"Your Majesty, you and the prince… you…"
Delilah's voice faltered as if saying it aloud might summon something dangerous. They were in Heinz's chambers now, the heavy door locked, the air thick with stillness.
Heinz sat hunched on the bed, elbows to his knees, hands clawed into his hair. "Yes," he said, his tone almost biting. "We were intimate. I was drinking and then… I woke up beside him."
"That's…" Delilah's voice trembled, searching for safety. "It should be fine, right? You've been with princesses before. Even if he's a prince—a man—he's still part of your harem—"
"That's not the problem."
Her words died instantly.
"Delilah…" His voice was low, sharp.
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"I think…" He looked up at her, eyes burning in a way that made her take an involuntary step back. "I've been bewitched."
She blinked rapidly. "Bewitched?"
"He…" Heinz's jaw tightened, but his voice betrayed him with a tremor. "He told me he loved me. And I—"
