As much as I tried to forget, I couldn't. The memory burned behind my eyes—that humiliating moment when he had laughed at me. My cheeks still flushed just thinking about it. But I pushed the embarrassment aside. He had spoken to the queen, and I needed every detail.
"Derek, what did the queen say? Are we free to move? Did you face any obstacles?"
He scanned me slowly from head to toe, his gaze lingering just long enough to make my skin prickle with discomfort and my cheeks burn bright red. "Finally something decent," he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Well, she said she would love to help us. As we speak, they're re-drawing all the contracts they gave to both the English and Grecian countries, forcing the workforce and the government to start doubting the leadership."
He finished with a satisfied smile, but I wasn't pleased at all. It sounded far too easy, like we were handing our enemies the perfect trap on a silver platter. I knew for certain they weren't stupid enough to let something like this slide without a counter-plan hidden somewhere.
"Call her right now and cancel the plan," I said, my voice firm and leaving no room for argument. "We're leaving immediately. Something feels fishy about this whole thing."
He gave me a puzzled look, eyebrows raised, but I wasn't in the mood for jokes or second-guessing. After studying my face for what felt like an eternity, he finally stood up, grabbed a heavy suitcase stuffed with cash, took my hand in his, and we ran out of the house together.
We had barely cleared the front door when the explosion ripped through the building behind us. The force slammed into my back like a hot wind, sending debris flying past our heads. We ran as fast as our legs could carry us, hearts pounding, lungs burning. When I was finally sure we had put enough distance between us and the blast, I stopped, smiled in pure relief, and threw my arms around him in a tight hug.
"We made it out alive—that's the important part," I said, still catching my breath. "But next time, discuss your plans fully with me and think deeper than the surface. We can't afford any more close calls like that."
I pulled away and walked over to sit under the shade of a nearby tree, letting the cool grass press against my legs as I tried to steady my racing pulse. He stayed rooted exactly where he was, but I told myself it was just the shock of the explosion still settling in. We had no allies left, almost no time, and barely any manpower on our side. If we were going to survive this, I had to learn how to fight—really fight.
"Derek, could you—"
I cut myself off and ran back to his side the moment I saw him crouched down on the ground, shoulders shaking as quiet sobs escaped him. Tears streamed down his face.
"What the hell is wrong?" I asked, dropping to my knees beside him.
"The last person who treated me with such kindness was my dad," he whispered, voice cracking. "I never thought my presence would be this valuable to anyone. Please… don't neglect me like he did."
I was completely speechless. My heart did a triple somersault inside my chest for the first time in my life, a strange warmth spreading through me that I couldn't quite name.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," I said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But now is not the time to feel sad or down. We have history to write and a story to change. So get your butt up and teach me how to fight."
His eyes flashed with renewed interest and determination. In that moment, I knew something deep inside him—something that had been buried in sorrow for far too long—had finally woken up.
Two whole weeks had passed, and I could no longer bear the nerve-racking pain that came with every training session. My muscles screamed, my bruises throbbed, and exhaustion clung to me like a second skin.
"Derek, I don't think fighting is my path," I admitted, wiping sweat from my forehead. "It's just too tiring and time-consuming. I'll leave you to be the defender." I turned to walk away, hoping he would let it go.
A surprise blow came flying my way without warning. I dodged it smoothly on instinct and suddenly found myself locked in a fierce battle with him. He moved like lightning, toppling me over and slamming my back onto the hard floor. The impact knocked the air out of my lungs.
"When you can stand on your own in a fight like this, I won't bother you anymore," he said, voice steady and unyielding. "Stop being lazy and a softy. Fight for what you truly want."
I was close to tears, frustration and exhaustion threatening to spill over, but he didn't budge an inch. His eyes stayed locked on mine, daring me to quit.
Five whole months had passed. To say the least, I had finally mastered some truly flawless moves—blocks, counters, strikes that felt natural now instead of forced. I felt on top of the world, stronger than I had ever imagined possible.
"I think we can start now," Derek said, a proud grin spreading across his face. "You're ready—and so am I!"
I was more than delighted. The current news reports showed that the economies we were supposed to rule were crumbling faster than anyone expected. We had to act—for ourselves, for our parents, and for the people who still believed in us.
Derek's POV
In the past few months we had spent together, I realized a lot about Tatiana. Surprisingly, I was quite delighted that I had married her. Every single day she trained harder than the day before, pushing past her limits with a fire I hadn't expected. Her resilience completely knocked me out. Those eyes that said too much and too little at the same time, that voice full of something I couldn't quite decipher… they haunted me in the best possible way.
My mind drifted back to our wedding day, and I couldn't deny the truth—I had married a Greek goddess. Her words still sounded fuzzy in my memory, like something out of a fairytale. Everything around me had turned black for a moment.
"You've finally held onto my hand, so don't let go," a strange voice had whispered.
The voice sounded out of the ordinary, but I couldn't prepare myself for whatever came next.