The carriage had been moving for hours. The world expanded as Ravenmoor shrank behind them. Alina and Austin sat across from each other. It felt both intimate and exposing, with nowhere to look except at each other or out the window.
For the first hour, they chose the window, watching the countryside roll past. But as time passed, the silence became very heavy. Austin finally turned to Alina. She looked sad, lost in thought. He didn't want to see her like that, and he didn't want her to carry that look into the palace.
"I came here once as a boy with my father," he said, breaking the silence. "Everything felt enormous. I remember thinking the king must be a giant to rule over so much."
He chuckled making Alina turn to him.
"Were you scared?"
"Terrified." A faint smile touched his lips. "My father told me a duke never shows fear. So I spent the whole visit pretending I wasn't shaking inside."
She reached over and took his hand.
"Are you scared now?" she asked.
