“There used to be more.”
A shrewder voice cuts through. All eyes follow the sound to its owner—a woman who shrugs off the attention as though accustomed to every gaze upon her.
“I’m merely saying… it’s nothing like it was before… well… everything.” She waves away those painful memories as though swatting a fly.
“True,” Vale answers—gentle, commanding. “We lost much. But we’re still here—strong, finding our way, forging a new era.”
He raises his glass. “To Caerhollan.”
“To Caerhollan,” voices echo—some lifted proudly, others half-hearted. Unease stirs in me. I cannot imagine witnessing the rise, fall, and rebirth of a kingdom.
I lift my glass with the others, wondering how many of them see a woman—and how many only see a question.
I breathe as deeply as the corset allows and let my shoulders ease. I cling to bright conversations among the fray—small lifelines through each course. Drinks are poured, plates cleared, music softens conversation to a hush. I am grateful for the gentler rhythm.
By the time we depart, I cling to Vale’s arm—only then realizing how much the evening took from me.
“You held court better than half the nobles,” Ace declares with a dramatic bow that loosens the tension I didn’t realize held me so tight.
Soria gives her subtler nod of approval.
I exhale, releasing what was coiled within.
I made it through the night.
Yes, I went in determined—but the only reason I didn’t falter was stubbornness and Vale’s steady presence. For a moment, I wonder who I am becoming.
Ace and Soria walk ahead. The wine must have been good, for Soria follows Ace into a cheerful, underhanded twirl. I press my head to Vale’s arm and let peace wash over me.
“You did it,” he murmurs, quiet awe in his tone. “Not that I had any doubt.” Pride colors his teasing, as though expecting a rebuttal.
I laugh softly. “I did, didn’t I?” I tip my head up at him, nose scrunched, shocked that I seemed to have gotten away with something.
Vale dismisses Ace and Soria with a warm goodnight, our moment unbroken.
The weight of the evening slips from me. I cannot say with certainty that this was a test—some measure of whether I could withstand the scrutiny of standing at his side. But if it were, I would fight with every fiber of myself for that place. I’ve passed the point of no return. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
We reach my chambers at a slow, unhurried pace. I lean against the inside of the door as it shuts behind us, falling into it rather than moving deeper into the room.
He steps close, placing his palm high above my head, leaning into my space.
“Flame,” he says low, “you were remarkable tonight. I dare think you could charm my enemies, given half the chance.”
I bite my lip, shaking my head, the heat of his nearness muddling my response to his bold statement. Before I can speak or even think of a quip, his other arm sweeps behind the small of my back and lifts me to him. My chest rises to meet his, my shoulders still arched back against the door. His mouth meets my own, hot and encompassing. “I knew they’d love you,” he says into my ear as the heat of his breath stirs something awake inside me. His lips blaze a trail of heat across my neck. “I love you,” he whispers.
My arms wrap around his neck as I kiss him once more. “I love you,” I reply.
My words seem to spur him on even more. I arch again, my back curving like the first spark of flame catching dry wood, his name waiting on my tongue, balancing on the edge of a blade. “Vale,” I moan breathlessly as his mouth claims my neck, My hands collapse back against the door. Bracing myself for the fire he means to bring. Can he sense the way I quake beneath him? My head tilts back, exposing my throat; his hand makes its way up gently, claiming me. His thumb brushes my chin.
“You are a force,” he murmurs, his lips still marking my neck. “And you are mine.” He says it like it’s the only truth he’s ever longed to know. A moan is my only reply. He pulls down the sleeve of my gown, exposing more tender skin to his kiss. One hand reaches down and gathers my skirt. In a swift movement he lifts me, and my legs wrap around him on instinct alone. At first he pins me there. His body leaning into me. My shoulders push hard into the door as my hips arc to meet him. I feel him, all of him, pressed against me, and a heat that threatens to consume me takes over.
He carries me, propping me on the table, various items crashing to the floor. A moment later a guard’s voice bellows from beyond thedoor “Lord Vale?”
“We’re fine,” he calls out to the hall as I laugh. That same laugh is silenced the moment his hands work their way up my gown and tug at the hem of my under garments. I lift myself up just enough that he can easily glide them down, leaving me breathless as his hand slides up my inner thigh. He stops just shy of where I ache to be touched. My back against the cold stone wall behind me, my skin is on fire. He presses a knuckle, light as a breath, right at the center of the ache. I let out something that lingers between a moan and a cry. He’s playing a wicked game with me. I move to reach for him and he stops me with a look. I yield to the command in his eyes. Stopping myself. Surrendering. He looks at me with pleasure. His hand caressing my face with a tenderness that breaks into something else as his hand tangles in my hair, shifting me until my neck is exposed once more.
“Where was I?” he whispers as he claims me again. My hands grab the table’s edge as I give in to him.
“Tell me what you want.” His eyes blaze into me. When I can’t, because my throat is thick with the swallowedpleaseand my pride too stubborn to yield, he just smiles a wicked grin. A tug at my hair, gentle but commanding enough I cannot ignore, and my lips meet his. His kiss is everything. I am so lost in the moment, I feel a sudden wave as his hand slides up my skirt once more, my thighs parting to greet him. His thumb traces slow, cruel circles along my thigh, and I bite his lip urging him to give me more. His eyes lock on mine the moment he obliges. He presses into the ache I have been silently begging him to touch—finally. Ecstasy rolls through my body as he slides a finger inside me. Then another.
