Lucas had not given up. If anything, he had beco even more obsessive than before.
The very next day, Ostenton Embroidery House sent over a large batch of orders. Every single commission specifically requested embroidery stitched by Caelith’s own hands, and the offered paynt was twice the normal market price.
Yvaine was overjoyed.
"Sister! Look at this! So many orders! We’re going to beco rich again!"
Caelith stared at the stacks of embroidered commissions before her, and a chill slowly spread through her chest.
She refused every one of them.
On the third day, another shipnt of orders arrived. This ti, the prices were even higher.
Caelith refused once again.
On the fourth day, Lady Lian ca personally. The mont she stepped into the shop, Caelith noticed her reddened eyes.
"Miss Caelith..."
Caelith gasped and imdiately led her into the inner room.
"Lady Lian, what happened?"
The woman looked at her, and suddenly, tears began slipping down her cheeks.
"Lucas... sothing is wrong with him. I am scared..."
Caelith’s heart sank. "What happened?"
Lady Lian shook her head, sighing helplessly.
"He locks himself inside his room all day and refuses to speak to anyone. Nareen went to knock on his door and he drove her away angrily." Her voice trembled slightly. "I asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn’t answer ."
She clasped Caelith’s hand tightly, her voice turning into a desperate plea.
"Miss Caelith... be careful." She lowered her gaze anxiously. "I watched that child grow up. I know his temperant. He appears gentle on the surface, but once he becos fixated on sothing..." She swallowed softly. "He can drive himself into madness."
Caelith nodded, swallowing hard.
"I understand. Lady Lian, you should be careful as well."
Once the older lady left, Erian erged silently from the rear courtyard and stopped beside Caelith.
"He still hasn’t given up on you. Fool."
Caelith did not reply, and the young man tilted his head, watching her like a curious dog.
"Do you want to deal with him?"
What followed was a sharp warning. "Don’t do anything reckless!"
Erian’s face did not change, yet the look in his eyes made unease creep through her heart once more.
That young man was truly terrifying.
***
That afternoon, Lucas ca in person. He stood inside the embroidery shop with the sa refined smile upon his face as always, appearing no different from before.
But when Caelith looked at him now, all she felt was cold.
"Miss Caelith," he said gently, "why have you rejected every order I sent?"
Caelith took a deep breath and offered him a calm response. "I am too busy to accept them."
Lucas’ lips stretched into a grin.
"Too busy?" His voice remained mild and pleasant. "The prices I offered were hardly low. You would be smart to drop everything else and do this work instead."
Caelith did not respond.
At that mont, Erian stepped out from the rear courtyard and stopped by the doorway, staring at Lucas with an almost killing intent.
Lucas glanced at him briefly and smiled again.
"Here cos your loyal servant..."
Caelith parted her lips, ready to respond, when the sound of approaching hoofbeats echoed from outside.
Rhaegar dismounted his horse in one smooth motion and strode directly into the shop.
He wore a dark set of military uniform, a large sword hanging at his waist, his face expressionless and cold.
His gaze first swept once over Lucas. Then over Erian. And finally settled upon Caelith.
That gaze was heavy enough to suffocate the air itself.
Lucas turned and offered him a polite greeting. "Lord Rhaegar. Long ti no see."
Rhaegar ignored him entirely. He walked straight toward Caelith and wrapped one arm around her waist possessively.
"Co."
Caelith froze briefly before instinctively following him outside. Several custors within the shop watched the scene unfold and imdiately began whispering among themselves.
"Wasn’t that the young duke? Why did he just take Miss Caelith away like that?"
"Yes! That’s Lord Thorne from the Imperial Guard. Don’t tell you’ve never heard of him?"
"Lord Thorne indeed? What relationship does he have with Miss Caelith?"
"I heard they are to be married soon."
"Oh my..."
Lucas stood motionless where he was, listening to the whispers spreading through the shop around him.
Slowly, the smile faded from his face entirely.
Erian still stood by the doorway watching him.
Their gazes t across the dimly lit room.
Neither man spoke.
***
That night, Rhaegar sat inside the chamber watching Caelith in silence.
Only a single lamp burned within the room. Its dim amber glow spilled softly across them both, casting long shadows against the wall behind them.
"Speak."
Caelith flinched, startled by the sound of his voice.
"Speak about what?"
"About Erian." His voice was calm, but cold beneath the surface. "About Lucas. About whatever has been wrong with you lately."
Caelith fell silent, her heartbeat drumming in her ears. Rhaegar rose from his seat and slowly walked toward her.
"Are you hiding sothing from ?"
Caelith looked into his eyes, and her lips trembled. Within those dark orbs, she saw nothing but exhaustion.
He was almost... frighteningly fragile.
She drew in a slow breath and finally spoke, "He belonged to my mother’s household."
Rhaegar paused. Your mother?"
Caelith nodded. "He was left behind by one of the old servants from before." Her fingers tightened faintly at her sleeves. "My uncle... Osvald Grandien... entrusted him to ."
Rhaegar looked at her steadily. "Why didn’t you tell ?"
Caelith lowered her eyes. "You’re the Commander of the Imperial Guard." Her voice softened. "I didn’t want you entangled in anything that might invite suspicion."
Rhaegar said nothing, but his eyes never left hers, gazing into her soul so deeply that it almost felt like he could actually see sothing there.
After a very long silence, he finally spoke again.
"Caelith."
She looked up. Rhaegar stepped closer until only the smallest distance remained between them.
"Do you know what matters most to ?"
Caelith arched her eyebrows. "What?"
He reached out and pulled her into his arms. Then, he lowered his head until his lips brushed against her ear.
"You."
Her heartbeat was now slamming violently against her ribs.
"I don’t care about anything else." His arms tightened around her possessively. "My position. My reputation. The Thorne family. Even the Emperor himself." His breath burned warm against her skin. "I don’t care about any of it."
His hold tightened further, as though he wished to bind her completely within himself.
"But you are different."
He caught her earlobe gently between his teeth, grazing it slowly. A shiver ran through her entire body.
"Caelith." His voice dropped lower, thick with restrained emotion. "Listen to carefully."
His heated breath brushed against the curve of her ear.
"If you ever disappear..." He paused briefly. Then, broken whisper crushed her heart with just a few final words, "I’ll die."
"Rhaegar..."
"I an it." His voice ca low and muffled above her head as he held her tightly against him. "Without you, I can’t live."
All of a sudden, all she could feel was a sharp sting deep inside her heart.
"You’ve gone mad," she whispered back.
"I have." His arms tightened around her. "A long ti ago."
She lifted her hands, trying to push him away. Instead, he only pulled her closer.
Caelith raised her head and looked at his face.
Within those dark eyes lived sothing terrifyingly intense—devotion, madness, and a desperate hunger that resembled a drowning man clinging to the final piece of driftwood keeping him alive.
For a mont, she no longer knew what to say.
Rhaegar lowered his head and kissed her. The force of that kiss stole her breath. Her hands pressed weakly against his chest.
"Rhaegar... it’s still daylight..."
He ignored her completely. His kisses trailed downward from her lips to her throat, then lower along the delicate line of her collarbone—each touch scorching and unbearably lingering.
Her breathing gradually lost all rhythm.
"There are people outside..."
Rhaegar lifted his head and looked at her again. In the dim amber light, his eyes glead with a dangerous brightness. Then... without another word, he lifted one foot and kicked the door shut behind them.
Caelith froze. Rhaegar looked down at her, the corner of his mouth curving faintly upward.
"The door’s closed now. No one can see."
Before she could even react, he had already pressed her down onto the bed.
"Rhaegar!"
He lowered his head again, swallowing the rest of her protest with another kiss.
His hand slipped beneath the hem of her robes, his scorching palm settling against her bare skin. The roughened pads of his fingers traced slowly along her waist, sending waves of heat through her body.
Her limbs weakened instantly.
"Don’t... what if soone hears..."
"No one will." His voice was low and rough against her chest. "I closed the door."
She nearly choked on her own breath.
Rhaegar lifted his head slightly and looked at her with unmistakable amusent.
"Closing the door," he murmured lazily, "is already the extent of the respect I’m willing to show outsiders."
Caelith glared at him helplessly. He laughed softly under his breath before lowering his head again.
This ti, he beca even more rciless.
She bit hard against her lip, trying desperately not to make a sound.
But his movents only grew heavier. More deliberate. More impossible to endure.
At last, a muffled sound escaped her throat despite herself.
Rhaegar paused briefly. Then, he kissed her even harder. She could feel him smiling against her lips.
"I like hearing your voice."
Her face burned so fiercely it felt as though it might ignite. Embarrassed beyond endurance, she raised her hand to hit him, only for him to catch her wrist easily and pin it above her head.
She could not escape. Could not struggle free. All she could do was surrender helplessly beneath him.
No one knew how much ti passed before she finally lost patience entirely. She leaned forward and bit down hard against his shoulder––hard enough to draw blood. The tallic taste spread faintly across her tongue like an intoxicating potion.
Rhaegar let out a low, restrained groan, but he did not stop. If anything, he only beca rougher.
Caelith loosened her bite and stared at the mark left upon his shoulder. A bead of blood slowly welled up against pale skin, vivid and startlingly red.
"You’re bleeding..."
Rhaegar glanced down carelessly... Then smiled. That smile sent a strange chill through her body.
"Leave it there," he said softly. "It’s your mark on ."
Caelith froze.
Rhaegar lowered his head once more and kissed her deeply. The faint taste of blood spread slowly between their lips again.
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