Even though he had appeared composed and almost cordial earlier, the King now felt entirely different. The warmth she had sensed before no longer reassured her, it unsettled her.
There was something far more calculating beneath that gentle smile, something that reminded her that he was not simply a man in fine robes but a ruler who could command armies and shape destinies without hesitation.
The realization made her chest queasy. When she remembered the way his gaze had paused just briefly on her hair, on its distinct color and then on her eyes, a faint shudder passed through her. He had noted it deep in his eyes, didn't he?
"Don't worry," Hades said easily.
The shift in him was immediate when he looked at her. The sharpness that had edged his features while speaking to the King softened into something gentler, something that made her feel steadier without him needing to say much more.
