The chamber fell silent except for the soft sound of water shifting around them and the crackling fire beneath the bath. Lucrezia watched him carefully beneath lowered lashes, confusion twisting softly inside her because this creature—the one kingdoms feared enough to whisper about in terror—handled her as though she were something fragile worth preserving. And perhaps that frightened her most of all.
For a while, she stared at him in silence, wondering what exactly had gone wrong. Lucrezia knew she was supposed to be cautious and wary around him. Afraid, even. Every story whispered about creatures like Vaeron had taught her that much, that even her position did same too, and yet, instead of shrinking away from him, she found herself doing something far more dangerous.
She felt… safe.
Safe enough to let his impossible gentleness slip beneath her defenses, to allow his questionable kindness to overshadow every barrier that should have remained firmly standing between them.
