting his head on one arm while his other hand traced circles on the back of her hand.

The warmth of the fire and the quiet intimacy of the moment made the world outside feel invisible, almost forgotten...

For a while, they simply stayed in silence, listening to the flames.

But then Gabriel broke the silence.

"Lirian," he began..."There’s something I’ve never personally told anyone. Something I carry with me every day."

The close ones to him, knew the whole story, but he never dared to share this personally with anyone.

She turned to face him, her brow furrowed a little. "What is it?"

He hesitated, as if he were looking back into a painful memory.

"It’s about my mother and my sister. About how they died."

Lirian’s breath caught, her heart tightened in her chest.

She remembered that part of the book—the tragedy that shaped Gabriel into the man he was.

But hearing it from him now, in this moment, made it feel all the more real.

Gabriel took a deep breath, slightly touching his fingers around hers.

"The crown prince and I were just children. We were playing in the dungeons. We thought it would be fun to light a few torches and learn how to control fire... Well, we were foolish."

Lirian felt her stomach twist around in circles.

She knew where this story was going, but she couldn’t bring herself to interrupt.

"The flames spread faster than we could have imagined. My sister... she was down there, in one of the cells."

Lirian’s eyes widened. "Why was she in the dungeon?"

"She was helping a squirrel," Gabriel explained, his jaw tightened at the end of his sentence.

His lips cracked slightly, and Lirian reached out, placing her hand on his arm in silent support.

"My mother," he went on, "she ran into the fire when she realised what was happening. She didn’t even hesitate. She thought she could save my sister, but..."

Gabriel paused.

"They both died in the fire," Lirian finished softly.

Gabriel nodded, looking at the ceiling.

"I can still hear their screams sometimes. I see the fire, smell the smoke. And I know it’s my fault."

"It wasn’t your fault," Lirian replied gently, sitting up slightly to look him in the eye. "You were just a child, Gabriel. You didn’t know."

He shook his head, a bitter smile tugged at his lips.

"Maybe not. But that doesn’t change the fact that I helped Raphael with fire..."

Lirian’s heart ached for him, and without thinking, she reached out to cup his face.

"You’ve spent your whole life carrying this guilt," she said looking into his eyes. "But you don’t have to carry it alone anymore."

Gabriel turned to look at her.

"That’s why I have to do this, Lirian. That’s why I have to reclaim my throne. For them. For what was taken from my family."

Lirian’s stomach clenched.

She knew what that meant.

If Gabriel tried to take the throne, he would face unimaginable dangers. And if she stayed by his side, so would she.

"Are you willing to stand by me?" Gabriel asked, quietly. "Until the very end?"

Her throat dried, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak.

She knew the answer he wanted, the answer she was desperate to give.

But she also knew the truth—the danger they would face, the likelihood that their story would end in tragedy.

Still, she forced herself to smile, leaning forward to wrap her arms around him.

"I’m here, Gabriel," she whispered. "I’ll stand by you. Always."

Gabriel’s arms came around her, holding her close as if she were his anchor.

Then Gabriel pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her eyes.

His hand came up to brush a strand of hair from her face, his touch remained as he softened his eyes for her.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "For believing in me."

She smiled, though her heart felt heavier than any mountain.

"I’m not just believing in you, Gabriel. I’m believing in us."

His lips curved into a small smile, and he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"I’ll protect you, Lirian," he murmured. "No matter what happens, I promise I’ll keep you safe."

’As if you protected me when we were in the North,’ Lirian thought to herself.

But then her breath hitched as his lips moved from her forehead to her temple, then down to her cheek.

Each kiss was soft, caring and passionate.

When his lips finally met hers, it was slow and tender at first, as though he were savoring the moment.

But then the kiss deepened, becoming more passionate, more desperate.

Lirian felt as though the world had fallen away, leaving only the two of them and the fire they had between them.

Her hands slid up to tangle in his hair, pulling him closer as he wrapped his arms around her.

The kiss was a promise, a declaration, and a plea all at once.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathing heavily, resting their foreheads against each other.

"Gabriel," Lirian whispered in a trembling voice.

He smiled faintly, brushing his thumb over her cheek.

"I know," he said softly. "Me too.

"Squeak! Danger! Danger!" Pedro screamed from his perch near the window.

Both Gabriel and Lirian stopped for a moment, looking at each other here letting out a low chuckle.

"Pedro...I think you’ve taken your role as an alarm system a bit too seriously."

"Maybe he just wants attention. Or maybe he’s jealous."

"Jealous?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Of me or you?"

"Me, obviously," Lirian teased. "He thinks you’re stealing his best friend."

Pedro flapped his wings noisily. "Danger!" he squawked again, hopping in place.

Gabriel sighed, reaching for a small piece of fruit from a nearby dish. "Here, Pedro. Calm down. Nothing’s—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden, bone-rattling tremor shook the castle, sending the fruit tumbling from his hand.

"What the—?" Lirian gasped, clutching Gabriel’s arm as the floor beneath them trembled violently.

The temperature in the room dropped sharply, and a crash went through the air as an enormous ball of ice slammed into the side of the castle, sending shards of frozen debris flying.

Gabriel was on his feet in an instant, pulling Lirian with him.

"Stay close!" he commanded.

Lirian didn’t need to be told twice.

She grabbed her cloak, her heart was running in her chest like a cheetah.

"Squeak! Danger! Danger!" Pedro shrieked, flapping wildly as he darted around the room.

"This time, he’s not wrong," Lirian muttered, her breath seeming visible in the freezing air.

Another tremor rocked the castle, followed by a blast of bitterly cold wind that seemed to cut straight through her.

From somewhere outside, there came a deep, guttural roar that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Monsters," Gabriel growled. "They’re here."

Lirian’s stomach twisted as she clutched his arm. "Who’s attacking us? And why now?"

"I don’t know," Gabriel admitted.... "But we’re about to find out."

He grabbed his sword from its resting place against the wall.

"Stay behind me," he said firmly, his eyes locking onto hers. "No matter what happens."

Lirian nodded, though her hands trembled. "I’m not leaving you, Gabriel."

Another roar echoed through the air, louder and closer this time.

Gabriel moved quickly, pulling Lirian toward the doorway as another massive ice ball crashed into the castle, shaking the very foundations.

As they stepped into the hallway, the mess outside became even more apparent.

Servants ran in all directions...

"Get to safety!" Gabriel shouted at them. "Barricade yourselves in the lower levels!"

Lirian’s eyes darted to the window at the end of the corridor, her breath catching as she caught sight of the scene outside.

The courtyard was a battlefield. Dark, hulking shapes moved through the shadows—monsters with glowing eyes and jagged claws.

"They’re everywhere," she whispered.

"We’ll deal with them," he shouted. "But first, we need to figure out who’s behind this, and get you out of here!"

Before Lirian could respond, another blast of icy wind tore through the hallway, nearly knocking her off her feet.

Gabriel caught her.

"This isn’t just an attack," he muttered. "Someone’s using magic."

Lirian swallowed hard. "Could it be the same person who’s been sending monsters to the North?"

"Possibly," Gabriel said. "But we need to be sure."

Pedro swooped ahead, "Danger! Danger!"

Lirian couldn’t decide whether to be grateful for his warnings or irritated by the sheer volume of his cries.

"Pedro," she muttered under her breath, "if we survive this, I’m teaching you a new word."

"Survive first," Gabriel smiled.

Gabriel pulled Lirian back, shielding her with his body as the dust settled.

"We need to move faster," he said, his voice tight. "Stay close."

The ceiling trembled, blocking their way to the outside.

"Gabriel," Lirian said quietly. "What if we can’t survive this?"