Raphael didn’t give Riana time to retreat into her thoughts.
The moment they were alone in the quiet of the house, he reached for her hands, warm and steady, grounding her before her worries could spiral any further.
“Hey,” he said softly, tilting his head so she had no choice but to look at him. “Talk to me.”
Riana exhaled slowly. “Not a fan of your words at council meeting today.”
He smiled, teasing, though his eyes were gentle. “By standing up for my fiancée? Or by daring to challenge a room full of overgrown wolves with fragile egos?”
She huffed despite herself. “By saying you’d take the throne like it was nothing.”
Raphael laughed, a low sound that filled the room. “You think I want the crown?”
She studied him, searching. “Don’t you?”
He stepped closer, backi
