LOVE WITH COMMITMENTS

The bell atop the Tower of Oaths rang five times once for each Great House summoned to the Binding Circle. Its echo traveled through the cobbled streets of Elyria like a chill, carried on wind scented with rosewood and ash. To the people of the kingdom, the bell meant duty. Legacy. Honor. To Selene Aeris, it meant captivity. She stood in the Hall of Mirrors, her reflection multiplied across gleaming glass-tall, proud, and crowned with flowers not of her choosing. Her gown shimmered like moonlight on ice, a delicate silver threaded with symbols of House Aeris: the hawk, the flame, the promise.

Her mother's hand adjusted the lace at her collar one last time. "You look perfect," Lady Aeris said, lips tight with pride and expectation. "As you must." Selene didn't answer. Her green eyes remained fixed on the center mirror, where a younger version of herself seemed to stare back in disbelief. At seven, she had learned that love was not a choice. At twelve, she had been told whom she might be bound to. At seventeen, she now stood one hour away from her Trial of Binding-an ancient magical ceremony that would determine which soul she'd be contractually, eternally tied to. Even if she did not love him. Even if she did not want him. "I don't want this," she finally said aloud. Her mother froze, hand hovering mid-air. "Selene-" "I'm not a token to be passed between bloodlines." Her voice was firm, but calm. The storm in her chest would not be allowed to rise just yet. Lady Aeris exhaled sharply. "This is not a game. The law exists for order. Magic without boundaries destroys kingdoms. You've read the histories." "I've also read that those laws were written by men who feared the power of real love," Selene snapped. "So they chained it." "You speak like a wildling." "Perhaps they are freer than we are." Lady Aeris did not respond this time. Her silence was sharper than any scolding. When she finally turned, the rustle of silk sounded like a blade unsheathing. "You may despise the law," she said over her shoulder, "but you will obey it. Or you will bring disgrace upon us both." --- Kael Thornhart stood near the Binding Circle's edge, just outside the gilded arches. His armor bore the emblem of the Crown Guard-a silver phoenix bursting from flame. He kept still, like the marble pillars flanking him, but his mind was far from stillness. This was not his place. Not truly. He was born to nothing and fought his way to everything. Love, he had decided long ago, was the realm of the privileged. His only bond had been shattered years ago in a Trial much like this one. He never spoke her name. Never would. And yet, here he was-assigned by Queen Liora herself to oversee Lady Selene's Binding. Not as a suitor. As a protector. "Protect her from what?" he'd asked at the assignment. The steward's response had been simple: "From herself, if need be." The Circle filled with nobles, each family in their ancient colors. The flames in the braziers flared as the Binding Rune glowed a faint blue, the language of the gods preparing to write new destiny. Kael watched as Selene entered the ring. --- Selene walked through the aisle carved by tradition, eyes unfocused. Every step she took toward the Circle felt like sinking deeper into cold water. Her heartbeat matched the rhythm of the Binding Rune's pulse, a thudding magic beneath the stone floor. She'd once dreamed of walking this path with love lighting her soul. But this? This was a trial of compliance. The priestess raised her hands. Her voice rang out like thunder. "Let the fire test the hearts. Let the flame speak truth. May fate tie what must be tied." Beside Selene stood Arion of House Veyr-a nobleman's son with raven-dark hair and a smirk that never quite reached his eyes. He bowed politely. She barely nodded. A crystal orb floated between them. Inside, a flickering flame began to rise. It danced and swirled as magic read the threads of both souls. "Compatibility: 82%." Murmurs rippled through the crowd. High enough to bind. Not ideal, but acceptable. Arion grinned. Selene closed her eyes. But the flame sputtered. A new thread formed-a crimson one-spinning violently behind her. The orb flickered again. The priestess gasped. So did the Oracle seated in shadow, their hands twitching. The flame surged toward the edge of the circle-toward Kael. And stopped. "Unknown interference," the orb whispered. Silence fell. Selene's eyes snapped open and met Kael's. For the briefest moment, the world unraveled. The Rune beneath their feet dimmed. The Oracle stood. Their eyes glowed white. "Thread unmarked. Connection unsanctioned," they pronounced. "Meaning?" Queen Liora asked from her throne, her voice cold and sharp. The Oracle bowed their head. "There is a bond forming that has not been written in the Threads of Law." Kael stepped back, fists clenched. Selene didn't know what she felt-panic, wonder, or something worse: hope. Queen Liora rose. "Then we must burn the thread before it grows roots." --- Later that night, under torchlight and secrecy, Selene was escorted to her chambers by none other than Kael himself. No words passed between them until the door was shut and the guards dismissed. She turned to him. "It was you." He didn't deny it. "I don't know how. I didn't want this." "But you felt it too." He nodded once, slowly. "A thread. Hot as wildfire. It almost pulled me forward." Selene paced, heart hammering. "This changes everything. They'll try to cut it." "They already have." She faced him. "Will you help me protect it?" Kael hesitated. "Lady Selene-" "Call me Selene. And choose. Will you follow the law-or the truth?" Kael took a long breath. His oath to the Queen tasted bitter now. His heart, long buried in ash, beat loud in his chest. He looked at her, this girl of fire and defiance. "I'll help you," he said. "Even if it breaks the world."