Page 13 of Seas and Scepters

I bent to kiss her one more time, pouring all my longing and newfound hope into the contact.When I pulled away, she was staring at me with an expression I couldn't decipher.

"Until next time," I murmured, and slipped from the room before my resolve could weaken.

As I made my way through the sleeping city back to the palace, my mind was full of silver hair and sea-green eyes.For the first time in years, I had something to look forward to beyond ritual and obligation.

There had been something familiar about her though--something that nagged at the edges of my consciousness.The way she had studied my face with such intensity, as if she were trying to solve a puzzle.The strange accent in her voice.But whatever recognition stirred in the depths of my mind remained frustratingly out of reach.

All I knew was that I had found something precious in the darkness of my life, and I would do anything to hold onto it.

Even if it meant defying everything I had ever been taught about duty, honor, and the responsibilities of the crown.

For the first time in my life, I understood what the poets meant when they wrote about love being worth any sacrifice.

The thought should have terrified me.Instead, it filled me with a hope I hadn't dared feel in years.

Chapter Five

Selene

The gold coins felt cold against my palm as I stared down at them, their surface reflecting morning light through my chamber window.Twelve pieces—more than any client had ever left at Madam Lydia's establishment, more than some families saw in a year.Yet their weight paled compared to the heaviness in my chest.

I had lain awake all night, replaying every moment of my encounter with Prince Eirik.The way he had looked at me—not with mere carnal desire, but with a wonder for which I’d been wholly unprepared.The tenderness he’d shown me, as if my words to him had somehow healed something that lay broken inside.

You're beautiful.Both sides of you.

My own words echoed in my mind like a siren song, but instead of calling someone to their death, they had summoned something I didn’t understand.Something that made my borrowed human heart race and my stomach flutter with unfamiliar sensations.

This wasn't part of the plan.I was supposed to seduce him, gain his trust, then strike when he was most vulnerable.Instead, I found myself vulnerable in ways I had never imagined possible.I was disarmed.

A soft knock interrupted my brooding."Selene?May I come in?"

Madam Lydia's voice carried its usual blend of maternal concern and business pragmatism.I swept the coins into their leather pouch and called for her to enter.

She glided in with characteristic grace, her dark eyes swiftly taking stock of my rumpled appearance and sleepless state."Someone looks like she's been wrestling with more than bed sheets."

Heat rose in my cheeks—another bewildering human reaction I was still learning to control.Among my people, the pleasure of the senses was discussed as openly as the weather.Here, everything seemed wrapped in layers of innuendo and hidden meaning.

"I'm fine," I said, though my voice came out rougher than intended.

Lydia's knowing smile suggested she wasn't fooled."I'm sure you are, dear.Especially considering the generous token our distinguished guest left behind."Her gaze flicked toward where I'd hidden the coins."Twelve gold pieces for a single evening's companionship.Most impressive."

The way she said it made my skin crawl.Not from shame about what had transpired—I had no human moral qualms about the physical act—but because reducing what had happened between Eirik and me to a transaction felt like a desecration.

"He was kind," I said carefully.

"Ah."Lydia licked her lips and nodded."Men who frequent establishments like mine are rarely 'kind' in the way you mean.They're generous, certainly.Grateful, often.But kind?"She studied me with sharp eyes that missed nothing."The gentleman made quite an impression on you, didn't he?"

I wanted to deny it, but lying would be pointless.Madam Lydia had been managing women and their emotions for decades.She could read my feelings as easily as a sailor read tides.

"Perhaps," I admitted.

Her expression grew serious."Selene, listen carefully.What happened last night—the connection you felt—it's not real.Or rather, it's real for you, but it's not something you can build a life on."

Before I could respond, she continued."Men like him—wealthy, powerful, royal—they live in a different world than we do.They may find us beautiful, they may even care for us in their way, but when duty calls, they will choose their obligations over us every time.It's the way of things."

Her words struck uncomfortably close to the truth I was avoiding.Eirik had mentioned his upcoming marriage, the duty that bound him to a life he didn't want.Even if I weren't here to kill him, even if I could somehow reveal my true nature without sending him fleeing in terror, what future could we possibly have?

"I understand," I said, though the words tasted like ash.

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