"You are mad…"
Caelith's voice was barely louder than the whisper of a gnat's wings. Even to her own ears, it sounded frail, unsteady. Behind her was the chill hardness of the pillar; before her stood the heat of his body. Trapped within that narrow space, she found neither retreat nor escape.
"Perhaps," Rhaegar replied with a low laugh. Inside that quiet sound lurked both danger and an unshakable certainty. Rather than withdrawing, he stepped closer still, until his knee nearly brushed the folds of her skirt. "From the moment I first saw you, I suspected I might well lose my reason."
From the moment he saw me?
What first moment? Was it not merely that distant glance during the wedding banquet?
Her thoughts whirled in confusion, yet the motion of his hand soon robbed her of breath altogether.
His thumb pressed firmly against the faint red mark upon the side of her neck, rubbing over it with taunting force.
"What is there to conceal?" he murmured, his voice lowered to a hoarse whisper, as though lingering heat still clung to it. "My mark—does it shame you to let it be seen?"
"You—"
Embarrassment and indignation flushed through Caelith at once. Yet beneath his slow caress, a traitorous shiver spread through her body. She braced her hands against his chest, intending to push him away—but his strength felt like an iron wall.
"Your Grace!"
A man's voice suddenly called from the far end of the corridor, evidently searching for him.
Rhaegar's eyes sharpened at once.
In a single instant, the wild emotions upon his face vanished, replaced by the familiar, distant composure that the capital knew so well. He stepped back half a step.
Yet before he fully withdrew, he lowered his head and—swift as lightning—pressed a firm kiss upon her lips.
It was brief, rough, and overwhelmingly possessive.
"Remember what I said," he murmured.
Then he turned away. The dark sweep of his cape cut a clean line through the night as he strode toward the approaching figure.
"What is it?" he asked coolly.
As though the dangerous, breathless moment beside the pillar had never existed at all.
Caelith's legs weakened so abruptly that she nearly collapsed. Only by leaning against the pillar could she remain standing.
Her lips still burned where he had touched them. The place along her neck that his fingers had traced felt so sensitive she could almost feel the brush of the passing air.
From the shadows, Dolly hurried toward her, pale with alarm, supporting her arm.
"My lady! Are you well? Lord Thorne—he…"
"I am fine," Caelith interrupted softly, though her voice trembled faintly. She lifted a hand and rubbed her lips as if to erase the sensation—but the heat of his touch and the lingering trace of his presence refused to fade.
"Let us return."
When she reentered the hall, Caelith kept her gaze lowered, not daring to look toward the seat of honor again.
Even so, she could feel it.
That gaze—solid as steel—settling upon her from time to time, like a hawk fixing its eyes upon the small creature darting across the ground.
At long last, the banquet drew to its end.
On the journey back, the carriage rocked gently along the stone-paved road.
Dorian had drunk a fair amount of wine during the banquet. Slightly flushed with drink, he leaned against the wall of the carriage with his eyes closed, resting. Within the narrow space, there was little sound save the steady rumble of wheels rolling across the blue-grey paving stones.
After a time, he opened his eyes again.
His gaze drifted to Caelith, seated opposite him.
The swaying lantern cast soft, shifting light across her profile. Her face appeared calm, her skin pale as polished jade. Long lashes curved downward, casting a delicate shadow beneath her eyes.
She seemed… different from when they had first married.
There was now a subtle quality about her he could not quite define—like a flower bud upon the branch that, after being kissed by the night's dew, had quietly unfurled into a bloom of startling beauty.
Something stirred faintly within him.
Perhaps it was the wine clouding his thoughts. Perhaps it was the memory of the curious glances others had cast toward her during the banquet, which had awakened in him a faint, unfamiliar sense of possessiveness.
Without much thought, he extended his hand, intending to take the one resting lightly upon her lap.
But Caelith flinched as though startled.
Her fingers curled inward, shrinking away before he could touch them.
Dorian's hand hung awkwardly in midair. The haze of wine cleared from his mind at once, and his expression darkened.
"Caelith," he said coolly, "what has come over you of late?"
Time and again, she had recoiled from him.
Caelith's heart pounded violently in her chest, but she forced herself to remain composed.
"Nothing," she replied softly. "I am merely a little tired." After a moment, she added, "I may have drunk too quickly earlier. I feel somewhat unwell."
Dorian studied her for a long moment.
Her complexion did appear pale, her fatigue not entirely feigned. At length, the vague irritation within him subsided somewhat.
He withdrew his hand and leaned back again.
"If you feel unwell, retire early when we return," he said curtly.
"I will."
Caelith lowered her gaze. Her fingernails dug deeply into her palms.
When Dorian had reached for her just moments earlier, she had nearly been unable to restrain the instinctive revulsion rising within her. The mere thought that those hands had touched Yvaine's body the night before made her stomach turn.
And that revulsion only deepened when they returned to the Valehart estate.
For Yvaine Emberlyn had not yet departed.
Indeed, she was waiting in the front hall.
***
"Dear sister, brother-in-law—you have finally returned."
Yvaine stood gracefully beneath the lantern light, dressed in a soft apricot-colored gown that accentuated her slender figure. She stepped forward with measured elegance.
Her gaze brushed lightly across Caelith's face before settling warmly upon Dorian.
"It is difficult to avoid drinking at a banquet," she said gently. "I asked the kitchens to prepare a sobering soup. You and my brother-in-law should both have some."
Her demeanor was that of a lady of the household, poised and attentive.
Dorian's expression softened at once.
"You are thoughtful as ever, Yvie," he said.
Caelith watched them silently.
In the candlelight, the look in Dorian's eyes when he regarded Yvaine was one of tenderness she herself had never received. And the faint curve lingering at Yvaine's lips—barely perceptible—was unmistakably directed toward her, a quiet display of triumph.
"How considerate of you, sister," Caelith said at last, her voice even and unhurried.
Then she added calmly:
"Yet I was unaware that the cooks of the Valehart estate had begun taking orders from you."
For the briefest instant—Yvaine's smile faltered.
Dorian frowned slightly. "Caelith, your sister only means good."
"Of course it is good."
Caelith lifted her eyes to him. The faintest curve touched her lips, though the smile carried little warmth. "I merely thought that since my sister has gone to such trouble, my lord husband ought properly to thank her."
She paused, then continued in the same even tone.
"Why not have my sister feed the sobering soup to you herself? Only then would her thoughtful vigil through the night truly be repaid."
She spoke the final words—thoughtful vigil—softly, yet they fell like a slender needle driven straight into the hearts of both Dorian and Yvaine.
Dorian's expression shifted, surprise flickering across his features as he looked at Caelith. Yvaine's smile faltered entirely, the warmth in her eyes cooling at once.
"My dear sister, what an odd thing to say…" Yvaine replied, forcing a strained laugh.
"Have I spoken out of order?" Caelith asked, still smiling faintly, though her gaze held not the slightest trace of warmth. "You and my husband have known one another since childhood. Your bond is no ordinary one—I am well aware of that. For so small a matter, why should there be any ceremony between you?"
Having said her piece, she did not wait for their reply. Instead, she performed a light, graceful curtsey.
"I am weary and shall retire to my chamber. My lord husband—and elder sister—can do as they wish."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Her back remained straight and composed, yet within the folds of her sleeves her hands were clenched tightly. Her nails bit deep into her palms, the sting of pain helping her cling to the last threads of clarity and pride.
Only when she returned to her chamber and closed the door behind her—sealing out the world beyond—did that rigid composure collapse.
She leaned back against the door and slowly slid down until she sat upon the floor.
Tears came without warning.
They were not shed for Dorian, nor for Yvaine.
They were for herself—for the absurd, hopeless tangle in which she now found her life ensnared. By day, she must smile politely at a husband whose heart belonged elsewhere; by night, she must face Rhaegar Thorne, that dangerous man whose intentions were as fierce as a wolf's and as inscrutable as shadow.
What, in heaven's name, was she supposed to do now?