We were now mere inches apart. I leaned down, my face level with hers, my eyes blazing with barely contained fury.
"You don't want to make an enemy of me, Hawke." I growled.
Lyanna swallowed hard, but her gaze remained defiant. "I'm not afraid of y...
I stood before the mirror in my room, carefully blow-drying my hair.
The warm air swirled around my head, giving my naturally wavy hair more volume and bounce.
I didn't need to do much beyond smoothing some anti-frizz serum through the waves with my fingers.
My makeup was natural and glowy, the way I knew Mattheo liked it.
A light dusting of shimmering eyeshadow caught the light when I blinked, and my glossed lips had just the right amount of shine.
I completed the look with simple silver delicate hoops.
The what to wear dilemma had nearly driven me mad.
Mattheo's instructions to "dress nice but not too nice" were frustratingly vague.
After what felt like hours of trying on different combinations, I finally settled on an outfit that felt right.
The thin cream jumper was soft against my skin, falling elegantly off one shoulder in a way that was both sophisticated and subtly alluring.
I tucked it into a black leather skirt that hit just the right spot on my thighs.
The sheer black tights provided a whisper of warmth, and my thigh-high leather boots added a touch of daring to the ensemble.
As I studied my reflection, adjusting and readjusting until everything sat perfectly, butterflies danced in my stomach.
This was silly — we'd been together for a while, yet here I was, nervous as a first-year before the sorting ceremony.
After a final spritz of perfume and a quick wave of my wand to tidy the chaos of discarded clothes, I settled onto the couch to wait.
The anticipation was almost unbearable.
Mattheo had been infuriatingly secretive about his plans.
Given that we couldn't leave castle grounds, I was both curious and slightly anxious about what he might have arranged.
I hadn't seen him all day — his idea of building tension like a proper first date.
Last night's sleep had been restless without him.
It was amazing how quickly I'd grown accustomed to his presence, the way he would unconsciously pull me closer in his sleep, and the steady rhythm of his breathing.
The soft knock at my door exactly at six made my heart leap.
Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I opened the door — only to find no one there.
Instead, a single sunflower lay on the ground, accompanied by a white envelope tied with a red silk ribbon.
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