The royal hall buzzed quietly with the hum of conversation, though all eyes couldn't help but flicker repeatedly toward the Crown Prince and Aliena. Whispers ran like currents beneath the polished floors, "Did you see how he looks at her?"… "Is she really the one?"… "And that boy—her brother—what a presence…"
But Sebastian paid them no mind. He was seated at the head of the table, Aliena beside him, and his golden-red eyes tracked her every movement, not the nobles, not the gossip.
The lunch had begun like any formal meal, but it quickly became… different. Sebastian reached for the spoon with a faint smile, scooping a delicate portion of roast for Aliena. She blinked, startled.
"I—" she began, but he silenced her with a dark, amused glance.
"Sit still," he murmured, leaning slightly closer. His tone was velvet and steel at the same time. "I will feed you."
