Alaric ran a hand through his black hair, trying to piece together the whatever had occurred to him.
None of it fit together into anything that make sense.
This isn't the time for this, he told himself firmly.
Then suddenly...
"What are you daydreaming about?" A melodic voice came from behind him.
He turned to find himself facing a young woman whose beauty was immediately striking, not in the warm, approachable way, but with the kind of ethereal perfection that seemed almost untouchable.
Her sapphire-blue eyes held flecks of silver that caught the corridor's lamplight, while her hair fell in elegant waves of pure silver with streaks of blue that seemed to shift color depending on the angle. The combination was alluring, though her expression remained carefully neutral.
"Ah, Lady Verelia."
The young woman gave him a small nod. "You don't need to address me as 'lady.' We're engaged, so just call me by my name."
"As you say," Alaric replied.
