Kaelith's grip on the letter tightened, the parchment crumpling slightly between his fingers.
Seraphine did not waver.
She stood before him like a queen before judgment—unbowed, unbroken.
"You don't deny it." His voice was low, edged with something unreadable.
Seraphine exhaled softly. "Would it matter if I did?"
Kaelith's jaw tensed. He had expected evasion, perhaps even a well-placed lie. But this…
This was far more dangerous.
She wasn't begging for forgiveness. She wasn't scrambling for an excuse.
She was testing him.
"You betray your own husband," he said, his voice quieter now, controlled. "You conspire against the crown."
Seraphine stepped closer, her eyes locked onto his. "And yet, you haven't turned me in."
A pause.
Kaelith felt the weight of her words settle between them.
"Why is that, Kaelith?" she murmured.
His name on her lips sent a shiver through him, but he ignored it. He had come too far to be swayed now.
He should drag her before the king. Should demand answers, demand loyalty.
But instead…
Instead, he reached out, his fingers brushing against the curve of her jaw before trailing lower, down the column of her throat.
Seraphine's breath hitched.
"Do you think this is a game?" Kaelith asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Seraphine swallowed, but she didn't look away. "And if it is?"
Kaelith's thumb traced the rapid pulse at her neck. "Then you should be careful, my love." He leaned in, his breath warm against her skin. "Because I always play to win."
Seraphine let out a slow breath, but Kaelith wasn't fooled. He felt the tension in her frame, the conflict warring beneath her carefully composed mask.
Good.
Let her feel the same torment she had inflicted upon him.
"You still don't know everything," she whispered.
Kaelith pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. "Then tell me."
Seraphine hesitated.
For the first time, uncertainty flickered in her eyes.
And Kaelith knew—he had cracked her armor.
But whether that would lead to her truth… or another deception, he had yet to see.
To be continued…
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