Jade & a Kiss with Certainty.

The halls of the palace stretched before them, vast and imposing; Stone, shadow and echoes of a rule built on fear. But as Jade walked, that weight seemed to lessen, not because it was gone. But because they were already changing it.

“For example, here,” she said, slowing as they entered one of the long corridors leading toward the inner chambers.

Her veil was gone now. She had removed it almost absentmindedly at the start of their walk, and without it, her expressions flowed more freely, more openly.
Her hand lifted, gesturing along the right wall.

“Tapestries or wallpapers,” she said. “Not trophies or images of conquests, stories.”

Fenrir stepped a little closer behind her, his gaze following the movement of her hand… then drifting, inevitably, to the elegant line of her arm… the subtle sway of her waist. He glanced where she pointed. “Stories of what?”

Jade’s eyes softened slightly. “Of Edenia and Outworld. The realms as they should be remembered… not as they were broken.”

He nodded slowly. “And the left?” he asked.

“Windows,” she replied without hesitation. “Three, evenly spaced.” She stepped closer to the wall, her fingertips brushing the cold stone, lingering there. “Framed with silk curtains… crimson, perhaps. Or…” she glanced back again, a faint, thoughtful smile forming, “…a softer blue. So, the moonlight can slip through without resistance.”

She stepped closer to the wall as she spoke, her fingers grazing the cold stone as if already envisioning its transformation.

“No more corridors that feel like cages,” she added quietly. “If this is to be our home… it must feel like one.”

Fenrir watched her, not the walls or the space in between them, her.

The way her voice shifted.

The way her posture softened with beautiful and seductive grace, then strengthened again.

The way she cared.

“…Rugs,” she added suddenly, half to herself, her gaze flicking downward. “Woven with Edenian patterns, perhaps… Something that invites warmth.”
Then she looked back at him.

“What do you think?”

Fenrir held her gaze for a moment. Then, simply with a warm and genuine smile.

“I think you’re beautiful.”

Jade blinked. And then, she laughed. Soft, genuine and unrestrained for just a moment.

“Shut up,” she said lightly, though the warmth in her voice betrayed her.

Her cheeks coloured again, and she turned away, continuing forward. “Come,” she added. “There is still much to see.”

They moved deeper into the palace; their pace unhurried.

At times, their hands brushed. Sometimes intentionally…Sometimes not. Each time, neither of them pulled away too quickly.

“This wing,” Jade said as they entered a broader chamber, “was used for war councils.”

Fenrir glanced around. “Let me guess: grim, tense and full of yelling?”

“Among other things,” she replied dryly. She stepped into the centre of the room, turning slowly as she took it in. “This will become a gathering space,” she continued. “Open and welcoming…A place for discussion and diplomacy, not conquest and warmongering.”

He leaned lightly against a nearby pillar. “Kitana’s idea?”

Jade nodded with a light chuckle. “In part, she believes diplomacy should feel… human.”

“And Mileena?”

A small smile tugged at Jade’s lips. “She wants a section for treats.”

Fenrir snorted. “Of course she does.”

“And music,” Jade added. “And dancing.”

“…I like her version better already.”

Jade glanced at him, amused. “I am not surprised.”

He pushed off the pillar, stepping closer. “And you?” he asked. “What do you want from all this?”

The question lingered.

Jade’s expression softened. Not uncertain, but thoughtful.

“A place that feels alive,” she said quietly. “Not just for us… but for those who walk these halls.” Her gaze lifted slightly, distant for a moment. “I have spent centuries in service to power,” she continued. “Now… I wish to shape what that power feels like.”

Fenrir studied her; Then stepped closer.

Not touching her, yet. “You already are,” he said. The sincerity in his voice made her breath catch, just slightly.

She looked at him then, really looked. For a moment, the space between them felt… smaller…Denser, charged with emotion and intimacy.

Her hand moved, almost without thought, resting lightly against his chest. She wasn’t pulling or pushing him away… Just there. She felt the steady rhythm beneath her palm.

Fenrir didn’t move, but his breath shifted.

Just enough for her to notice. “…Careful,” she murmured, though there was no real warning in it. Her dark green emerald eyes were crystallised with tenderness and affection for him.

“Why?” he asked quietly.

Her fingers curled just slightly against him. “…Because,” she said, her voice lowering, “you are beginning to enjoy this too much.”

A faint smirk touched his lips. “Only me?”

That earned him a sharp look and a teasing, flirting smile, but not an unkind one.

“My lips are sealed.” She said seductively, earning a flirtatious and aroused smile from him. Just as she wanted, she loved having him on the edge for her. It reassured her that he was just as head over heels for her as she was for him.

“…That’s not reassuring,” he murmured.

“It was not meant to be,” she replied, her tone dipping, soft, suggestive and controlled.

Fenrir exhaled through his nose, the hint of a laugh caught somewhere deeper.

They continued, though the rhythm between them had changed. It had become more intimate and jovial.

They passed through narrower halls now; less formal, more lived-in.

“The kitchens are this way,” Jade said, gesturing lightly as they walked.

Fenrir glanced inside briefly; large, functional… but cold. “Let me guess,” he said. “You’re going to fix this, too.”

Jade gave him a look. “Of course.”

“How?”

She slowed, considering. “Warmer lighting,” she said. “Open spaces for staff to speak freely, less rigid yet comfortable to work productively. People serve better when they feel seen and respected.”

Fenrir nodded. “That makes sense.”

She glanced at him, faintly impressed. “You agree rather easily.”

“I’m learning,” he replied. “Besides… you sound like you know what you’re doing.”

A small smile returned to her lips.

“I do.”

They walked on. At one point, Fenrir's gaze lingered again, this time more openly, following the natural movement of her hips as she led the way.

Jade slowed, just slightly, with a hidden grin. “…If you continue staring like that,” she said without turning, her voice smooth, “I may begin to believe you are distracted.”

Fenrir didn’t even try to deny it. “Can you blame me?”

She glanced back over her shoulder, just enough for him to catch the glint in her eyes.

“…No,” she admitted softly. “I like the view as well from here.” She added with a seductive wink.

At last, they reached a quieter corridor.

It felt older than the rest of the palace, less touched by recent change. The stone walls were worn smooth in places, time-softened rather than neglected. Sound seemed to die here, swallowed by age and silence.

At its end stood a spiralling staircase, winding upward into shadow.

Jade slowed as they approached it.

Her fingers brushed along the railing, tracing the grooves left by years, centuries, of passing hands. For a moment, she said nothing.

Then, gently, she took his hand. “Follow me.” Her smile melted his heart, and her tone was a melodic song to his ears.

The climb was quiet. Their steps echoed faintly, the air growing cooler as they ascended. A breeze began to slip downward through the stairwell; Faint at first, then steady, carrying with it something unfamiliar in this place…fresh air.

When they emerged at the top, the world opened.

The balcony stretched outward in a wide arc of ancient stone, overlooking the vast expanse of Outworld. Fenrir stopped. Not because he chose to, but because something in him needed to.

The wind met him fully now, brushing against his face, tugging lightly at his clothes. It wasn’t harsh or suffocating; it breathed with life.

Below them, the realm unfolded in layers. Jagged landscapes softened by distance, rivers reflecting streaks of gold and amber. The sky… was different. Not the oppressive, ever-looming weight it once carried.

Clouds drifted instead of suffocating. Light moved between them; sunlight, real and warm, stretching longer across the horizon than it ever had before.
He exhaled slowly, almost unconsciously. “…What is this place?”

His voice was quieter than before. Not out of caution, but reverence.

Jade watched him, not the view…His reaction.

And something in her expression softened in response. “This…” she began, her voice low, almost careful, “…is my favourite place in the entire palace.”
She stepped closer to the railing, though not too close.

“I used to come here to be alone… to think.” She trailed off at the end…A pause, heavy with emotion.

Fenrir moved beside her, resting his hands lightly against the cold metal railing. He felt it, the contrast between the chill of the stone and the warmth of the wind brushing past.

“It makes sense,” he said, though quieter now. He glanced at her briefly, then back at the horizon. “It’s… peaceful.” He paused. Then, softer. “Secluded.”

He turned his head slightly to her, just enough.

“Beautiful.”

She huffed a quiet laugh, though it came with a blush she didn’t quite hide.

“You’re impossible,” she muttered, though there was no bite to it.

But she didn’t look away; Not this time.

Silence settled between them…but it wasn’t empty. Below, faint sounds carried upwards—distant movement of growing life.

Outworld was changing. Indeed, after Shao Kahn’s **** at the arena, the Outworld atmosphere and landscape started to heal on its own. This afternoon was an example of that; the sky was allowed to shine for longer, and the night, naturally, waited for its moment in peace.

And standing here, feeling the wind, the warmth…the quiet return of something long buried.

Fenrir realised something. It wasn’t just the realm…It was her, too.

“How did you find it?” he asked, his voice lighter again but still grounded in the moment.

Jade smiled faintly. “By accident,” she said, glancing down for a second, almost amused at the memory. “I was on guard duty. Bored, restless…curious.” A small shrug. “I wandered. Found the corridor below. No guards were guarding it; it was alone in the darkness.”

Her fingers brushed the railing again. “I went up and checked it out...” She looked out again.” Luckily for me, this place was a little piece of heaven in the darkness. I kept it a secret; every once in a while, I came here just to be alone and meditate.”

Fenrir turned slightly toward her now, studying her more closely. “Then why tell me?” He asked, with an honest curiosity.

Jade inhaled slowly, then exhaled. “It still is my place,” she said at first, lightly, almost deflecting.

Then quieter. “But…” Her arms folded loosely, not defensive, but not open either. The wind moved through her hair, and for a moment, she let it. She didn’t look at him. “…I don’t come here anymore.”

She swallowed. Subtle, but there.

“I thought I needed it,” she admitted, softer now. “Back then.” Her voice thinned slightly; she was exposed to him. “To breathe. To think clearly. To feel… away from everything.”

Her heart let out a soft beat, and the world seemed to slow for a second. “I don’t feel that need now.”

Fenrir didn’t answer immediately; he watched her with slow care. Searching for the right words, making sure whatever he said… meant something.

He stepped closer. His hand rose, hesitated for the briefest moment, then settled gently against her shoulder. “You don’t need it anymore,” he said quietly. It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

Jade shook her head, barely. A breath left her…unsteady, but not fragile.

“No.…Not since you.” She almost smiled at how small that sounded compared to what she meant.

So, she tried again. Stronger, yet still soft.

“Not since I met you.”

That landed. And Fenrir felt it, but it wasn’t a triumph. Instead, it was something deeper between them, something he needed to be worthy of.

She turned to him now, fully. “I feel… different,” she admitted. “More serene…happy.” Her hand rose, resting gently against his chest. “I don’t understand it completely,” she continued, her voice quieter again. “And I don’t think I need to.”

She allowed herself a small breath “But when I’m with you…” Her fingers pressed slightly against him. “…I don’t feel like I need to escape anything.”

Fenrir exhaled slowly. His hand shifted from her shoulder, sliding down and resting at her waist tenderly. He lowered his head just slightly, their foreheads nearly touching.

“You’re not the only one,” he said.

And this time, it wasn’t a playful flirt or a tease. It was real.

Her lips curved faintly. “The first night you arrived,” she murmured, her fingers now tracing lightly against his hand, “you made me a promise.” She looked up at him. “Do you remember?”

He did, as if it were yesterday. His thumb moved slightly against her side. “I remember,” he said.

“I said I would be the emperor Outworld deserved.”

Her eyes softened.

“And you are.”

He swallowed, barely visible.

“I said I would be just.” His gaze flickered, just for a moment. “True to heart and my word.”

She nodded, closer now. “And you are.”

“And…” he continued, quieter now, “…that I would earn your heart.”

His eyes met hers fully now. “Not take it.”

She closed the distance, slowly and deliberately, for his touch.

Her forehead rested against his. “For someone who claims to skip lessons,” she murmured with a tender smile, “you remember the important things.”

A faint smile ghosted across his lips. “Only the ones that matter.”

Her hand slid from his chest to his shoulder, then higher, fingers brushing along his neck, into his hair.

“And you have earned it,” she said.

This time, there was no hesitation.

Their lips met.

At first, it was soft. Testing its sincerity, a question asked in silence…And answered in full.

His hand shifted at her waist, fingers tightening just slightly as she leaned into him. Her breath warmed against his, her lips parting as the kiss deepened with certainty.

Her other hand found him, firm now, pulling him closer, closing the space that had lingered too long between them.

The world beyond the balcony blurred. The wind, the light, the distant horizon, it was all still there, but dimmed beneath the weight of something far more immediate.

Her body pressed closer, and with it came heat. Subtle at first, then undeniable.

She broke the kiss just enough to breathe. Not to pull away, never that, she wouldn’t allow herself that.

Her lips brushed his again, slower now, more deliberate. Then her hand moved, guiding his. From her waist… lower, to rest on her rear.

His breath hitched, barely, but enough. Her gaze met his, just for a moment. No words were spoken; she didn’t need them.

His hand settled where she had led it, firm, possessive, and present. She exhaled softly at the contact, her body responding in a way she no longer tried to hide. She wanted his touch to warm her, but also to claim her as his.

Her fingers tightened at the back of his neck, pulling him back into her, this time with less restraint. Claiming him as hers.

The kiss deepened again. This time warmer and hungrier. It was theirs, a statement of their love and care for each other.

The decision was made; While they were by the elder gods' decree husband and wife, as well as Emperor and queen of Outworld, this was more to them.

Just like Mileena did with Fenrir weeks prior, she was accepting him not only as his partner but as the man she loved. The person with whom she would gladly spend her days and nights, with affection, love and passion.

And if there was any doubt left, his loving and possessive touch on her rear erased any of them. He wasn’t just doing it for the intimacy and stimulation they both were experiencing, but for the tenderness and safekeeping he wanted to give her every day as well… He was showing her that same love that she wanted to share and give to him.

When they finally stilled, their foreheads met once more, breath shared between them.

Jade’s fingers lingered against him, her gaze steady, certain.

She didn’t look away; she didn’t want to. Because for the first time in a long time, she had chosen where she stood. And who she stood with.
And that… that was all she needed.