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Chapter Fourteen

A shburn led us through the halls of the Sun Palace so quickly that I barely had time to take in my surroundings.

Still, my eyes darted around, absorbing flashes of mosaic walls and colorful tiled floors.

Windows cut into intricate shapes—flowers, suns, and stars—let in streams of golden light.

Greenery and vines climbed the walls, inviting the outside in.

After a year spent in the pristine white marble of the Athenian palace, this explosion of color was overwhelming.

It wasn’t just the decor that impressed me, though. The air carried the rich aroma of spices and fresh bread, wrapping around us like a warm embrace. My stomach growled loudly, and I flushed as heads turned my way.

“Do not fear, my Lady,” Ashburn said, a soft chuckle in his voice. He glanced back at me, his expression warm. “Dinner is being prepared as we speak. The monarchs insisted on meeting you first.”

He stopped before a set of large, ornately carved doors, holding one open and sweeping his arm forward in invitation.

I hesitated, glancing instinctively toward Clay.

Despite this trip being arranged for me as a Council member, he was the Crown Prince.

Surely he should step forward first to greet the monarchs of Tenebris?

Clay, however, only met my hesitation with amusement.

Leaning close to my ear, he murmured, “Don’t tell me you want to delay meeting your fiancé? ”

I fought the urge to smack him. Straightening, I stepped forward and led our group into the throne room.

My breath caught as I entered.

Forest-green tapestries with swirling patterns stitched in shimmering golden thread draped the walls.

Velvet curtains of deep crimson framed the tall windows, and matching tasseled carpets stretched across the floor.

To the left, a group of young women sat on pillows, laughing and sipping from delicate porcelain cups.

Their gazes turned to us sharply as we entered, but their smiles were warm.

To the right, two small boys chased one another, their golden circlets marking them as princes.

And directly ahead, the Emperor and Empress rose from their thrones—towering, gilded seats upholstered in scarlet fabric.

Emperor Kamon stepped forward first. His long, dark beard matched the thickness of his hair, and his white coat shimmered with golden embroidery at the cuffs, echoing the swirling designs of the tapestries.

A silk shawl draped casually over his shoulder, and his fingers sparkled with rings set with emeralds and rubies.

His crown extended into five sharp points, so fine they looked as though a single touch could draw blood.

“Lady Moore, welcome to Tenebris!” he said, his voice booming as his grin revealed polished white teeth.

“And Prince Clayton,” Empress Rani added, her expression more reserved as her gaze flicked over him. “What a pleasant surprise.”

Empress Rani was every bit as grand as her husband.

Golden pearls trimmed her crimson blouse, a fabric that fit snugly over her shoulders and beneath her chest. A flowing silk skirt, high-slitted, revealed a sliver of dark skin.

A shimmering gold cloth draped her shoulders, and her neck and ears glittered with jewels.

Her golden crown sat effortlessly atop her coiled dark hair.

Clay bowed deeply at the waist, his charming smile firmly in place. “I apologize for not sending advance notice, Your Majesties. Prince Damon and I have been corresponding, and I thought this was a perfect opportunity to meet him in person.”

My heart skipped as I watched him. Every time I thought I knew him, he revealed another side. This Clayton Vail—the charismatic politician—was entirely new to me, a far cry from the man who’d kissed me in secret or the demanding prince who expected my deference.

Empress Rani’s smile stayed tight, but she nodded her acceptance of his explanation.

The monarchs descended the steps of their dais, their joined hands a gesture so effortlessly affectionate that it struck me as foreign.

After months of observing the tense interactions between the Dragon and the Athenian Queen, such tenderness seemed almost unnatural.

Although, admittedly, much about Tenebris so far felt largely foreign.

It was more than just the colors, smells, and clothing.

There was no Council here to greet us. Tenebris relied solely on the leadership of House Zion, delegating the governance of their lands to the Descendants of the other High Houses.

Hence why they wanted to claim one of my future children as their own, even though I held less of a position of authority here than I did in Athenia.

I dipped into a low curtsy. “I am deeply grateful for your kingdom’s hospitality, Your Majesties.”

“It is our pleasure to host you,” Emperor Kamon said, stepping forward to take my hand. He pressed a chaste kiss to my knuckles, his eyes gleaming with genuine warmth. “I only wish your visit could be longer. There is so much of our kingdom to show you.”

The Dragon had allowed me a fortnight in Tenebris—long enough to meet Veric, solidify good relations with the monarchs, and celebrate my engagement with a ball. Then, it would be back to Athenia, this time with my future husband in tow.

“Veric will join us this evening,” Empress Rani said, as though reading my thoughts. “Tomorrow, we have arranged for you both to tour the city together. In Tenebris, it is customary for a couple to spend ample time together before their wedding.”

Emperor Kamon brushed her hair back from her face, his thumb grazing the hollow of her throat in a gesture so intimate it made my chest ache. “Yes, a marriage built on friendship is one that brings joy to both parties.”

A marriage that brings joy is one a woman chooses for herself, I thought bitterly, but I kept the words locked behind a polite smile. I ignored the heat of Clay’s gaze on my back as Emperor Kamon called forward to one of the women seated on the pillows.

“This is Saharn,” he said. “She will escort you to your rooms. I’m sure you will appreciate the chance to refresh yourselves after your journey.”

The Empress scanned her eyes down my body and added, “We have also provided traditional Tenebrisian garments, should you wish to wear them to dinner.”

I nodded my thanks, following Saharn as she led the way out.

Nessira, Samsa, and Clay fell into step behind me.

Saharn, a tall girl in a burnt-orange dress, spoke softly as we walked, describing the palace and detailing tomorrow’s itinerary, but my attention drifted to Clay.

I slowed my steps to keep pace with him.

Nessira, the brilliant woman that she was, noticed my intentions and brushed forward past my shoulder. “Saharn, would you be able to help Samsa and I note down the details of the itinerary so we know how to appropriately prepare Lady Moore?”

Saharn glanced at Nessira over her shoulder and nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, I’m more than happy to-“

They trailed off into conversation as I turned my attention to Clay.

“Care to explain what business you have with Prince Damon?” I asked under my breath, my real question unspoken. Was this truly about diplomacy, or had he come simply to follow me ?

Clay raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curling into a smug smile. “Not particularly, but rest assured, it has nothing to do with you.”

“I find it hard to believe you’d cross an ocean just for introductions.”

He shrugged, his attention flicking to Saharn briefly. “Do you think everything I do revolves around you?”

I balked. “Of course not, but-“

Clay laughed softly, glancing at me from the corner of his eye, something that looked mysteriously like playfulness glinting in the depths of his golden flecked grey eyes.

“Are you –" I paused, struggling to find the words. “Are you teasing me?”

“I suppose. Although not in my preferred way.” He lifted a brow as his attention dropped to my lips for a moment before focusing in front of us once more.

There was something about him that seemed different.

Maybe it was the light in his eyes, glowing from something other than anger, or the appearance of a dimple in his left cheek that I had somehow never noticed before.

Perhaps it was even just the simple fact that his shoulders sat half an inch lower than they did normally.

Truthfully, it was everything. Everything seemed. .. lighter.

“You’re relaxed here,” I mused aloud.

He didn’t meet my gaze even as I felt like I couldn’t rip my eyes away from him. I so rarely got to see him like this. He never allowed himself to let his seriousness and strategical thinking slide away to just be a man, but when he did? Well, that was the version of him I liked best.

“Stop looking at me like that,” he commanded, his eyes still focused ahead.

Blushing furiously, I returned my gaze to Saharn’s back but my willpower only held out for a few minutes before I was tracing over his features again, memorizing every detail of him from his windblown hair to the shadow across his sharp jawline.

Gods, he really was beautiful like this.

There were only a few more moments that I’d be able to soak him in before we’d be separated and forced to play our roles again.

“Seriously,” he insisted, placing his hand on the small of my back to encourage me to keep walking even as my body slowed. “You cannot keep looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re not actually angry at me anymore.”

Finally, he met my gaze, and I nearly stumbled from the heat that lingered in his eyes.

Heat that struck right through me, then slid down my spine at a torturously slow pace before settling right between my thighs.

His eyes traveled my body, lingering over parts that should insult me but only made me feel even hotter.

Oh.

Is that how I had been looking at him?