BOUND BY ROYALTY

CHAPTER 23

_ _ _ _

The warmth of the study was a welcome contrast to the brisk autumn air outside. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting a golden hue over the dark mahogany shelves lined with leather-bound books. The faint aroma of ink and parchment hung in the air, a familiar comfort. I sat beside Aleron, our chairs close, the smooth surface of the polished oak table between us covered with scrolls and documents detailing the latest reports from the outer provinces.

The past week had been... different. Better. There were no more barriers between us. My heat had come and gone, leaving in its wake a closeness I had not anticipated. Every glance Aleron cast my way felt warmer, more intimate. And I...

I had stopped running.

Now, as I scanned through a report on trade negotiations, I felt his presence without needing to look. His focus was sharp, one hand moving with steady grace as he penned notes, but every so often, his knee brushed against mine beneath the table. It was a small thing, yet enough to stir something warm and sweet in my chest.

"What are your thoughts, Lucian?" Aleron's voice was calm, low, a sound that always seemed to ground me. He leaned back slightly, the lines of his face softened by the afternoon light. "The eastern trade routes.... do you agree with the proposed tariffs?"

I tapped the edge of the parchment, gathering my thoughts. "It seems reasonable," I replied, careful with my words. "But the taxation on the smaller merchants could drive them out entirely. If that happens, the black market will thrive." I glanced at him. "It would be wise to ease the burden on the lower tiers and levy a higher tax on larger trading firms."

His lips curved faintly... approval. "A sound observation." There was warmth in his tone, but it was the softness in his eyes that made my heart stutter. "I'll instruct the council to make adjustments."

The moment stretched between us, unspoken words lingering at the edges of my mind. I wanted to say more, to acknowledge the ease that had settled between us since that night, but before I could find the words, a sharp knock echoed through the study.

Aleron lifted his head, his expression cooling into something unreadable. "Enter."

The door opened, and a servant stepped in, bowing low. "Your Majesty, Lord Kastiel requests an audience. He says it is a matter of great importance."

The name struck me like a cold wind.

I stiffened instinctively, and beside me, Aleron's hand paused mid-movement. A flicker of something dangerous crossed his face before he inclined his head. "Send him in."

The servant withdrew, and silence fell heavy in the room.

Aleron shifted his attention to me, his voice gentler. "You don't have to stay if you'd rather not."

"I want to," I said before I could think better of it. There was a part of me, a stubborn, prideful part, that refused to leave. Whatever Kastiel wanted, I would not give him the satisfaction of my absence.

The door opened again, and Kastiel entered with the same quiet arrogance he always wore like a second skin. Dressed in dark velvet, his hair meticulously arranged, he looked as though nothing in the world could touch him. Yet, beneath that polished veneer was a sharpness, a predator lying in wait.

His gaze swept the room, lingering on me for a fraction longer than necessary before he inclined his head. "Your Majesty." His voice was smooth, practiced. "Your Highness." That last part came slower, a deliberate mockery of my position.

Aleron's posture remained relaxed, but I knew better. "To what do we owe the pleasure, Kastiel?"

Kastiel's lips curled faintly, as if he knew his presence alone was enough to unsettle the air. "I come with concerns regarding the Western border," he said, stepping closer. "Certain... disturbances have reached my ears, and as a loyal servant to the crown, I felt compelled to bring them to you personally."