That night, sleep refused to visit Liora. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the prince's gaze—cool, calculating… and somehow pierced with something deeper. Her pulse throbbed as though it longed to answer the question her heart dared not ask.
Outside, the castle lay silent beneath the pale moon, but inside her chest, the music from the dance still echoed.
...
A soft knock stirred her from restless dreams.
"Milady," the maid whispered from the doorway, eyes wide with urgency. "The prince requests your presence… again."
Liora's stomach tightened. The invitation was too sudden, too deliberate.
"Now?" she asked, voice barely steady.
"Yes, milady. He waits in the garden pavilion."
...
Her breath caught, but a strange calm rose in her. This is the moment, she thought. Face him. Learn his secrets—or lose them forever.
Wrapping her cloak around her shoulders, she stepped into the silver-lit corridors. Every shadow seemed to hold a watcher; every echo of her steps sharpened her senses.
...
The garden pavilion stood beneath an ancient oak tree, its branches twisting like watchful sentinels. Kael stood alone, his posture rigid but his eyes scanning the darkness before they settled on her.
"You came," he said quietly, as if surprised.
"I had no reason not to," she replied, keeping her voice composed.
He studied her, his gaze softer this time—searching, perhaps, for something he could not name.
...
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then Kael gestured toward the stone bench. "Sit."
Liora hesitated only briefly before obeying. The air between them was thick with unspoken thoughts, each one clamoring to be acknowledged yet restrained by pride.
"Last night," he began, "you… intervened."
Her heart leapt. She lowered her gaze but did not speak.
"I should have been more vigilant," he continued, his voice quieter than before. "The court is crawling with enemies."
The admission was startling—not defensive, not dismissive, but… honest.
...
Liora's lips parted. "Why tell me this?"
His eyes met hers, unwavering.
"Because you saved my life."
The words hung between them like a spell.
...
A part of her wanted to confess everything—that she remembered him from another life, that vengeance had burned inside her—but another part, one fiercely protective of herself, clenched its jaw and held her silence.
Kael's eyes searched her face, sensing the turmoil but choosing not to press further.
...
The silence stretched again, charged with fragile trust and forbidden questions.
Finally, Kael exhaled slowly.
"I do not know why fate has woven you into this court… or into my life," he murmured, almost to himself. "But I cannot ignore that it has."
His fingers twitched, barely brushing the edge of the bench. Liora's breath hitched.