---
We were so not ready for this.
After the king's intimate demand, Elira and I were marched back to her chambers. Everyone else was given individual rooms—lush, spacious, and pointedly not the Princess's bed.
Akane looked like she wanted to vaporize me. Rin pretended she didn't care by stabbing a pillow repeatedly. Mei was sharpening something for no reason. And Ayame? She just smiled… the kind of smile that said, I'll definitely be peeking tonight.
But none of that compared to my panic.
Because the second we got back inside, Elira pulled me down beside her and whispered:
"He's watching."
"What—who?" I blinked.
She tilted her head slightly. "Top right corner. There's a shadow in the lattice. Probably a court spy."
"Oh. Great. So we're expected to—"
I didn't finish that sentence.
Because she grabbed my face and kissed me.
Passionately.
And look—I've been kissed before. Once. Maybe twice. And none of them involved a royal audience.
