Isabelle's breath caught in her throat, the weight of his words pressing down on her chest like a physical burden. She had never imagined... she had just...
He was a beautiful man. A beautiful, strange, mysterious man who had ended up in her harem because of Phoenix and she'd wanted to be closer to him. She'd wanted to understand him. To be held by him and-
She couldn't describe the feeling inside her.
That this man was the one who had caused so much pain. Who had wanted to destroy the empire she was trying so hard to save. Who had lied to her, deceived her, and yet... had loved her.
It was too much. Too confusing. Too painful.
She felt dizzy, unsteady on her feet, as if the ground beneath her were shifting, crumbling away. She reached out to steady herself, her hand brushing against the cold stone wall. The rough texture scraped against her palm, a small, grounding sensation in the midst of the chaos of her thoughts.
"You didn't..." She began, her voice barely a whisper.
