Elara's lips parted again, but this time no panicked denial came. She simply looked at him, her expression open and a little lost, as if she was seeing him clearly for the first time - devoid of his title of young lord of the duchy.
The garden path around them felt suddenly quieter. The soft sound of the fountain, the distant rustle of leaves, even the faint lingering scent of the morning... all of it seemed to fade into the background as their conversation continued.
For the first time since her arrival, the political arrangement that had bound them no longer felt like the only thing standing in the space between their bodies.
Julian then stopped dead in his tracks, causing Elara to halt suddenly as well. The soft morning light filtered through the leaves above them, casting shifting patterns across the stone path.
"Lady Elara," he said, his voice quieter now. "A big war is going to engulf this kingdom soon."
He watched her carefully as he spoke.
