It was uncommon for Lilian and Cassius to spend such a long stretch of morning together, and rarer still for the silence between them to feel so at ease. Cassius found himself, despite every effort, thrown off-guard by the golden flecks that danced in Lilian's eyes when the light touched them. The pull he felt toward her was deep, persistent and impossible to ignore. There were moments—brief but potent—when it took all his strength not to reach for her, not to kiss the softness from her lips, and let the consequences fall where they may.
Instead, he focused on the matter at hand. Lilian, seated beside him and pouring over old family parchments, leaned closer to the table. "If some vampires are born and others are made… how does that shape your society? Are there divisions? Prejudices?"
Cassius tilted his head, considering how to answer. Her questions were always perceptive, always more than they appeared to be. He could sense that she was going to analyse every word in that brilliant mind of hers, coming to a different conclusion than what he would give her at a surface.
"I strive for Ironwood to be filled with equal opportunity, with balance between those who come from long lineages filled with tradition and those who are the first to earn their title. Still, the old families—especially the pureblooded—tend to gather amongst themselves. They've formed social circles, exclusive and insular. If there is prejudice, they do not speak it to my face. But it exists."
Lilian glanced up at him, searching his expression. She wanted to ask more—about how a man like him, a turned vampire, managed to rule over clans who valued lineage above merit—but she did not know how to ask without revealing what she knew of his past. So she simply nodded and returned her gaze to the parchment.
"And who matters most to you?" she asked.
"Excuse me?" Cassius raised an eyebrow.
"In your court," she clarified, "Who has the influence and political strength? Who are the ones whose opinions carry weight? Whose ire would be unwise to provoke?" Lilian looked up at Cassius who stared at her in silence as she was the only person whose opinion he valued beside his direct court.
Cassius hesitated. "If I lead with justice, I fear little. I do not shape my decisions around anyone's approval." It was a calculated answer.
"I am your guest," she said softly. "I would not wish to cause offence that might reflect poorly upon you."
His eyes lingered on her face longer than necessary.
"You will not." Cassius furrowed his brows as he replied, knowing that her presence will be enough to cause a stir in the kingdom. But she would be the biggest distraction, enabling Julius to investigate with no hinderances.
But foremost, he was testing the waters to see if Lilian could be accepted in his kingdom. Because if she can, there might be hope for their future. If she cannot, he could be risking her life by keeping her on his side.
Still, Lilian pressed on with quiet determination. She asked after the roles of nobles, the structure of the council, and the sway each family held. Her mind worked methodically, always careful to ask without revealing too much of her own knowledge. She was sharp, Cassius thought, not simply clever—but discerning. And that frightened him.
By late morning, Cassius excused himself to rest, leaving Lilian immersed in her studies. She remained in the east wing, cross-referencing names and titles, tracing bloodlines, and quietly building her understanding of the realm she had been dropped into.
Once she grasped the old clans, she went to the library, trying to find anything on the ruins she could. But Cassius was right, there was nothing. Maybe she just didn't discover it yet.
Later, Lilian exited the library with a smile. She walked the halls with quiet familiarity, the castle no longer foreign to her. The daylit wings slumbered, and yet she felt the castle breathe—alive, if resting. She had learned the rhythm of Ironwood: which servants worked where, which guards stood watch in which halls, and where the floor creaked beneath one's step. The staff within the castle acknowledge her respectfully, never disturbing her activities.
Lilian strode around the castle in deep contemplation, still focused on the upcoming ball, trying to anticipate the power dynamics she was likely to face.
She had an inkling that there will be a power divide between pure blood vampires and turned vampires, or new bloods as she started to think of them.
If her estimations from the letters were right, Cassius turned into a vampire only a decade ago. The old clans were most certainly mostly the purebloods. She was curious of how the two types interacted and how the old clans felt about their newblood king.
As she passed the open doorway of a sunlit lounge, she paused. Julius stood within, arranging flowers in a tall-necked vase, his expression focused.
"Lenten roses?" she asked, entering softly.
Julius looked up, faint surprise on his face. "You know your flora."
"They're out of season." Lilian stepped closer, admiring the pale blooms. "Where did you find them?"
"My sister keeps a greenhouse in the city. She gifted them to me to bring to the castle, as a kind gesture." Julius adjusted a bloom.
"They are beautiful and certainly well looked after. Do compliment your sister." Lilian smiled, placing a stack of books on the table. "Do you have many siblings?"
"Two sisters," he replied, his tone cautious.
"Are they well?"
"One tends to her greenhouse. She grows flower, herbs, and even vegetables aplenty. She's doing well for herself," Julius pursed his lip. "The other married recently. She's moved away. She became a housewife."
Lilian studied him. "You speak of it with sorrow. Is that not what you wished for her?"
"Among us three, she was the scholar. She had a bright mind—literature, languages… I had thought she'd end up as a researcher, or a professor." He looked down at the vase. "Her husband is not cruel, he wouldn't raise a hand at her, but I don't believe she's happy to be solely a trophy to him. She lost the spark in her eye when I last saw her."
"Stifling someone's potential is a quieter kind of cruelty," Lilian said gently. "Did you speak of your concern to Cassius?"
Julius glanced at her, startled by the depth of her understanding. "I hadn't thought to involve Cassius. Why would I?" He was surprised by the suggestion.
"Because he is a king," Lilian said with a glint of mischief. "And perhaps a king can open doors that a husband cannot close—if your sister wishes it." Lilian looked at the blooms closely, "Perhaps a king might be in need of a studied scholar? What man could deny him?" She stated her thought more clearly.
Julius chuckled, genuinely amused. "Your ideas verge on lunacy." He paused as he contemplated Lilian's idea and she gave him time to think over it. "But I might consider it." Julius admitted, surprised with his own words.
"Only if she does wish for it," Lilian said, gathering her books again. "And your other sister… She seems to have a good hand with the flowers and I would love to learn from her. Only if you will allow. And Cassius, of course."
Julius studied her for a long moment. "Cassius would let you ask for the moon, I think." Julius smiled, his smile filled with sympathy. He watched Cassius's soulmate, seeing a wise woman within her, curious and thoughtful.
"I'd never test the bounds of his hospitality. He's already been generous beyond measure." Lilian expressed her gratitude. "Thank you, Julius, for entrusting me with your troubles."
Julius's smile softened, his usual sharpness dimmed by something almost wistful. "You've brought something back into this place," he said quietly. "A sense of lightness we've long gone without. Through the veil of responsibility, it is so easy to forget how curious and beautiful this world is."
Lilian bowed her head at the compliment. "If you had the chance," Julius asked suddenly, "would you stay in Ironwood?" He braved the dreaded question and as seconds felt like eternity as Lilian considered her answer, the dread grew into an unbearable weight.
Lilian's eyes flickered to his, calm and unreadable. "Do not ask impossible," she said with a smile. "I'm only a guest."
And then she left him in the quiet of the lounge. Julius stared at the empty doorway for a long moment, smiling to himself.
For the first time, he dared to hope that Cassius might not be walking toward tragedy—but toward something real.
He realised that he would be happy to have this charming woman as his queen.