She slipped away before he could say more, retreating to the library. There, among the tall shelves and whispering pages, she let herself cry quietly, hiding from the world that had spun violently out of control.
Annabella had tucked herself between towering shelves, head bowed, breath unsteady. The quiet here was thick, heavy enough to hide in. She pressed her palms to the spine of a random book just to steady her trembling fingers.
Footsteps approached, light, unhurried, too graceful to belong to anyone except...
"Annabella?"Lyz's voice softened in that way she rarely allowed. "I heard you left the hall."
Annabella didn't turn. "Please go away. I don't need this right now." Her voice was cool but frayed at the edges. "I'm sure you already know everything. I feel guilty enough as it is."
"Of course I know." Lyz moved within arm's reach, her presence careful and deliberate. "But drowning in guilt won't help you." Her hand hovered before settling gently on Annabella's forearm, light and careful, as though touching something precious. "You're shaking."
Annabella exhaled shakily but didn't pull away. "It's just... everything. It's too much."
Lyz didn't remove her hand. Instead, she shifted it slightly, thumb brushing slow reassurance against Annabella's skin. Her breath caught at the warmth beneath her fingertips, impossibly soft, but she kept her expression perfectly composed.
"Come," Lyz said quietly. "At least sit down. Or let me help you find what you're looking for."
Annabella finally turned her head, eyes red-rimmed. "A book. Something on mage inter-house treaties. Andrew said..."Her voice cracked and she swallowed hard. "He said everything is compromised. There has to be another way to fix this. I can't stay, but I can't leave without a plan to protect Rea at least."
Lyz's expression softened into something warmer, deeper. "Then we'll find it together."
She slid her hand down Annabella's arm to her wrist, gently, deliberately, and guided her toward the far shelf. Annabella followed without questioning the intimacy of the gesture.
Lyz reached above her, body close enough that her perfume drifted into the space between them. "Inter-house treaties are usually higher up... here."
Her fingers brushed Annabella's shoulder as she leaned further.
"There." Lyz plucked a thick burgundy volume free and turned back.
She paused.
Annabella had tears gathering at her lashes again. Not dramatic ones. Quiet, exhausted ones that spoke of a soul pushed too far.
Lyz's chest tightened. She lifted her free hand and touched Annabella's cheek with the back of her fingers, far too intimate, far too slow, yet Annabella, lost in her spiral of worry, didn't even flinch.
"You're carrying so much." Lyz's voice was barely above a whisper. "You don't have to do it alone."
Annabella closed her eyes at the touch, overwhelmed. "I just... I don't know what to do anymore."
Lyz let her knuckles trail down the curve of Annabella's cheek to her jawline, a touch that was half comfort, half reverence. She had to inhale slowly to keep herself steady.
"You start by breathing," she whispered. "Just that. Nothing more."
Annabella finally opened her eyes, finding Lyz's gaze steady and grounding. "Thank you."
Lyz smiled, slow and warm, with an ache hidden beneath. "Always."
She placed the book into Annabella's hands and let her fingers linger, thumb brushing over the delicate bones of Annabella's knuckles, savoring the warmth and the trust.
Annabella didn't notice. She only clutched the book to her chest and exhaled shakily, relief spreading across her features.
Lyz watched her with quiet hunger carefully folded beneath perfect composure.
"Stay as long as you need," Lyz said, stepping just a fraction closer and lowering her voice. "If you need another book... or just someone to sit with you... I'm here."
Annabella nodded, grateful, oblivious, already opening the book with trembling fingers.
Lyz remained exactly where she was for a moment too long, studying the fine line of Annabella's neck, the tremble in her hands, the soft furrow in her brow as she tried to focus on the words before her.
Then she smiled, slow and private, and turned away before her self-control fractured completely.
Annabella returned to her room to find Rea freshly bathed and ready for bed, looking unusually composed. The sight would have been endearing if Annabella weren't so exhausted.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered if Rea had found what she'd been hunting for all day. What type of ring... She immediately chastised herself for having such thoughts when everything was falling apart around them.
Rea was propped against the headboard, and when she saw Annabella, she sat up fully with that familiar seductive smile. "You're late," she said earnestly. "The tables have turned."
Annabella shrugged, her movements elegant even in exhaustion, and headed toward the bath without offering an explanation.
"Come on, don't be like that," Rea called after her, her voice carrying a hint of playful exasperation. She swung her legs off the bed and padded across the room, stopping just outside the bathroom door. "Are you annoyed because I disappeared all day? I had things to take care of."
Steam curled from the doorway as Annabella emerged moments later, water still glistening on her skin. She moved with that unconscious sensuality of hers, wrapping a towel around herself as she met Rea's eyes.
"Next time,"she said with a sigh, "just let me know so I won't worry myself sick over you."
Rea's expression softened. She studied Annabella carefully as she crossed back to the bed, watching the way her shoulders carried tension she was trying to hide.
"You're acting weird," Rea said, following her. "I would expect more anger from you. What's really going on?"
Annabella slipped into a silk nightgown and sat on the edge of the bed, folding her arms protectively.
"I'm just tired, Rea."
Rea didn't believe that for a second. She climbed onto the bed behind Annabella, settling on her knees as she reached out.
"You're a terrible liar," she murmured, leaning in to press a kiss to Annabella's bare shoulder. Her hands found Annabella's hips, pulling her back against her groin. "Let me help."
But Annabella gently caught Rea's wrists and pulled away, sliding further down the bed. "Please... not tonight."
The rejection hung in the air for a moment. Rea exhaled slowly, then lay down and pulled Annabella close, wrapping around her protectively instead. "I know something is wrong,"she whispered against Annabella's hair. "Let me know when you're ready to talk."
Annabella said nothing, but she didn't pull away either.
***
The next day was the ball Andrew had organized to honor the creation of House Corvenius. Annabella woke at dawn, deliberately slipping out of bed before Rea stirred. She wasn't ready to face those questions yet. Rea woke restless an hour later, haunted by a nightmare where Annabella was ripped from her arms right after accepting her proposal. She bathed quickly, dressed, and went searching.
She found Lyz in the great hall, directing servants as they positioned ornate pillars for the evening's festivities. Rea didn't announce herself. She simply crossed the distance and swung. Her fist connected with Lyz's jaw once, twice, again. Lyz stumbled back, and Rea would have kept going if Shawn hadn't grabbed her from behind, hauling her back.
"What did you say to Annabella?" Rea snarled, still struggling against Shawn's grip. "She looked dead inside yesterday. What did you do?"
Lyz spat blood onto the marble floor, her expression cold. "If you can't take care of your woman, Rea, don't blame others for noticing."
Rea lunged forward again, but Shawn's hold was iron.
"Enough!" Andrew's voice cut through the hall as he strode toward them. He grabbed Rea's arm and practically dragged her away from the scene, down a corridor and into a private study.
He shut the door firmly. "I'm lord of this realm. I can't have you acting like a fool in my own hall."
Rea paced, her hand going to her pocket where the ring box sat heavy and cold. She pulled it out, flipping it open and closed compulsively.
"Annabella seems off," she said, frustration bleeding into her voice.
"What if... what if this scares her away? What if I'm about to lose her?"Andrew watched her carefully, thinking to himself that perhaps this would be the final push to convince Annabella to agree to their plan and return to her father's realm.
But aloud, he said, "Or maybe this will give her the reassurance she needs. That you both need. Sometimes commitment steadies relationships." Rea closed her fist around the box and nodded slowly.
***
She found Annabella in the garden later that afternoon, standing among the roses with that devastating profile of hers catching the sunlight. Rea approached with a grin, determined to lighten the mood. "Why are you avoiding me like I've got the plague?"
Annabella turned, her purple eyes cool but not unkind. "I'm not avoiding you. I just needed fresh air."
Rea closed the distance and took her hand without asking.
"Come with me. I want to take you somewhere."
"We have the ball tonight," Annabella reminded her.
"We'll be fashionably late," Rea said with a mischievous smile. "Intention matters more than punctuality."
***
Rea led her through the village after they'd cast dissimulation spells on themselves, making them appear as common travellers. T
hey ran through cobblestone streets, past the market, through the forest beyond until they finally reached a hidden cave entrance.
Rea started flirting as they walked deeper into the cave, her voice dropping low. "Remember the last time we were alone in a cave?" Annabella's lips curved into a smile, a blush creeping across her cheeks.
"I was sore the entire next day, and I was on horseback most of that day. Imagine the fun!" she said with a laugh that was both embarrassed and delighted.
Rea bit her lip, eyes darkening with memory. "Life was simpler then."
She pushed past hanging vines and moss, revealing a hidden paradise. Natural hot springs steamed gently, surrounded by ancient trees. Birds of paradise nested in the branches, their calls echoing softly. Annabella's breath caught.
She smiled genuinely for the first time in days and instinctively laced her fingers through Rea's. Rea turned to face her fully.
"I know things aren't perfect right now. I know everything feels complicated. But I want to make the most of every moment I have with you." Annabella responded by pulling her in for a kiss, slow and deliberate.
Then she broke away and walked toward the water, her movements unhurried and hypnotic.
She began to undress, letting her clothing fall piece by piece. Her body was devastating. Breasts perky and perfect, her waist curved into hips that swayed with each step. Though she'd lost weight recently, her figure remained lush, and her hair, that stunning blend of blonde and ice-white, cascaded down her back and caught the filtered sunlight like spun silver. She stepped into the water and turned, looking at Rea over her shoulder with those arresting purple eyes.
"Well?" she said, her voice pure seduction. "What are you waiting for?"Rea practically tore her clothes off and cannonballed into the water, making Annabella shriek with laughter as the splash hit her.
They swam together, teasing and playing like they hadn't in weeks. Rea tried to maintain some composure, but her body betrayed her, growing hard beneath the water. Annabella noticed, of course. She always did. She swam closer and kissed her, again and again, each kiss deeper than the last, stoking a fire they couldn't extinguish here.
***
When they finally climbed out to get dressed, a group of monkeys descended from the trees and snatched Rea's clothes, chattering mockingly as they swung away.
"You've got to be kidding me,"Rea muttered. Then louder, "Get back here, you little bastards!"
The monkeys only chattered louder, clearly enjoying themselves. Rea's hands began to glow with flame. "I'm going to roast every single one of you—"
"Rea, no!"Annabella laughed, pulling on her shirt. She approached the monkeys calmly, and as she did, her purple eyes began to shine with an otherworldly light. The monkeys froze. Their chattering died. As one, they climbed down and deposited Rea's clothes at her feet before scampering away. Annabella turned back with a triumphant smile.
"You were saying?" Rea stared at her, half frustrated, half in awe. "Show off."But she was smiling. Seeing Annabella like this, confident and playful, eased something tight in her chest. Maybe things would be okay after all.
***
They returned to the estate and dressed for the ball, they kept stealing glances whenever their paths crossed. The tension between them built steadily, a slow burn that promised to ignite.
When Annabella finally emerged in her ball gown, Rea nearly forgot how to breathe. The dress was white, made entirely of pearls that caught the light with every movement. Feathers adorned her breasts, elegant and daring, and the gown clung to every curve before flowing down to the floor. She looked like a goddess descended to walk among mortals.
"Why," Rea said slowly, trying to control her reaction, "are your clothes always this... revealing?"
Annabella smiled, a slow, knowing thing. "You'd have to ask Andrew. He commissioned it specifically for me."
Rea's jaw tightened. "That old man is really pushing his luck. I need to have a word with him."
Annabella's laugh was low and rich, and it did absolutely nothing to calm the heat building between them.