"It is not love that drives war, but the shadow of what was once desired and denied."
The sea spoke in murmurs that night, and I stood alone on the obsidian balcony that jutted over the moonlit waters, my jaw tight as the wind tangled through my silver hair. Below, the ocean churned not with chaos, but with knowing. It had always whispered secrets to those willing to listen. Tonight, I was listening.
And I was done pretending, and Lady Nerisca's touch still lingered like ash, unwanted, undesired. She had rejected me, as if I were nothing more than a spoiled prince playing at power. But I had seen the truth in her eyes. She wanted control. And she feared that I was slipping from her grasp.
