Aveline’s fingers tightened instinctively around his shoulders the moment his lips found hers.

For a heartbeat, everything else disappeared.

The world, the fear, the distance between them... all gone.

There was only him.

The warmth of his mouth against hers, firm yet careful, as though he was holding back and giving in at the same time. The way his hand drew her closer by the waist, tightening just enough to make something deep inside her tremble—as if, without words, he was telling her she belonged right there.

His heartbeat gave him away.

Fast. Uneven. Almost desperate.

She could feel it where their bodies pressed together, feel how much her presence alone affected him, how much he was holding onto her in this moment.

And Aveline...

She melted into it.

She let herself feel it fully—the warmth, the closeness, the quiet, unspoken affection wrapped in every second of it. She leaned into him, responding without hesitation, without resistance, as if this was the only place she had ever truly belonged.

Gods... she loved this.

Loved being held like this.

Loved being kissed like this.

If she could, she would stay like this forever—wrapped in his warmth, hidden in the space between his arms where nothing else could reach her.

And yet...

Even as she gave in to him, she knew. That quiet, painful truth sat heavy in her chest.

It had been wrong of her to ask him to marry her.

She understood it now.

He was the Crown Prince. His life was not his own. His choices were not simple. A kingdom rested on his shoulders, and with it came duties—alliances, expectations, responsibilities she could never hope to fulfill.

He needed strength beside him. A powerful family. A calculated union.

Not... her.

That was a truth so obvious it should not have hurt.

But it did.

It hurt far more than she expected.

Still, she didn’t pull away.

When his fingers laced with hers, she held on just as tightly, clinging to that warmth as though memorizing it.

Just a little longer... Just this moment... Even if it could not last.

Her chest rose against his as she leaned closer, unwilling to break the connection, unwilling to let go, even while knowing she eventually had to. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Tears slipped quietly from the corners of her eyes, unnoticed in the closeness between them.

She hated knowing the truth.

But at least now... she understood.

It wasn’t his heart that kept him from her.

It was his crown.

When Theron finally pulled back, his breath unsteady, her name falling softly from his lips, she quickly turned her face away just enough to wipe her tears.

He didn’t need to know. Not yet.

Theron lay beside her, his heart still unsteady, but lighter than it had been in a long time.

He had made his decision.

Whoever Aveline truly was... whatever power she carried... she was not someone fragile or ordinary. Now that she knew the truth, she would protect herself.

And if the moment demanded it... She would protect him too.

For that, she needed to grow. Needed to understand herself. The Arcanum was the only place that could give her that. And if she could stand her ground here, in a house filled with power and scrutiny, then she would survive there as well.

But survival wasn’t enough. Not for her. Not for him.

Theron’s gaze darkened slightly as another thought settled in.

Rosalyn.

The audacity of that woman, to send assassins after Aveline and then speak of it so boldly to his face.

No.

That would not be left unresolved.

If Aveline were to remain by his side, then no shadow, political or otherwise, would be allowed to touch her again.

He would deal with it himself.

Aveline shifted beside him, breaking through his thoughts. She rolled onto her side and rested her head on his arm as though it were the most natural place in the world.

Her fingers moved lazily across his chest, tracing absent patterns, savoring the warmth beneath her touch.

"What are you thinking?" she asked softly.

She already knew, in a way.

He had revealed himself here, without hesitation, without caution. He wasn’t hiding anymore. That alone told her everything.

Theron looked down at her for a moment before speaking.

"Why don’t you get mad at me?" he asked quietly.

The question carried more weight than it seemed.

His lie hadn’t been small. He had hidden something fundamental, something that changed everything between them.

Aveline blinked, then let out a soft chuckle, her fingers unconsciously brushing over her lips, still faintly swollen from his kiss.

"I get mad at you all the time," she replied lightly. "Did you forget already?"

She had kicked him not long ago, after all.

Theron huffed a quiet laugh and pulled her closer, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Aveline..."

His voice softened as he looked into her eyes.

"Never forget. You’re the most important person in my life."

The rest of his vow remained unspoken, sealed quietly within his heart.

I will go as far as I must for you.

He didn’t say it aloud. He didn’t want to overwhelm her with the weight of it.

Aveline held his gaze.

Those dark eyes that others feared had never frightened her. To her, they had always held something else—something steady, something alive.

And now... There was a glow in them she couldn’t quite name.

Something warm. Something resolute. Something that told her he had already chosen his path.

And that path... Included her.

Her chest tightened slightly at that realization.

She didn’t deserve that kind of choice. Not from him. Not when it would only make his life harder.

But he had chosen it anyway.

Chosen a road filled with resistance... and pain... All for her.

And she had doubted him.

A small breath left her.

That was fine.

She would fix it in her own way. She wouldn’t burden him. Wouldn’t stand in the way of what he had to become.

She would grow stronger. Become someone worthy of standing beside him, not as a weakness, but as support.

And if that path took too long...

If he had to choose someone else for the sake of his crown...

Then she would still remain by his side. Not as a lover... But as someone who would protect him.

She wouldn’t chase a place beside him anymore.

She gave a small nod, as if sealing that decision quietly within herself. If staying meant becoming his weakness... then she would disappear before anyone could use her against him.

Theron, not knowing that she had decided entirely different than him, smiled at her and pressed another soft kiss to her forehead.

"And one more thing," he murmured.

Aveline looked up at him.

"Keep my night robe with you. Use it as you see fit," he added.

Aveline’s eyes widened.

He would go as far as to let her claim him as hers if she wanted to.

Aveline nodded slowly.

But in her heart, she had already begun planning how to leave him.