Dinner that night was a quiet, tense affair. Darius didn't mention the council meeting, and neither did I. The silence between us was a heavy, suffocating blanket, but for the first time, I didn't feel crushed by it. I felt... focused. Every move he made, every bite he took, every glance he threw my way, I filed it away. I wasn't just a guest at his table anymore. I was an observer.
After dinner, he didn't try to keep me. He just gave me a curt nod and retreated to his study, leaving me to my own devices. It was exactly what I wanted.
I found Eliot in my chambers, waiting for me. He had already laid out my nightclothes, but I shook my head.
"I'm not going to bed yet," I said, my voice low. "I need to see your cousin."
Eliot didn't look surprised. "Now, my lord? It's late."
"The later, the better," I said. "Fewer people to see us. Where is he?"
"In the stables," Eliot said. "His name is Thomas. He's the head groom."
