SARGIS'S POV
I watched her closely, not because I was trying to read her next move on the board, but because… I couldn’t help it.
Narine looked so alive with her eyes narrowed with playful mischief, and lips curled into a grin. She sat cross-legged, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, utterly engrossed in the game.
There was a certain glow to her, one that no crown or jewel could match. And what made it all the more precious was how rare it was. To see her smile and not immediately hide it. To see her enjoying herself, not watching the door or bracing for judgment.
It made something in my chest ache in the best possible way.
The dice clinked between her palms as she shook them with flair, whispering softly to them like they were sacred. A grin tugged at my lips.
“Are you br
