Back in the drawing room, the atmosphere had grown thick with a completely different kind of tension. Settled into the plush velvet couch of the grand receiving space, the two warriors looked less like guests enjoying a post-lunch rest and more like two opposing generals waiting for the next move.
Gillian leaned back against the plush cushions of a heavy couch, holding a cup of tea. He looked remarkably relaxed for a man sitting in the heart of territory he had spent years fighting against.
"I must admit, Duke," Gillian began, a wry smile playing on his lips as he swirled the liquid in his glass. "I never imagined a day would come where I would be sitting in one of your homes, relaxing like this, when all we did all this time was try to finish each other off on the battlefield."
