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All the air rushes from my throat. “The Opera House?” I’ve never been allowed to visit, only ever heard about it in Amaryllis’s letters.

Apparently, dancers from there visited the palace for Ami’s fifth birthday party, and she was enchanted. It’s why we all love ballet now. It was her love for the art form that was passed down to us.

Since running away, Amaryllis said she’d visited the Opera House more times than she could count and each performance there was just as breathtaking as the last.

And I can only imagine it would be. To see real ballerinas, not just my sisters performing in our dance circle, would be a dream come true.

“Oh Lux,” I sigh. “I could kiss you.”

“What’s stopping you?” he murmurs hungrily. “And again, I’m truly sorry, Eden. Won’t you reconsider leaving? I’ll never forgive myself if it was my own foolishness that drove you away.”

I avert my gaze. “I suppose it would be silly to leave over such a small thing. I… I’m sorry I overreacted.”

“Never feel like you need to apologise to me,” Lux says, taking my hand and pulling me towards him. My knees feel weak as he tilts my chin up. “Now, Eden, earlier tonight I wanted to ask you something important before… well, before we were interrupted.”

“You did,” I reply. The leftover mix of bliss and wine in my system gives me the confidence to run my hand over his broad chest. The fabric of his tunic is so beautiful. I’ll have to ask where his tailor bought it from.

“Are you listening, Eden?” he chuckles.

“Sorry,” I giggle. “It’s just your shirt is so lovely.”

He laughs again, but this time it’s much huskier. “I’ll take it off if it helps.”

Before I can process what’s happening, he slips the lightweight fabric from his shoulders, then he drops the shirt onto his bed, grinning deviously.

I have to tense my jaw to keep it from dropping.

Miles of gorgeous tanned skin ripples over his toned muscles. Enough muscles that I find it hard to breathe.

But there aren’t just muscles. A large, intricate tattoo decorates his chest and appears to weave around his back too. It’s dark blue and looks like splashes of water. Dancing above the waves and splashes are small, dainty black symbols, like writing.

“What is this?” I trace my fingers over the foreign words.

He shudders. “A family tradition. Castor has one too.”

I want to ask more, but his intense gaze cuts me off. “Eden, you have consumed me since the moment I first laid eyes upon your portrait. Your beauty was all I could think about. All I can think about. And now I have spent these past few weeks getting to know you through our letters, I am certain I could never desire anyone else as much as I desire you.”

Lips parting, I gaze up at him. I want to tell him I feel the same, but the words are all tangled up in my mouth.

“Eden,” he carries on anyway. “Tomorrow I will ask you officially, but tonight, I have to know, will you do me the greatest honour of accepting my marriage bond?” My eyes widen. “You will be mine forever as I would be yours. Your lover. Your servant. Your mate.” He takes my hand. “We will be forever connected, obey each other, love each other, until death…” He mutters something else in a strange language, but I’m too busy listening to imaginary wedding bells to care at all.

I wonder what my ring will look like? He said tomorrow he’d propose officially. I wonder where it will be and if any of my sisters will have somehow snuck away from the palace to be there to congratulate me afterwards.

“Of course I’ll accept.” I can’t help myself. “You do not need to ask me beforehand.”

“You must say yes.” His voice lowers, drawing me closer. “Say yes.”

“Yes,” I breathe, before the strangest feeling burrows inside of me. I gasp, surprised, as Lux holds me by my waist. But just as quickly as it came, the feeling disappears.

It almost felt like something wrapping around my heart. Like someone tying it with a ribbon, or a snake closing in right before it bites.

“Are you alright?” he asks.

“I’m fine.” I shake my head. Perhaps it was just the bliss I had earlier. Maybe that’s what it feels like as it leaves your system.

At least my core isn’t throbbing as badly as it was. Instead, all I feel now is a persistent warmth that grows a little more intense every time Lux touches me.

“Perfect.” His grin widens.