[Lavinia's POV—Red Wall Castle—War Room—Continuation]
The war room was silent again.
The maps lay open. The ink on my stamp was still drying. And Haldor Vaelthorn stood before me—straight-backed, composed, and unreadable as always.
But not completely unreadable… Not anymore.
I leaned my cheek against my palm, studying him. The flicker of emotion last night… the crack in his voice… the hug he'd given without thinking… they lingered in the air between us like something unfinished.
"Sir Haldor," I began slowly, "may I ask you something?"
He stiffened slightly but bowed his head. "Yes, Your Highness."
I folded my hands on the table. "I'd like to know a little about you."
The reaction was immediate.
A flicker—shock, fear, something hidden—crossed his eyes before he shuttered them. Just like that, the warmth disappeared, replaced by a blankness so perfect it almost hurt to see.
His shoulders lowered a fraction.
"…There is nothing about me worth knowing," he said.
A lie.
