he dying light of dusk. His men had pitched tents, servants prepa

was back at

h

or

her stillness. Her clarity. She hadn't bowed. She hadn't fawned. She had spo

" came a voice

Ronen, his most

off earlier. W

didn't

everyone in these villa

ere to be

t are you

the line of trees that sepa

ember what

ng was quiet a

sewed the tear in Bram's only warm shirt. But her hands moved without feeling. Her mind kept driftin

to admit how muc

outside to tend to

as t

are tied to the tree outside her gate. The man wore the purple and

ra Hale," he

art st

What i

hness." He bowed, offered the letter, a

hment in her palm, her name wri

ng to faint,

mbled as she

_____________

Le

or

ou, but I find myself thinking of our

st past the grove near the stream bend you mentioned. I will come alone. You owe me no

see me again, I will

A

ad it

n a

ething dangerous beneath them a longing. A s

Her heart ached with some

_____________

ng in the

and unread scrolls. Alaric stood at the open flap, hands be

ntered

message to

't look at

if the cour

y wo

. "You've never d

Alaric murmured. "They were raised

has no p

w, sharp. "What

of powerful men. If you intend to break her heart, do i

ned. "I don't inten

ded once

with Alaric long

_____________

in Du

nding. She hadn't yet decided whether she'd go. But

e say if she

ly give a man like th

ithin her stirred. A

us, forbi

side her apron. Her mother was asleep, and Bram snored softly in the next room, clutching his rag-

't leave

n't tel

couldn't b

n old friend quiet, still, and knowing. Sunlight spilled in thin streaks throu

oolish, s

ll she

eam, the silence was almost too loud

hen h

edge in a dark cloak and simple tunic,

oached, his expression u

for comin

aces away, eyes narrow

you

nce. "I don'

mossy patch of gr

ther, the stream babbling softly between them. For a moment, nei

ld, I used to sneak into the servan

linked.

se. My mother spun silk from politics. But the staff

witched. "So yo

rave

r head. "Even

ially

is. "You don't

kno

ould r

"That is the la

y are yo

don't feel like a prince. I feel like a ma

ween them, thick with

ay. "What do yo

ent. "Time. Conversation. A few hours in

. "I can't give yo

asking

aw it in

ady wan

se so d

_____________

yond t

y had been watching

something was amiss. The crown heir did not wander without purpose. And when a mes

d confi

hadn't opened the letter y

ra

Poor. Orphane

smi

an oppo

swayed, Lord Wexley would find a way

he Queen of the prince's dang

handle it

er what

_____________

t the

hispered, standing abrup

kno

ood too,

but he caught her w

fr

y, but the warmth of

in. Only if yo

dn't a

didn't

g had shifted in Liora's world softly, invisibly, but undeniably. The wind tasted different. T

e the sun dipped behind the tr

e was alrea

ed first and wondered

alway

th royalty or hunger. Alaric asked questions no one had ever bothered to

felt like to be follow

elt more seen than w

h. Her breath caught as he opened it inside was a delicate silver co

" she said quickly, t

ift from a prince. It's a token from a ma

eached out, hands tr

ething in the air shifted. It w

as w

e

ibil

lips and in that moment, she

n they

of a

too heavy f

as one but

and moving to the small dag

alone," h

pounded. "Yo

, jaw clenched

vanished int

_____________

s the

yglass from his eye, a thi

was

had been a look in Alaric's eyes a softness Wexley had only

Vulnerabl

n to the Queen. Tell her I have news sh

and disappeared

y rem

e more th

o see the g

_____________

That

ams above her bed. Her fingers clutched t

dn't feel

't let him

couldn

't want

tten in fire even i

_____________

Palac

onen said grimly as Alari

kno

xle

e's already sent

'll

w that

"Then why kee

d steady. "Because she's the