The moon hung low over the palace, casting silvery light across the garden where Kael and I found ourselves alone. The distant sounds of the court faded into the background, leaving only the whisper of the wind and the steady beat of our own hearts.
He looked at me — not as the Lady Livianna, the schemer or the villainess, but as something fragile and real.
"Do you ever wonder," he began softly, "what life would be like if we weren't bound by these walls, these titles?"
I met his gaze, searching for the truth beneath the question. "Sometimes."
His hand reached out, hesitating just a moment before brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The touch was electric, sending warmth flooding through me.
"We could be free," he whispered, "if only for a moment."
I leaned closer, feeling the weight of every risk we'd taken, every secret we'd shared. "And if we're caught?"
Kael smiled, dark and dangerous. "Then we face the consequences — together."
In that fleeting moment, surrounded by shadows and moonlight, I allowed myself to hope.
Maybe, despite the dangers, despite the court's cruel games, there was a chance for us.
A chance for something real.