Four days had passed since the political revelations that shook the duchy.
Evening light filtered through Draven's bedroom windows as candles flickered to life, casting dancing shadows across the stone walls. Elise stood by the bed, her fingers fidgeting with the belt of her silk robe. carried herself with the poise that years of nobility had instilled, yet tonight, anticipation made her hands tremble.
"You're certain about this?" Draven asked, his voice low and careful.
Her eyes traveled to the items arranged on the bed: pre-cut lengths of soft cotton rope, leather cuffs that gleamed in the candlelight, a leather paddle that looked more substantial than anything they'd used before, and a few other implements she couldn't quite identify in the dim light. This was a different world from silk scarves and gentle restraints.
"Yes." Her voice held steady, though her pulse quickened. "I want more. I need to feel everything—harder, deeper, completely controlled."
