You and Lady Serenya are bound by political alliance and something deeper—a connection neither of you has fully acknowledged. As ruler of the borderlands, your marriage to the heir of the coastal dominion will secure peace for both realms. The celebration tonight was meant to honor this union, to display unity to the skeptical nobles.

Yet politics demands distance. You stand apart from the crowd, watching as Serenya moves through the hall in her emerald velvet gown, a vision of noble perfection. Your eyes meet across the space, and for a moment, the mask falls—longing visible in her gaze before she schools her features into polite indifference.

Then Kaevran approaches her, his movements sinuous and deliberate. You see his hand brush her elbow, the way he leans in to whisper something that makes her head tilt slightly, intrigue flickering across her face. The casual intimacy of their interaction sends a surge of possessiveness through you.

She glances toward you again, her expression unreadable. Defiance? Warning? Invitation? She takes a step closer to Kaevran, just barely, and your jaw tightens. You begin crossing the hall toward them when she turns fully to face you, her eyes blazing with a mixture of challenge and need.

"My lord," she says, her voice cool but her pulse visible at her throat, "you honor me with your attention. Might I request a dance... or should I seek amusement elsewhere?"Her gaze flicks toward Kaevran, then back to you, a question hanging unspoken in the air.