Lost in a chapter

Chapter 2 - Four

Sylvain’s gaze lingered on Tora as she spoke to Solis, who had briefly left and returned with food. He watched the easy exchange between them, the way Tora’s posture relaxed slightly, just enough to make his chest tighten.

She still carried wariness in her voice, but Solis had a way of drawing the sharp edges from her. Sylvain noted it, the small shifts in her tone, the way her fingers curled around the plate Solis had given her.

He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to look away for a moment. He knew gaining her trust would take time. He needed to remind himself that he were her true mate and that in time she’ll trust him.

"Theanna," Sylvain interrupted, his tone softer than usual.

Tora and Solis paused. She turned slowly toward Sylvain but said nothing, waiting.

"Please stay here," he urged, his dark blue eyes holding a rare gentleness.

Tora exhaled. "What happened to me being a threat to Sylvarune? How have a few short weeks changed that? Besides, I don’t have a home, and you made sure of that." She meant every word, yet guilt coiled in her chest at the bitterness in her tone.

Sylvain’s expression was unreadable. "I know," he murmured. "I am sorry, Theanna."

Solis raised a brow; an apology was rare from Sylvain.

"Things changed for me the moment I learned you were my mate," Sylvain admitted. "Many have tried to overthrow Sylvarune. The Thoradian’s came close. I thought…" He hesitated. "I thought you had come to avenge your people. I couldn’t let that happen.

But then…" His voice softened. "I saw your soul. It spoke to me. It chose to bind to mine. It saw through me, fought past the walls I built, reached for me, even when I tried to kill you, it found me. At first, I ignored the good it shared. But when you fell into my arms, bloodied, and weak… I let it in. I let it consume me because it was the only way to keep hold of you, to keep your heart beating. I could kill that Oracle for sending you to Emberfell.” He said, his fist now clenching. “I know you don’t trust me. Not now, not after all I’ve done. But I swear to you, Theanna, I will try every day to make it right."

Tora shook her head. "I can’t trust you. Not now. Not ever. And if I could unbind us, I would." Solis glanced at his brother. Again, Sylvain’s cold presence wavered, replaced, fleetingly, by something unfamiliar. Hurt. He cleared his throat and rose to his feet, the frost returning, a shield against the vulnerability threatening to surface.

"Just don’t go back to Aurathen," he said, his voice restrained. "Solis will find you a place of your own, whether here in the palace or anywhere in Sylvarune. This is your home now. So please… just stay."

Without another word, Sylvain shadowed out of the room, leaving Solis and Tora in the silence of his absence, thoughts weighted between them.

"I guess I better leave you to rest?" Solis finally spoke, noticing the tension still clinging to Tora.

She let out a frustrated sigh. "You have to understand, I’m not usually this mean," she murmured, leaning back against the pillow. "It’s just… a lot to take in. I’ve been here less than a month, nearly died three times, found out my family was murdered, and that they used their own children to bargain a deal, to hurt you and Sylvain."

Solis remained still, silent, his expression now similar to Sylvain, unreadable.

"Solis," Tora called, waving a hand to snap him from his thoughts.

Solis cleared his throat. "Sorry. Just figured I’d make things worse if I spoke."

Tora shook her head, frustration flickering in her expression. "Can we just leave? I can't be here any longer."

"Are you sure you can move? The wounds from the Speads ran deep," Solis said, his voice tight with concern.

"Is that what attacked me?" she asked.

Solis gave a slight nod, his fist clenching as if the memory of seeing her bloodied and hurt, was too much to dwell on. Tora noticed and softened, shifting the conversation.

"Where I’m from, if you did what Sylvarune did to my family, it would be a crime, and you would all be punished. But here in this realm, you guys can kill as you please as long as you’re stronger." She sighed, looking at Solis, his handsome features still unreadable, his posture tense, almost like he was trying not to upset her.

"What I’m trying to say is, you both did something unforgivable to me, and to expect me to be near either of you? That’s asking a lot. Once we break the deal, I’m going to find Marthos."

Solis broke his rigid stance, running a hand through his neat hair, ruffling it.

"Don’t worry, I have already sent a few of our elite soldiers to find Marthos. If you want space, take my estate, it’s far from here and it borders Aurathen, as for the deal breaking, Sylvain is working on weakening the Fayb. The Fayb is making it challenging to break, and Sylvain wanted to do it with you"

Tora kept her expression neutral, dismissing most of what Solis had said. "Fine. I’ll take the estate. But I don’t want either of you showing up unannounced. I decide when, if ever, I want to see you both."

Now she remained unreadable, but her thoughts were clear. I need to break the deal without them, I can’t have them make another or manipulate it to suit them. Then I’ll find Marthos myself.

Solis stared curiously at her, “Would you like me to take you to the estate?”

Tora winced; a calculated show of pain meant for him to see. "Yes, please. I think I need to rest some more."

Solis was at her side instantly, steady hands lifting her with effortless ease. Tora’s nostrils flared as his scent enveloped her, rich, commanding. He smells divine, she thought, drawn into his dominant presence despite herself. Get a hold of yourself.

Solis shadowed them directly to his bed side in the estate. He placed Tora down gently, pulling the covers over her as she feigned her weariness. “If you need anything, the help is just outside, no need to call out, their hearing is well trained. Get some rest, if you need us, let them know.” He hesitated, lingering as if debating whether to stay, but Tora’s warning from earlier made his decision for him. Without another word, he stepped into the shadows and was gone.

Tora lay still for a while, ensuring Solis was truly gone before sitting up. His room was vast, easily the size of a two-bedroom apartment. His bed stood positioned before large balcony doors, through which the twin moons shone brilliantly, casting silver light across the space.

The bed was enormous, not that she expected anything less for a prince. Yet, beyond its sheer size, the room lacked extravagance. No gilded mirrors, no velvet drapes. Just a wooden desk, stacks of books, and what she assumed were military documents.

Huh. I expected a prince to surround himself with lavish things.

She scanned the pristine space, taking in its orderliness, the kind of precision only someone like Solis a prince and commander would maintain. The scent of him lingered in the air, unmistakable.

She inhaled instinctively, then caught herself.

This is creepy. Stop.

The thought came sharp, immediate, a reprimand she didn’t want to need.