"Tell me," Grand Duke Valerius purred, moving a carved ivory piece across the game board with the languid grace of a predator toying with a limping gazelle. "When exactly did you two realize you were... soulmates?"
The Onyx Parlor was silent, save for the crackling of the fire and the terrified heartbeat of Prince Beckett.
They were playing Conquest, a strategy game favored by the Emperor because it involved invading imaginary countries and crushing one's enemies. Currently, Valerius was winning.
Kaia sat next to Beckett on a velvet sofa. Her hand was resting on his forearm—a calculated display of affection that she hoped looked "wistful" and not "gripping for dear life."
"It was... gradual," Kaia lied, meeting the Duke's amber gaze. "Like a sunrise. One moment it was dark, and the next, there was light."
"Poetic," Valerius noted, his eyes crinkling. "And where did this sunrise occur? The gardens? The library? Or perhaps... during a private moment?"
