She knew he would come. His final patrol of the night always ended here, a silent check on the highest, most vulnerable point of the palace.
When he entered, a dark, armored figure against the star-dusted glass of the dome, the air between them became a tangible thing, thick with unspoken words and desperate longing.
"Princess," he said, his voice a low, harsh thing. "You should not be here. It is not safe."
"Nowhere is safe, Commander," she replied, her voice a soft challenge. She moved toward him, a shadow in a dark silk gown. "I have not spoken to you in three days. Am I a prisoner now, as well as a princess?"
"I am protecting you," he said, his jaw tight. "From yourself. From me. Vaeren is watching us, Viera. He is looking for a weapon to use against you, against your brother. We cannot give him one." He stopped her with a hand on her arm, his grip hard, desperate. "We must stay away from each other. For a time."
