Lion’s Den

She raised a brow. "A royal parting gift?"

"Something like that," he murmured before reaching into his coat pocket while Grace looked on.

Grace's brow furrowed in confusion when she saw what was in his hand. "Is that…"

"A piece of jewelry," he said casually. "It was given to me by my grandmother. I wanted to give it to Eleanor on the day we met the queen-mother, but she didn't wait to receive it."

The moment he opened the box, Grace's heart stilled. 

Inside lay a delicate silver bracelet adorned with a single sapphire stone. The design was intricate yet elegant, and something about it stirred a strange warmth she couldn't explain in her chest.

"Why didn't you give it to your wife, the current queen?"