The stifling atmosphere of the imperial palace banquet hall had felt less like a formal luncheon and more like an execution where the executioner kept offering polite dinner rolls. By the time King Alderon finally dismissed the court, Zarius’s patience had evaporated entirely. The political maneuvering, the passive-aggressive jabs from Yerel, and the suffocating weight of the neutral lords’ gaze had pushed his tolerance to its absolute limit.

He didn’t stay a second longer than protocol required. Leaving the grand palace doors behind, Zarius marched toward the courtyard where his carriage was prepared, his long black coat snapping against his boots with every aggressive stride. Elios and Flio followed closely, both men looking visibly exhausted but relieved to have escaped the palace walls without any blood being shed on the marble floors.

"Your Grace," a calm, even voice called out from the side of the courtyard.

Zarius stopped, his jaw tight as he turned his head. "Your Grace," a calm, even voice called out from the side of the courtyard.

Zarius stopped, his jaw tight as he turned his head. Standing near the edge of the manicured palace gardens, leaning casually against a stone balustrade, was Prince Gillian. The foreign prince didn’t carry the smug, serpentine malice that made Yerel so utterly repulsive.

Gillian’s posture was relaxed, his expression neutral and entirely devoid of the political hunger that usually plagued the capital’s nobility. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Prince Gillian," Zarius acknowledged, his voice lowering into a cool, controlled tone. "I assumed you would still be inside, debating the terms of the treaty with the King."

Gillian offered a polite, measured nod, stopping a respectful distance away from the imposing Northern Duke. "I noticed you leaving, Duke Valtrane. As a guest of this court, it is only proper that I see you off and there is no finalizing anything today."

Zarius shifted his weight, his dark coat settling around him. "There is no need for that, Prince Gillian. You should return inside."

Gillian shook his head, a weary but faint smile touching his lips. "Consider this my excuse to escape the suffocating atmosphere inside, even if just for a moment."

Zarius paused, his eyes resting briefly on the foreign prince. A faint, nearly imperceptible sigh escaped him. "The palace has a way of doing that. If you wish to stay out here, I will not stop you, Your Highness. But I must take my leave."

Gillian let out a soft chuckle, raising an eyebrow in mild amusement. "My goodness, such a hurry, Duke Valtrane. Are all Northerners this eager to fly back home, or is it just you?"

"The North values efficiency over empty pleasantries," Zarius replied smoothly, a dry, faint twitch of his lips serving as his only concession to the humor. "I have someone waiting for me."

"Fair enough," Gillian conceded, crossing his arms casually as he leaned back against the balustrade. "But since you’re already out here, why not accompany me for just a few minutes? I’m merely waiting until Iryna returns anyway. The silence is much more tolerable with some company."

Zarius’s hand paused on the handle of his carriage door. His redeyes sharpened slightly, his attention instantly locking onto the prince. "Where exactly did the Princess go?"

Before Gillian could even open his mouth to answer, the sharp clatter of horseshoes and the heavy rolling of wheels suddenly echoed across the courtyard cobblestones. A carriage, lighter and less formal than the main delegation’s transport, swept into the courtyard and pulled up sharply right near their position.

The door clicked open, and Iryna stepped out.

Her royal clothes looked slightly rumpled, and her nose was slightly red, her eyes faintly watery like she’d been crying not too long ago. Did someone upset her? Well, unfortunate, really.. Oddly enough, though, she looked strangely energized as she stepped onto the stone path, her eyes bright with excitement.

Gillian turned to his sister, raising an eyebrow in mild amusement. "Ah, Iryna. There you are. I was starting to think you might not return tonight. Did you enjoy your day?"

Iryna tossed her head back, a genuine, unbothered smile on her face. "Well, it was actually quite fun! We went to eat some street food, looked around the local markets, and watched a tragic play. It wasn’t nearly as boring as sitting in this palace." She let out a dramatic sigh, waving her hand dismissively toward the grand stone structure behind them. "Honestly, the time flew by compared to being stuck here. The company was much better, too."

Zarius, who had already begun turning back toward his own carriage to leave the siblings to their business, froze. His ears, sharp and finely tuned, caught a specific name as Iryna continued to chatter to her brother.

"...not as bored as in here when I was with Cherion and the others," Iryna finished, dabbing at her nose with a silk handkerchief.

Elios and Flio stiffened instantly, their eyes widening as they looked at the back of their lord.

Zarius turned around. The polite, cold mask of an imperial duke didn’t just slip, it shattered entirely. He took three long strides toward the Solaric princess, his towering frame looming over her like something genuinely terrifying. His eyes flared with a sudden, dangerous intensity, the sheer volume of his suppressed aura leaking out so heavily that even Gillian instinctively took a half-step back, his hand dropping toward his side.

"Did you just say Cherion?" Zarius’s voice was dangerously low, a deep, rumbling vibration that sounded less like human speech and more like a growl building in a monster’s throat. He loomed over her, his gaze locked onto her face like a nightmare made flesh. "Were you just at my residence?"

Any ordinary noblewoman would have dropped to her knees or shrieked in terror at the raw, unfiltered malice radiating from the Great Wolf of the North. Zarius looked ready to tear the courtyard apart.

But Iryna simply blinked up at him. She didn’t flinch. Instead, she looked Zarius dead in the eye and nodded firmly, a small, highly amused smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Yes, I did," Iryna said, her voice entirely casual, though her eyes danced with a provocative spark as she realized exactly what button she had just pushed.

"Yes, I did," Iryna said, her voice entirely casual, though her eyes danced with a provocative spark as she realized exactly what button she had just pushed.

"What exactly were you doing there?" Zarius asked.

Iryna shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, just a little visit," she replied, her tone airy and light as if she were discussing a casual stroll through the royal gardens. "I was just spending some time with Cherion. "Surely you remember that he was the one who requested another visit?"

Zarius closed his eyes briefly, letting out a long, slow sigh. When Zarius opened his eyes, he slowly turned his head to glance over at Gillian.

Gillian’s attention visibly drifted away from the conversation. The prince cleared his throat, raised his head, and suddenly became profoundly interested in a completely empty patch of the afternoon sky, whistling a low, silent tune under his breath as if he weren’t even standing in the same courtyard.

Iryna, noticing the silent exchange, tilted her chin up slightly to meet the Duke’s gaze. "I hope it won’t be a problem, Duke Valtrane... because I really like being around your people."