– Immediate Chaos
Amara's POV
I was halfway asleep, comfortably wrapped in Chris's warmth, when the chamber door creaked open—without a knock.
Chris snapped up before I could even blink. His instincts kicked in fast—military sharp. In the movement, his hand slammed down on the nightstand beside my bed—right where the red emergency button was.
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP—
A shrill sound pierced the stillness.
Then silence.
A deadly, dead silence.
I froze. My eyes locked with his.
Chris's pupils dilated.
"Oh no," I whispered.
He pressed it.
Then, like thunder breaking from every direction, I heard it.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM.
Boots. Hundreds. Marching. Sprinting.
The sound of every entrance in the palace unlocking like dominos.
Metal slamming against metal. Orders being shouted. Radios buzzing. Footsteps storming.
Within seconds, the chamber was filled with Blackwood Assault Men—B.A.M., in full tactical gear. Guns drawn. Shields up. Eyes cold. Ready to kill.
"DOWN!" one of them barked, aiming at me before recognizing my face.
"STAND DOWN!" I yelled. "I'm Amara Blackwood!"
Chris stood up behind me, half-shirtless, eyes wide with fury. "Who gave permission to enter without knocking?!"
The original intruding guard was already on his knees, arms up, mouth shaking.
"I—I—I'm sorry, Your Excellency—I didn't know you were— I didn't think—"
"You didn't think?" I spat, walking over to him, barefoot but commanding. "You broke protocol. You entered the chamber of the Emperor and the Empress without clearance, and you didn't knock?!"
Chris's voice turned deathly low.
"This button... is wired directly to every elite unit across Blackwood Palace. From skywatch to vault guards. You just summoned war over bad manners."
The man began to tremble.
I turned to the commanding officer of B.A.M.
"Strip him of rank. Interrogate him. Full background sweep. I want to know if this was just foolishness or a test."
"Yes, ma'am!"
B.A.M. units grabbed him, dragging him out of the room as he begged, "Please—I was just doing my duty!"
Chris exhaled and sat back down at the bed, rubbing his temple.
"This was supposed to be a peaceful night."
I walked back slowly and sat beside him, wrapping my hand around his.
"That's the Blackwood price, love. Peace... comes through power."
And now?
Everyone in the castle would remember one thing clearly:
In our chamber, even silence can start a war.
---