Ashriel’s POV
The days had become a blur. Endless meetings, reports, and border inspections kept me occupied from dawn till dusk. I barely had time to eat, let alone think about Aurelia. Or rather, I tried not to think about her. It wasn’t easy.
Every time I closed my eyes, she was there—her voice echoing in my ears, her gaze sharp and unreadable. But it was the memory of her sitting across from Lucien during that damned picnic that refused to leave me. Her laughter. The way Lucien wiped her lip like he had every right to. The way she let him.
I clenched my fists at the thought.
I hadn’t been this annoyed at Lucien since we were teenagers fighting over swords and pride. But this—this—was different. Lucien knew exactly what he was doing. And Aurelia? She knew it too. The worst part? She
