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He looked down at the clothes left in his hands, two sets of his own garb, avoiding my eyes as he passed me.

I might’ve been hallucinating, but I swore I felt his arm brush against mine as he walked by.

I felt dazed as I searched my pile for fresh undergarments, putting them on quickly before I pulled the dress down over my head, needing more layers between me and the man in the bathroom.

The dress fit me well, with its cinched waist and squared neckline, complementing my smaller chest. And the skirt flared slightly where it touched the floor at my feet. The dark green velvet deliciously soft against my skin, which felt abuzz with whatever that just was with Adrian.

Snap out of it, Bryn. You’re with his best friend.

I looked around the room for my boots, but remembered I’d left them in the bathroom, so I had no choice but to sit back on the bed and wait for Adrian to finish.

Breathe, Bryn. You’re just on edge because you’ve been through some insane shit these past couple months.

I shifted my focus to the bedroom, studying the wood-paneled walls and ceiling. The fireplace in the corner of the room sat empty next to a couple of small windows with none other than floral curtains. The same pink and white pattern as the bed’s quilt. A small chair with light pink padding sat plainly off to the side.

When Adrian re-emerged, he looked serious compared to the floral in the room; his own dark green outfit bold against the delicate print. His long shirt was tucked into his leather-accented pants, the material snug around his thighs.

I pulled my eyes away from his lower half and looked at his face instead.

My loyalty was to Leo.

I rubbed at my chest, missing him. It was quiet in there. The company of the king almost gone.

Being separated from him had made our bond weaker.

Yesterday I’d been eager to surrender myself to him, yet today felt different. Like only a ghost of him existed, and I existed more.

And Adrian also existed.

The commander whose presence demanded attention whether I wanted to give it to him or not. With his tanned skin and thick wavy hair, a dark green headband pushing it back from his face.

He felt dangerous to look at. His sharp nose and jaw never allowing him to be as beautiful as Leo, but his unrefined features making him more handsome. Fiercer.

“If you keep staring at me like that, I’m going to do something you’ll regret.” Adrian’s voice was low. A warning.

How long had I been staring at him? “Some—something I’ll regret?”

He walked slowly to where I was seated at the edge of the bed. “Yes.”

“What about your regret?” I whispered, my voice betraying how much he was affecting me.

“I wouldn’t have a single regret,” he said, dropping to his knees in front of me.

I gasped. “Adrian, what are you doing?”

He smiled wickedly, lifting his hand, my boots dangling from their laces wrapped around his fingers. “You’ll need these.” He set them down next to my feet and stood back up. “I’ll be out in the hallway, when you’re ready.”

If my parents’ home wasn’t enough to suggest them modest, their lack of dinner etiquette was.

Instead of sitting at the ends of the table, my mother and father sat directly across from Adrian and me. Like we were a normal family having a casual meal.

It was like dinner with Adrian, Sigrid, and Cal. Comfortable.

My parents were kind people.

My people.

My mother’s hair was indeed brown like mine, and I had a feeling she’d been holding back tears when she’d embraced me tightly upon entering the dining room.