"If he'd asked me to marry Bianque, I would have chosen war instead," Kaian said coldly. "I would have burned Vermont to ash."
War. The casualness with which he mentioned it—as if destroying an entire territory was merely an alternative to marriage—made my breath catch.
"You're joking," I whispered.
"Do I seem like the type to joke?" He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, gaze lowered with absolute arrogance. "No matter how much Valquiterre is the King, he can't force me to do what I don't want."
The implication settled through me like warmth spreading through cold water.
*He didn't hate marrying me.*
He'd never resisted me on our wedding night. He treated me with kindness now. And if Valquiterre had tried to force Bianque on him instead, he would have chosen destruction.
But he'd chosen me.
My emotions spiraled beyond my control. Everything about Kaian seemed perfect—the way he presented me to others without hesitation, how he noticed my leg pain before I mentioned it, how he casually treated me as his wife in front of the entire capital.
*Doesn't that mean he has feelings for me?*
I was falling, and I knew it. I tried to stop myself, knowing it was dangerous. But since arriving in the capital, I'd lost all sense of restraint.
"I want to hug you," I heard myself say. "I want to touch you. Even sitting this close, if our bodies aren't touching, I feel like I'm going crazy."
Kaian studied me without responding.
A knock interrupted the moment.
"Duke. The messenger sent by His Majesty the King has arrived."
Kaian's jaw tightened. He lifted his teacup and deliberately ignored the summons.
"Shouldn't you answer him?" I asked.
"Do I really need to listen to something worse than not listening at all?" He seemed genuinely annoyed. "Valquiterre knows how to manipulate through obligation. I have no interest in his games."
"But he's the King—"
"Did you call him 'Bark' when you were together?" he interrupted.
I hesitated, then nodded. "He asked me to. When we were alone. He said he rarely lets people use his childhood name."
Kaian's expression darkened fractionally.
"You spent time with him alone?"
"Only a few times. At the hunting grounds, the public gardens..." I trailed off, realizing the danger. "He was kind to me. Unlike Princess Bianque."
"You're comparing yourself to Bianque?"
"If she'd been even half as kind, I could have enjoyed future visits to the capital."
Instead of responding, Kaian stood and kissed my cheek—brief, dismissive. "Bathe and rest. I'll return soon."
He left before I could ask about his childhood name, leaving me aching with the need to keep talking, to keep him present.
---
The maids who entered were young, barely past their coming-of-age ceremonies. They moved with eager steps.
"We'll help you bathe, Duchess."
"No," I said immediately. "I bathe alone."
They looked disappointed.
"Is it because you don't trust us?"
"I grew up in a mountain village near springs. I'm quite capable."
I undressed, removing my nightgown. The moment the maids saw my bare skin, they gasped.
"You're so beautiful, Duchess."
"Like a statue, your skin."
Their admiration felt hollow compared to Kaian's attention. I locked myself in the bathing room.
But through the crack in the door, I heard their whispered conversation:
"Pretty, but... for decoration, I think."
"The Duke deserves higher standards."
The words stung more than they should have. *For decoration.* As if I existed only to be looked at, not chosen, not loved.
---
## Kaian's Perspective
The messenger was near tears. "Your Highness, the King demands you return to the hunting ground immediately."
Kaian's response was deliberately obtuse. "Tell His Majesty I will attend the birthday dance. If that's insufficient, tell him I'm staying at my mansion."
The errand boy went pale.
"He said if you can't be brought, don't bother returning to the castle."
"Then I won't return." Kaian's tone was conversational, as if discussing the weather. "Tell him I'll remain here until it's time to return to Rowen."
The messenger looked as though bombs were being dropped with every word.
Kaian stood, patted the terrified man's shoulder, and offered genuine kindness. "If you lose your position because of this, come find me. The Duke of Temnes hires those dismissed by the King."
He left the drawing room without waiting for a response.
His wife was waiting. That was all that mattered.
---
When Kaian opened the bedroom door, he found Claudel sitting in a chair wearing only her thin undergarments and bathrobe.
His breath caught.
"Why are you dressed like that?" His voice came out rough.
She looked up at him with desperate eyes. "Because I couldn't wait any longer. Kaian, I want to be obsessed."
"What?" He moved closer, studying her face.
"Not later. Not when we're lying down. Now. I want to stop thinking about anything else but you. I want to stop measuring whether you care or if I'm just useful. I want to stop being afraid that you might leave me for someone with proper breeding, someone who can give you heirs."
Tears tracked down her cheeks. "I want to be so completely claimed by you that there's no room for doubt. I want my body to touch yours. I don't care if it's greedy or obsessive or wrong. I just... I need you."
Kaian pulled her up from the chair and into his arms, crushing her against him.
"You're not decoration," he said fiercely. "You're not optional. You're the only choice that matters."
---