Chapter 9
Rowan Valebright was behaving suspiciously.
He knew this.
He simply did not know how to stop.
"Good morning," Lila said pleasantly, tying her hair back as she entered the kitchen.
Rowan nearly dropped the kettle.
"GOOD MORNING," he replied far too loudly.
Lila paused.
"...Rowan."
"Yes."
"You're yelling."
"I am projecting enthusiasm."
She raised an eyebrow. "You said good morning like it was a battle cry."
He cleared his throat and tried again. "Good morning."
Better. Still stiff.
She smiled to herself and took a seat. "Tea?"
"Yes. Immediately. Sit. Do not move."
She laughed. "You're hovering."
"I am attentive."
"You moved the chair closer."
"So you don't have to reach."
"I wasn't reaching."
"You might have," he said seriously.
She watched him pour tea with the intensity of a man disarming a bomb.
"...Rowan."
"Yes."
"You're being weird."
He froze.
"I am always weird."
"Yes," she agreed. "But this is new weird."
He straightened. "I am simply—"
The kettle whistled.
Rowan flinched violently.
Lila stared.
"...It's a kettle."
"I know."
"...You reacted like it attacked you."
He nodded. "It startled me."
She leaned forward, studying him.
"Did you sleep."
"Yes."
"All night."
"Yes."
"You didn't pace."
"...Only briefly."
She smiled. "You're failing."
"I am trying."
At the guild, Rowan's behavior deteriorated further.
He opened doors for Lila.
Every door.
Even ones she was already opening.
"Thank you," she said patiently for the fifth time.
"Yes."
"You don't need to do that."
"I do."
She sighed. "Rowan."
"Yes?"
"You just opened a door that opens outward."
He looked at it.
"...I was preemptive."
Dorian Lionsreach watched this unfold with narrowing eyes.
"...Why are you like this," Dorian demanded.
Rowan turned slowly. "Like what."
"You're hovering."
"I am not hovering."
"You stood up when she stood up."
"She might need assistance."
"She stood up to get a pen."
"...Pens are dangerous," Rowan said weakly.
Lila bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Dorian stared at Rowan.
Then at Lila.
Then back at Rowan.
"...How long has this been happening."
Rowan crossed his arms. "Happening implies something is wrong."
Dorian leaned closer. "Something is wrong."
Rowan smiled tightly. "Everything is fine."
Dorian recoiled. "You said the phrase."
"What phrase."
"Everything is fine," Dorian said. "That is the phrase people say before things explode."
Nothing exploded.
The chicken clucked.
Dorian pointed at it. "Even morale agrees with me."
Rowan insisted on accompanying Lila everywhere.
To the desk.
To the map room.
To the records archive.
He stood too close.
Answered questions meant for her.
Interrupted conversations to offer chairs.
Dorian followed them like a predator who smelled blood.
"Alright," Dorian said finally, blocking their path. "We need to talk."
Rowan stiffened. "About what."
"About why you're acting like she's made of glass."
Lila smiled politely. "I am not made of glass."
Rowan nodded vigorously. "Yes. Very sturdy."
Dorian stared.
"...Rowan."
"Yes."
"You just described your wife like a chair."
Rowan winced. "That came out wrong."
Dorian crossed his arms. "You haven't lifted anything heavy."
"I am resting."
"You haven't argued with me."
"I am maturing."
"You let a clerk contradict you."
"She was correct."
Dorian pointed dramatically. "THIS IS WHAT I MEAN."
Lila stepped between them. "Dorian."
He turned to her instantly. "Yes?"
"You're hovering."
Dorian blinked. "I am observing."
She smiled. "You're circling."
He frowned. "...I don't like secrets."
Rowan tensed.
"We don't have secrets," Rowan said quickly.
Dorian stared.
"...You blinked."
Rowan frowned. "I blink often."
"That one was guilty."
Lila cleared her throat. "We're busy."
Dorian nodded slowly. "You're hiding something."
Rowan leaned in. "We are not."
Dorian squinted. "You leaned."
Rowan straightened. "I was emphasizing."
Dorian pointed at Rowan's chest. "Your heart rate increased."
Rowan froze.
"...You can't know that."
"I absolutely can," Dorian said. "I've watched you fight."
Rowan exhaled sharply.
Lila stepped in smoothly. "Dorian. Go cause chaos somewhere else."
Dorian hesitated.
"...This feels personal."
"It is," she said cheerfully.
Dorian backed away slowly. "I will find out."
He turned.
The chicken followed him.
"...Traitor," Dorian muttered.
The rest of the day did not improve.
Rowan insisted Lila eat regularly.
"You just had lunch," she said.
"That was hours ago."
"It was forty minutes."
"Time moves differently."
He flinched when someone sneezed near her.
Offered to walk her home at midday.
Insisted she sit during meetings.
At one point, he placed a cushion on her chair mid-conversation.
She stared at him.
"...Rowan."
"Yes."
"You put a pillow on me."
"For comfort."
"In public."
"Yes."
Dorian watched from across the hall, eyes narrowed.
"...Oh," he said quietly. "Oh no."
That evening, Rowan paced their living room while Lila watched from the sofa.
"You need to breathe," she said gently.
"I am breathing."
"Count."
"...I do not want to."
She smiled. "Sit."
He obeyed instantly.
"You are doing the opposite of subtle," she said.
"I am being protective."
"You are being obvious."
"I am being careful."
"You are panicking."
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"...I don't know how to do this without failing."
She took his hand. "You're not failing."
He looked at her. "Dorian knows."
She smiled. "Dorian suspects."
"That's worse."
She laughed softly. "We'll tell him soon."
Rowan nodded. "...Soon."
Outside, a shadow passed their window.
Rowan stiffened.
Dorian's face appeared.
"...WHY ARE YOUR CURTAINS CLOSED," he demanded through the glass.
Rowan groaned.
Lila laughed.
"This," she said, "is going to be fun."
Rowan did not look convinced.
Dorian Lionsreach did not sleep that night.
This was not unusual.
What was unusual was that he did not sleep because he was thinking.
That was far more dangerous.
He stood alone in the guild hall at dawn, arms crossed, staring at a chalkboard he had absolutely not been given permission to use.
On it were several phrases written in aggressive, uneven lettering:
ROWAN IS ACTING STRANGE
LILA IS CALM ABOUT IT
THE CHICKEN KNOWS SOMETHING
Dorian tapped the chalk against his chin.
"...Alright," he muttered. "Let's eliminate possibilities."
He drew a line.
OPTION ONE: CURSE
He underlined it twice.
"No," Dorian said decisively. "Rowan would have punched it by now."
He crossed it out.
OPTION TWO: ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
He paused.
"...No blood. No yelling. No revenge."
Crossed out.
OPTION THREE: POLITICAL SCANDAL
He frowned. "Too boring."
Crossed out.
OPTION FOUR: SECRET WEAPON
The chicken clucked from the doorway.
Dorian pointed. "Do not contribute unless you're ready to testify."
The chicken blinked.
Dorian nodded. "Exactly."
Rowan arrived at the guild precisely thirty seconds later.
This was, in Dorian's experience, suspicious timing.
Rowan walked in calmly, unarmored, posture relaxed.
Too relaxed.
Dorian narrowed his eyes.
"...You're early."
Rowan blinked. "Am I?"
"Yes."
"...I like mornings."
"You hate mornings," Dorian snapped.
Rowan paused.
"...I have re-evaluated."
Dorian wrote on the board:
RE-EVALUATED??
Rowan squinted. "What is that."
"Nothing," Dorian said. "Stand still."
Rowan frowned. "Why."
"Because you are emitting guilt."
"I am not."
"You just said 'I am not' like a confession."
Rowan crossed his arms. "Dorian."
"Yes."
"There is nothing wrong."
Dorian stared at him.
"...That sentence has never been true."
Rowan opened his mouth.
Closed it.
"...We are simply busy."
Dorian gasped.
"Oh."
Rowan relaxed slightly.
"Oh?" Rowan echoed.
Dorian leaned in, eyes gleaming. "You're planning something."
Rowan stiffened. "...No."
Dorian snapped his fingers. "Aha!"
"That was not an aha moment."
"Oh it absolutely was."
Lila entered the hall at that exact moment, expression serene, posture composed.
Dorian whipped around.
"...YOU."
She smiled. "Good morning, Dorian."
"You're glowing."
Rowan choked on air.
"I AM NOT," Lila said immediately.
Dorian froze.
Rowan stared at her.
Silence.
"...You answered very fast," Dorian said slowly.
Lila blinked. "I'm efficient."
Dorian turned to Rowan.
Rowan nodded vigorously. "Yes. Very."
Dorian squinted.
"...Are you two hiding a project."
Rowan seized on it instantly. "YES."
Lila winced.
Dorian's eyes lit up. "I KNEW IT."
Rowan continued, panicking. "A... personal project."
Dorian leaned closer. "Dangerous?"
"No."
"Illegal?"
"No."
"Emotional?"
Rowan hesitated.
"...Possibly."
Dorian slammed the chalk down. "ROMANTIC."
Rowan froze.
Lila cleared her throat. "Dorian—"
"I knew it," Dorian continued, pacing. "You're renewing vows. Or building something. Or planning a surprise."
Rowan nodded too fast. "Yes."
Lila elbowed him.
"...One of those," Rowan amended.
Dorian stopped pacing.
"...Why does that make sense."
Because it was close enough to the truth to hurt.
Dorian spent the rest of the day testing them.
He dropped heavy books near Lila to see if Rowan flinched.
He asked Rowan hypothetical questions.
"If Lila were, say, extremely important right now—"
"She is always extremely important," Rowan interrupted instantly.
Dorian narrowed his eyes.
"—would you, say, stop her from climbing stairs."
Rowan nodded. "Yes."
Lila sighed. "Rowan."
"Stairs are treacherous."
Dorian wrote on the board again:
STAIRS = ENEMY
He watched Rowan walk Lila home at lunch.
Not beside her.
In front of her.
Rowan stopped at every corner.
"...You're escorting her like royalty," Dorian muttered.
Rowan heard him.
"I am her husband."
"Yes," Dorian snapped, "not her shield wall."
The near-reveal came that evening.
They sat in Rowan's office — Rowan, Lila, and Dorian — reviewing reports.
Dorian leaned back, studying them both.
"...Alright," he said slowly. "I'm done guessing."
Rowan stiffened.
Lila inhaled quietly.
Dorian leaned forward.
"Tell me," he said. "What's going on."
Silence.
Rowan opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Looked at Lila.
She nodded slightly.
Rowan swallowed.
"...We were going to tell you," Rowan said carefully.
Dorian froze.
"...You were."
"Yes."
"When."
"...Soon."
Dorian's eyes widened.
"...This is big."
"Yes."
"...World-ending."
"No," Rowan said quickly.
"...Life-changing."
Rowan hesitated.
"...Yes."
Dorian shot to his feet.
"I KNEW IT."
Rowan flinched.
Dorian began pacing.
"You're leaving. Or she's leaving. Or you're both leaving."
"No," Rowan said.
"You're retiring."
"No."
"You're cursed."
"No."
"You're dying."
"NO."
Dorian stopped dead.
"...Then what."
Rowan took a breath.
This was it.
He opened his mouth—
CRASH.
The door burst open.
A clerk stumbled in, pale.
"Sir Dorian! The chicken has escaped again."
All three stared at her.
"...Again," Dorian repeated faintly.
"Yes," the clerk said. "And it's on the council roof."
Silence.
Rowan closed his eyes.
Lila rubbed her face.
Dorian turned slowly toward the door.
"...Of course it is."
He paused.
Then pointed at Rowan and Lila.
"We are NOT done," he said.
Rowan nodded weakly. "Agreed."
Dorian stormed out.
The door slammed.
Silence returned.
Lila exhaled.
"...That was close."
Rowan slumped into the chair.
"I almost told him."
She smiled gently. "Soon."
Rowan nodded. "...Soon."
Outside, Dorian yelled something about ladders and authority.
The chicken clucked triumphantly.
Rowan looked at Lila.
"...I am very bad at secrets."
She smiled. "You're terrible."
"...You still love me."
She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Very much."
Rowan smiled.
The secret remained safe.
Barely.