---
The palace had begun to feel like a cage.
Not because of its walls.
But because of its eyes.
Every corridor Rowan walked through carried weight now—whispers that stopped when he passed, glances that lingered too long, guards who subtly shifted their stance when he drew near.
He was no longer invisible.
And that made him vulnerable.
Rowan preferred shadows.
But now—
He stood in the center of attention.
And someone was watching very closely.
---
"Walk with me."
The voice came from behind.
Smooth.
Measured.
Too familiar.
Rowan didn't turn immediately.
He already knew who it was.
"Is that an order?" Rowan asked.
A soft chuckle.
"No," Adrian Valmere replied. "Just a request."
Rowan turned.
Adrian stood a few steps away, dressed in dark blue, his expression relaxed, his posture effortless.
But his eyes—
They were sharp.
Focused.
Hungry.
"I don't take requests," Rowan said.
Adrian smiled faintly. "You take the prince's."
"That's different."
"Is it?"
A pause.
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
Adrian gestured lightly toward the far end of the corridor. "Indulge me."
Rowan didn't move.
Didn't trust it.
Didn't like it.
But—
If Adrian was a threat, avoiding him wouldn't solve anything.
It would only delay the inevitable.
So Rowan stepped forward.
"Lead the way."
Adrian's smile deepened.
---
The corridor he chose was quieter.
More secluded.
Less watched.
Which meant—
More dangerous.
They walked in silence for a while, their footsteps echoing faintly against the stone.
Then—
Adrian spoke.
"You've changed things."
Rowan didn't respond.
"You arrived," Adrian continued, "and suddenly the prince is harder to reach. Harder to read."
A pause.
Then—
"More guarded."
Rowan's voice was calm. "That's my role."
"Is it?" Adrian asked softly.
Rowan stopped walking.
Adrian took another step before turning back to face him.
Their eyes met.
And this time—
There was no politeness.
No pretense.
Just tension.
"You're asking questions you shouldn't be asking," Rowan said.
Adrian tilted his head slightly. "And you're avoiding answers you don't want to give."
Silence.
Then—
Adrian stepped closer.
Not as casually as before.
This time—
It was deliberate.
"You stand too close to him," Adrian said quietly.
Rowan's expression didn't change. "That's my duty."
"That's not what I meant."
Rowan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I know."
A faint smile touched Adrian's lips.
"Good," he said. "Then we can stop pretending."
The air shifted.
Danger settled in.
"He trusts you," Adrian continued. "That's rare."
"It won't last."
"Why not?"
"Because trust is a weakness."
Adrian's smile faded slightly.
"Interesting," he murmured. "You sound like him."
A pause.
Then—
"But you're wrong."
Rowan didn't respond.
Didn't need to.
Adrian studied him carefully.
Then—
"He doesn't look at people the way he looks at you."
The words landed.
Harder than they should have.
Rowan felt it.
Didn't show it.
But felt it.
"You're mistaken," Rowan said.
"Am I?"
Adrian stepped closer.
Again.
Too close.
"You think I don't notice?" he murmured. "The way he moves when you're near. The way he watches you when you're not looking."
Silence.
Tight.
Sharp.
Rowan's hand twitched slightly at his side.
Instinct.
Control.
"Careful," Rowan said quietly. "You're stepping into dangerous territory."
Adrian's eyes gleamed.
"I've always liked dangerous things."
Another step.
Now—
They were face to face.
"And you," Adrian added softly, "are becoming very dangerous."
Rowan didn't step back.
Didn't break eye contact.
But something inside him sharpened.
"This conversation is over," Rowan said.
Adrian's smile returned.
Slow.
Satisfied.
"Not quite."
Before Rowan could react—
Adrian moved.
Fast.
His hand shot out—
Grabbing Rowan's injured side.
Hard.
Pressure.
Pain exploded instantly.
Rowan's breath caught—
Sharp.
Involuntary.
His body tensed—
But he didn't strike.
Didn't move.
Didn't give him the reaction he wanted.
Adrian watched him closely.
Too closely.
"There it is," he murmured. "So you do feel things."
Rowan's jaw tightened.
"Let go."
Adrian didn't.
Not immediately.
Instead—
He leaned in slightly.
Lowering his voice.
"You're hiding something," he said. "And I intend to find out what."
Then—
He released him.
Stepping back.
As if nothing had happened.
As if he hadn't just crossed a line.
Rowan's hand moved instinctively to his side, his breath steadying, his expression returning to calm.
But his eyes—
They were cold now.
Deadly.
"If you touch me again," Rowan said quietly, "you won't walk away."
Adrian smiled.
Unbothered.
"I'd like to see you try."
---
"Where were you?"
Cassian's voice cut through the moment Rowan entered the chambers.
Sharp.
Controlled.
But edged with something else.
Rowan stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
"Handling a situation."
Cassian turned.
His gaze locked onto him instantly.
"You left your post."
"For a reason."
"Not one I approved."
A pause.
Then—
Rowan met his gaze.
"You were not in danger."
"That's not your decision to make."
Silence.
Heavy.
Then—
Cassian stepped forward.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're hurt."
Rowan stilled.
"It's nothing."
Cassian's expression darkened.
"Stop saying that."
The words came out sharper than before.
Closer to anger.
Closer to—
Something else.
Rowan didn't respond.
Didn't explain.
Didn't mention Adrian.
And that—
That made it worse.
Cassian closed the distance between them.
Fast.
Too fast.
His hand reached out—
Gripping Rowan's arm.
Firm.
Demanding.
"What happened?" he asked.
Rowan held his gaze.
"Nothing I couldn't handle."
"That's not what I asked."
Silence.
Tension snapped tight between them.
Then—
Cassian's grip tightened.
"You think I won't notice?" he said quietly. "You think I won't see when something's wrong?"
Rowan's voice lowered.
"Let it go."
"No."
The word was immediate.
Unyielding.
Cassian stepped closer.
Again.
Too close.
"You don't get to shut me out," he said.
Rowan's breath slowed.
Something inside him—
Shifted.
Cracked.
"You don't get to control everything," Rowan replied.
A pause.
Then—
Cassian's expression changed.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Something deeper.
Something sharper.
"Maybe not," he said softly. "But I can control this."
Before Rowan could react—
Cassian moved.
Closing the last bit of distance.
Grabbing his collar—
Pulling him forward—
And kissing him.
Not like before.
Not soft.
Not careful.
This time—
It was firm.
Intentional.
Still brief.
Still controlled.
But undeniable.
A second.
Two.
Then—
Cassian pulled back.
Their breaths uneven.
Their gazes locked.
"You don't walk away from me like that," Cassian said quietly.
The words were dangerous.
Possessive.
Real.
Rowan didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Because something inside him had shifted again—
And this time—
There was no denying it.
Cassian's grip loosened slightly.
But he didn't step back.
Didn't create distance.
"You're mine to protect," Cassian added, softer now.
Rowan's voice came low.
Steady.
"And who protects you?"
A pause.
Then—
Cassian's lips curved faintly.
"You do."
Silence settled between them.
But it wasn't empty.
Not anymore.
---
Later that night—
Rowan stood closer than ever.
Not out of duty.
Not just that.
Something else.
Something unspoken.
Something dangerous.
And across the palace—
Adrian watched from the shadows.
Waiting.
Because now—
He had what he needed.
And the game had finally begun.
---