7
1280 คำ
Sophia
The grand ballroom still shimmered in the aftermath of celebration, though the music had faded and the guests had departed hours ago. The air was laced with the rich scent of roses and lingering perfume, and scattered petals decorated the marble floors like the remnants of a dream. Golden candlelight flickered in crystal sconces, casting long shadows that danced across the high-arched ceilings.
Tonight had been a triumph.
Not just for the kingdom.
Not just for Erick.
But for me.
I stood at the top of the staircase, fingers grazing the polished banister, staring down at the room where I had reclaimed a piece of myself. Masked and regal, I had faced the two people who had once shattered my heart and left me to pick up the pieces alone. I had not begged. I had not broken.
Instead, I had risen.
And through it all, Erick had remained beside me, not as a figure of dominance, but as a silent, unwavering pillar of support.
He had given me what no one else ever had: the freedom to choose my own justice.
I still wasn’t certain of everything he had planned. His strategies were often veiled in shadows, but I had felt the touch of his influence like a steady hand at the small of my back, guiding me through the night.
My heels clicked softly against the floor as I turned from the staircase and made my way toward our chambers. The corridor stretched before me, gilded and silent, my dress whispering against the floor with each step. The palace slept, unaware of the storm that had passed or the strength I had found in its eye.
When I reached the double doors of our suite, I hesitated.
The events of the evening spun through my mind.
Caleb’s pale face, Sonya’s trembling hands, the barely contained fury in Erick’s eyes as he watched from the dais.
I had felt power tonight, but not borrowed, not gifted, but mine.
And I owed part of that power to the man who gave me everything despite only knowing me for a short period.
I pushed open the door, my heart fluttering like wings in a cage.
Inside, the room was dimly lit, awash in the soft glow of moonlight that streamed through tall windows.
The curtains, drawn back with golden cords, allowed the silver light to paint soft patterns across the plush rug. A fire crackled in the hearth, low but warm, adding a flickering amber hue to the cool blues of the night.
Erick stood by the window, his broad frame wrapped in shadows, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a half-filled crystal glass. The moon cast a halo around him, making him look more like a god than a man. His posture was relaxed, but I could sense the storm still simmering just beneath his skin.
He turned as I entered, his hazel eyes finding mine instantly.
Time slowed.
I didn’t speak.
He placed the glass on a nearby table and took a step forward, then paused, as if allowing me to make the next move.
I walked to him slowly, savoring the silence between us, the intimacy that had bloomed there like a well-kept secret.
My heart thudded softly in my chest as I came to a stop just inches away. His gaze dropped to my lips, then to the swell of my breath, before returning to my eyes.
I reached up and began removing the jeweled pins from my hair, one by one. Each pin dropped onto the dresser with a faint clink. My curls fell over my shoulders like a curtain, wild and unbound. His eyes darkened, and though he didn’t speak, I saw the way his jaw tensed, the way his fingers curled at his side.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice soft and sure.
His brow furrowed, but not in confusion. “For what?”
“For trusting me,” I said, my voice quivering with unspoken emotion. “For giving me a chance to be a part of your life.”
He stepped forward, gently cupping my face in his hands. His thumb brushed over my cheekbone, the same one Caleb had struck days before. It no longer ached, but the memory lived in the skin.
“I admired you from the moment you came to me at the bureau,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “And I knew you were fire. untamed, dangerous, and necessary.”
Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Instead, I leaned into his touch, allowing myself to bask in the warmth of him. His presence had become my anchor.
We kissed…slow and deliberate.
It was not the desperate kiss of strangers, nor the cautious kiss of new lovers. It was something deeper.
A tether being drawn tighter. A vow sealed not with words but with lips and breath and the silent understanding that whatever we were, becoming something more.
His kiss was smooth and loving, unlike Caleb’s.
My mind drifted to my first time with Caleb. I could recall how he kissed me. It was slow at first, then the kiss deepened, and his hands slid to my waist. He pulled me closer until there was no space between us.
I clutched at his shirt, untucking it, my fingers finding the heat of his skin beneath. My pulse pounded in my ears.
His jacket fell to the floor.
Then my cloak.
My dress loosened at the shoulders as he found the hidden clasps with surprising ease, and I helped guide the fabric down until it pooled at my feet. I stood before him in nothing but a silk underdress, the thin fabric doing little to shield the emotion—and desire—coursing through me.
His lips returned to mine, but this time there was urgency. His hands explored every inch of me, mapping my curves, my scars, the stories written on my skin. I arched into his touch, my own fingers trailing down the planes of his chest, memorizing the feel of muscle and bone.
We moved to the bed in a tangle of limbs and soft moans, leaving a trail of discarded clothing and self-restraint in our wake.
The sheets tangled around us, silky and cool against the fever of our skin.
Each kiss, each touch, was a question and an answer.
Are you mine?
Yes.
Will you stay?
Yes.
Do you trust me?
With everything.
Our bodies moved in rhythm, the world shrinking to the space between heartbeats and breaths. Time lost all meaning.
There was only us.
Afterward, we lay tangled together, my head resting on his chest. His heartbeat was steady beneath my ear, grounding me. I traced idle patterns along his ribs, feeling his breath hitch every so often. His arm wrapped tightly around me, as though he feared I might disappear if he let go.
I tilted my face upward, my eyes meeting his in the soft half-light.
“I love you,” I said, the words falling from my lips like a benediction. “I don’t know when it happened. Maybe it was always there, waiting. But I love you, Caleb.”
His fingers threaded through my hair. He exhaled slowly and kissed my forehead, his lips warm against my skin.
“And I, you,” he murmured. “In this life, and every one after it.”
My heart tightened as my mind conjured thoughts and images of my past with Caleb. I used to think that he was my whole world, but being with Erick changed my perspective.
He is everything Caleb can never be.
- ผู้เขียน
