She felt blessed, like the Stars themselves had granted her this. There was no limit, no rules or constraints. She was boundless; she was home, safe and secure in his unbreakable embrace.
~
Shackled in an abrupt and demanding upbringing, Althera is...
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Valentine should have known his cousin wouldn't be alone on a day like this. There were the first hints of snow outside in the gardens and the skies were foggy with only a blurred image of the sun. It wouldn't be surprising that he had a girl in his room early in the morning, warming his bed. But the girl he saw in his bed wasn't one of the maids or courtiers of the castle.
Not her. Anyone but her, his mind shrieked at him as he took in Althera's ruffled form on Rhaye's bed. She had the covers drawn to her chin, only her arms sticking out to hold the cup of smoking tea in her hands. She couldn't see him over his cousin's broad shoulders, but Valentine was able to catch a glimpse of her chestnut hair and green eyes before Rhaye blocked her from view, his eyes dull.
He kept his voice low as he greeted Valentine. "Hello, Val. What a pleasant surprise." He tried not to make his face show too much emotion as his cousin took in his unbuttoned shirt and crumpled up pants. "In a hurry?"
His blood fueled at the cold, detached tone, but he held himself down, calming his breathing. "Not really. After the meeting yesterday, I thought I'd check in on you." It was unbelievable, especially coming from him, who resented his cousin's guts, but it wasn't a lie. He did indeed want to check on Rhaye, and whether his cousin thought it was because Valentine was showing worry for him or not, he didn't care.
"I'm fine," Rhaye growled out, moving to slam the door in his face. "You should leave – now."
"Yes, which is more or a reason for you to go." His cousin's voice was calmly steely and smooth, like he'd been spending all his free time coming up with retorts and practicing them for a moment just like this. If Valentine hadn't known better, he would've probably admired Rhaye for his stony and tranquil nature.
His fingers gripped the doorframe, catching the look Rhaye sent it. He was considering fracturing his fingers right there with a smash of the door, no doubt. His cousin turned back to him.
He made himself stand a little taller. "I don't know what game you're playing at, Rhaye, but I'm warning you: you should stop before you hurt anyone seriously." If it wasn't obvious enough, he meant Althera. A girl like her who so strongly supported non-violence against anyone, for that matter, shouldn't have to face something so cruel and heartless, and have her fragmented pieces scattered to the wind because some princedecided it was acceptable. Valentine knew his cousin's personality better than anyone.
"I don't need you to tell me what's right and what's wrong." He felt a muscle in his jaw tightened as Rhaye uttered those words.
