Chapter 34

As I step backinto the palace a short while later and close the door behind me, a deep voice startles me. "Did you enjoy the gardens, Lady Annora?"

I turn and spot Aleksander walking toward me. "Yes, they were magnificent."

As he comes to a stop in front of me, his eyes drop to the book Zerah gave me earlier. "Are you enjoying some light reading?"

"Yes. It's a book on the history of Sharhavva." I clutch the book against my chest. "I want to learn more about the city."

One corner of his mouth twitches upward in the barest hint of a smirk. "Heavy reading for a woman from House of Silver."

"I may be from House of Silver, but the house doesn't define me. My thoughts, my passions, my dreams—those are what make me who I am, not some arbitrary label assigned at birth." I straighten my posture. "Besides, I'm more than capable of grasping the complexities of Sharhavva's history."

"Well said." Aleksander smiles. "You know, I think we may get along after all. Anyone who wants to learn about my city isn't completely intolerable."

I tilt my head to the side, studying the proud man standing in front of me. The one who looks so much like Jasce, yet there are noticeable differences. Especially in their eyes. Jasce's eyes are always warm when he looks at me, even when he's being stubborn or arrogant. But Aleksander's gaze has changed since I last saw him. There's coldness there now.

"What are you searching for?" Aleksander asks after several more moments of me staring at him.

"I'm trying to determine if you're like my grandfather or like your brother."

Aleksander's brow lifts. "What do you mean?"

I take a deep breath before responding. "Are you someone who cares about the people you lead? Or do you only crave control?"

Even though I'm not sure where those words came from, they seem right, as if suddenly, I see beyond Aleksander's mask. I see the man beneath the layers. The one who has always lived in his brother's shadow. The one who has always been the spare. The one who probably had to fight for his father's attention—whether it was negative or positive.

"Careful, My Lady," he says, his tone light and almost playful. "Or one might assume you have confused me with Jerrod."

A shiver runs down my spine at the mention of that horrible man.

"No." I shake my head, knowing that Aleksander isn't his father's shadow. Aleksander may crave power and control, but he doesn't possess Jerrod's particular brand of evil. "You aren't like Jerrod."

Aleksander cocks his head to the side as he studies me. "Does Jasce know that you attempt to read people's personalities?"

"Not yet."

A servant walks by with her arms laden with a stack of blankets in various hues. As she draws even with us, a red one slips from her tenuous hold and flutters to the ground. Aleksander bends down and retrieves the blanket, handing it back to the young woman with a charming smile.

A faint blush spreads across her cheeks, painting them with a rosy hue as she bobs her head at him in gratitude. "Thank you, My Lord."

Aleksander turns to me, his eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement. "Let me escort you back to your bedchamber."

I nod, and he walks down the corridor at an unhurried pace. I fall into step beside him, the silence between us broken only by the soft swish of our clothing.

When we stop in front of the door to the bedchamber I share with Jasce, Aleksander nods at me. "Until we meet again, My Lady."

He turns on his heel and strides off down the corridor, his figure soon swallowed by the shadows.

I watch him go for a moment, then I turn and step into my room, where my eyes are immediately drawn to Jasce, who sits on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on me.

"Come here, Annora," he says, his voice low and inviting.

I move across the room, my heart quickening with each step. The plush rug muffles my footsteps as I approach him. When I reach the bed, I sink down beside him, the mattress dipping under our combined weight.

"I've been thinking about you," he says.

"Have you now?"

"Mhmm." He leans closer until his lips nearly graze mine. "I can't seem to focus on anything else when you're on my mind."

"Is that so?" I tease. "And here I thought you were busy being the fearless chieftain."

"Even chieftains need a break every now and then."

"Oh, do they?" I raise an eyebrow and allow my fingertips to trail along the collar of his surcoat. "And what exactly does this break entail?"

He leans even closer. "I think you know what it entails, wife."

"I'm not sure I do," I say, feigning innocence. "Perhaps you should enlighten me."

Jasce grips my hips and pulls me against him. "I'd be more than happy to demonstrate."

I giggle, the sound breathy and light. "Is that a promise or a threat?"

"Both." His lips find the sensitive spot just below my ear, and I gasp.

"You're insatiable," I murmur, tilting my head to give him better access.

"Only for you," he whispers, his teeth grazing my earlobe.

"Jasce..."

He pulls back, his eyes dark with desire. "Yes?"

I cup his face in my hands. "Kiss me."

His lips capture mine in a kiss that steals my breath away. My hands slide up his chest to loop around his neck as I respond to him—giving as much as I take. I want him to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I care for him. That marrying him wasn't a political move or a way to escape my past. It was a choice, born from the stirrings of my heart.

A sudden knock against the door shatters the moment, and I pull away first as Jude's voice carries to us.

"Jasce, you're needed immediately in the War Room."

My heart hammers as Jasce stands.

"I'm sorry." He brushes his fingertips along my jaw, the caress feather-light, then he turns toward the door. "I'll try to hurry."

The moment the door shuts behind him, I fall back against the mattress and stare up at the mural covering the ceiling—a vibrant sunset captured in swirls of orange, pink, and purple.

As I trace the colors with my eyes, my thoughts inevitably turn back to my earlier conversation with Aleksander and to what I saw beneath his facade. Does Jasce know the extent of Aleksander's desire for control?

Probably so.

Maybe that is why I have sensed a difference in their relationship. With Jude, Jasce seems more relaxed, his shoulders less tense and his words flowing freely. But with Aleksander, he always seems more on edge, as if he has to shield himself from his brother's inner animosity.

It's subtle, but it's there.

I sigh and reach for my seashell necklace. Hopefully, they can mend their differences and work in harmony for the good of their people.