Chapter 63: Arrival

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Arrival

L

The hunting gathering was held at the royal hunting lodge two hours outside the capital.

Which meant Marian spent most of the afternoon trapped inside a carriage with her own thoughts.

A deeply unfortunate situation.

Because her thoughts had become increasingly unreliable lately.

The carriage rolled through the forest road.

Sunlight filtered through the trees.

The rhythmic sound of hooves echoed outside.

Everything was peaceful.

Marian was not.

The gathering would last three days.

Noble families.

Military officers.

Political discussions disguised as recreation.

The usual sort of event everyone pretended was about hunting.

It wasn’t.

Everyone knew it wasn’t.

The realization occupied her for nearly five minutes.

A personal record.

Afterward her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Entirely by accident.

Of course.

Cassian would be attending.

The information appeared.

Then stubbornly refused to leave.

Marian frowned at the passing trees.

This was becoming a problem.

A week ago she had been hoping she might see him.

Now she simply assumed she would.

The distinction was small.

And deeply concerning.

By the time the hunting lodge finally appeared through the trees, Marian had decided she was being ridiculous.

The decision lasted approximately thirty seconds.

She stepped from the carriage.

Accepted a servant’s assistance.

Smoothed her skirts.

Looked up—

And immediately began searching.

The realization arrived so suddenly she nearly groaned.

Not consciously.

Not intentionally.

Yet somehow her eyes moved across the courtyard before she could stop them.

The stables.

The terraces.

Groups of arriving nobles.

Then—

There.

Near the stable entrance.

Cassian Ashford stood speaking with several gentlemen.

Marian forgot how to breathe for a moment.

Which was extremely embarrassing.

The most handsome man in the Empire.

A fact Marian occasionally forgot.

Usually because Cassian spent most of his time being annoying.

Unfortunately, distance removed that advantage.

From here she could see exactly why half the unmarried women in the Empire lost all common sense around him.

Dark riding clothes.

Tall boots.

Broad shoulders.

Easy confidence.

One hand resting casually against a horse’s neck while he listened to something another noble was saying.

Sunlight caught in his dark hair.

The effect was unfair.

Completely unfair.

Marian stared for half a second too long.

Then remembered she possessed dignity.

Or at least fragments of it.

Unfortunately, the damage was already done.

Because a smile appeared before she could stop it.

A genuine smile.

The kind that came from simple happiness.

The realization startled her.

Because she was happy.

Happy simply because she had found him.

--

Across the courtyard, Cassian looked up.

He had noticed her arrival almost immediately.

Not because he had been waiting.

Obviously.

That would be ridiculous.

The fact that he had identified her carriage from halfway across the courtyard was completely unrelated.

Entirely unrelated.

Then he saw her.

And for one brief moment, the noise of the courtyard seemed to fade.

There she was.

The realization settled quietly inside him.

Warm.

Comfortable.

Dangerous.

Then Marian smiled.

A genuine smile.

Not the polite smile reserved for society.

Not the practiced smile expected of a duke’s daughter.

A Marian smile.

One that reached her eyes.

One that made it painfully obvious she was happy to see him.

Cassian felt himself smiling back before he could stop it.

And then Adrian appeared.

The moment shattered.

Not completely.

Just enough.

The Crown Prince approached Marian from the opposite side of the courtyard.

Cassian’s smile faded slightly.

The sight before him was entirely ordinary.

Entirely expected.

Entirely reasonable.

Marian and Adrian stood together beneath the afternoon sun.

Talking.

Laughing.

Comfortable in a way only eighteen years could create.

For a moment, Cassian found himself looking away.

Because the reality remained unchanged.

Marian was still Adrian’s fiancée.

The future Crown Princess.

And whatever existed between the two of them—

whatever had begun in a forest and quietly continued afterward—

did not change that fact.

The reminder was unwelcome.

Which probably meant he needed it.

No.

Cassian returned his attention to the conversation around him.

This was exactly why he should stay where he was.

Exactly why he should not walk across that courtyard.

Exactly why he should behave like a sensible adult.

The decision felt remarkably intelligent.

For nearly three minutes.

--

"Marian."

Adrian’s voice carried warmly.

Marian turned.

A familiar smile greeted her.

One she had known almost her entire life.

Something softened inside her chest.

Not the breathless excitement Cassian inspired.

Something older.

Steadier.

Comfort.

"Your Highness."

Adrian immediately looked offended.

Marian nearly laughed.

"You’ve called me Adrian for eighteen years."

"You’ve been especially formal lately."

"I wonder why."

The answer carried enough meaning that Adrian winced.

Fair.

Entirely fair.

For a moment neither spoke.

Then Adrian sighed.

"I didn’t mean to start an argument within thirty seconds of your arrival."

Marian laughed despite herself.

The sound seemed to surprise both of them.

Because months ago that kind of easy exchange would have been normal.

Then things had become complicated.

Now they seemed to be finding their way back toward something more familiar.

Not what they had before.

Perhaps never that.

But something.

"How was the journey?" Adrian asked.

"Long."

"You always say that."

"Because it’s always true."

"There are people who enjoy traveling."

"They’re suspicious."

Adrian laughed.

The sound was warm.

Genuine.

And for a moment Marian remembered exactly why she had fallen in love with him.

Because Adrian had never been cruel.

Never malicious.

Never intentionally careless.

That was what made everything hurt so much.

A servant approached.

Apologetic.

Urgent.

Adrian listened.

Then sighed.

"I have to go."

"A terrible tragedy."

"The Empire remains ungrateful for my sacrifices."

"Truly."

His eyes softened.

"I’ll see you at dinner."

"At dinner."

Adrian nodded and disappeared into the lodge.

Only after he was gone did Marian allow herself to glance back toward the stables.

As though drawn by instinct.

Cassian was still there.

Talking with the same group of nobles.

Then he looked up.

Their eyes met.

And Marian smiled.

Again.

Small.

Simple.

Nothing remarkable.

At least to anyone else.

Unfortunately, it was directed at him.

--

Across the courtyard, Cassian stared for a second.

Then another.

All the sensible reasons he had just listed remained perfectly valid.

He had not forgotten them.

The engagement.

The Crown.

The future.

Every complication still existed.

Unfortunately, Marian was smiling at him.

And apparently that made sensible decisions considerably more difficult.

Slowly, a smile appeared on his face.

Across the courtyard, Lady Roselyn Ashcombe observed the entire exchange.

Her gaze shifted from Lady Valmont.

To Duke Ashford.

Then back again.

She watched Duke Ashford excuse himself from a perfectly respectable conversation with three influential nobles.

Watched him walk directly across the courtyard.

And slowly raised one silver eyebrow.

Interesting.

The thought lasted only a moment.

Then she returned to her tea.

Young people were exhausting.

--

"Lady Marian."

Marian turned.

"Your Grace."

For a moment neither spoke.

Which was strange.

Because before the forest, neither would have thought twice about this conversation.

Now both seemed oddly aware of it.

Aware of each other.

Aware of the distance between them.

Aware of everything that had changed.

The silence stretched a second too long.

Then another.

Both noticed it immediately.

Which somehow made it worse.

The absurdity of the situation struck Marian all at once.

Three days alone in a forest.

Countless conversations.

Shared fears.

Shared laughter.

Falling asleep beside each other.

And somehow standing in a crowded courtyard felt more awkward than any of that.

The realization was deeply unfair.

Cassian appeared to be reaching a similar conclusion.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"You appear disappointed."

Marian blinked.

"Disappointed?"

"I was hoping for a warmer greeting."

The answer broke the tension instantly.

Marian rolled her eyes.

"There it is."

"There what is?"

"The version of you that enjoys being annoying."

Cassian looked relieved.

Genuinely relieved.

"Ah. There you are."

Marian laughed despite herself.

And just like that, the awkwardness became manageable.

Not gone.

Never gone.

But familiar enough to carry.

They began walking toward the lodge together.

Slowly.

Neither in much of a hurry.

Conversation came easier after that.

Not quite like the forest.

The forest had belonged only to them.

This was the real world.

With obligations.

Expectations.

Complications.

Yet despite all of that, Marian found herself smiling more than once.

And Cassian seemed to be experiencing the same problem.

Eventually they reached the grand staircase.

A servant bowed.

"Dinner will begin in one hour."

One hour.

Not very long.

Yet Marian found herself oddly pleased by the thought.

Because she would see him again.

The realization arrived naturally.

Effortlessly.

And was immediately horrifying.

Cassian appeared to be suffering from a remarkably similar condition.

Neither mentioned it.

Neither would have admitted it.

Yet as they parted to prepare for the evening, both found themselves thinking exactly the same thing.

One hour.

Somehow, that felt longer than it should.