Alaric didn't slow his pace until they were far from the training grounds and the curious eyes of his men. He led her to a secluded garden. The air here was still and quiet, filled with the scent of blooming roses and damp earth.
Daphne looked at him, "Alaric, you didn't have to dismiss him like that. He was worried about me."
"I know," he said, his gaze fixed on her face. "And I am grateful for your family. But there are parts of my life that are not for them, or for anyone else. The man you saw on the training grounds... he is a beast with burden. He is what I am when I am not with you. You are the only person who can make him rest."
He took a step closer, his eyes searching hers. "I am a man who commands an army, Daphne. I do not ask for things. I take them. And the only thing in this world I want to take, the only thing I have ever wanted to take, is you."
Daphne looked into his eyes, a gentle smile gracing her lips. She was moved.
