The ride to the palace eventually commenced.
Lilian shared the carriage with Caelan, and all through the journey, she found herself stealing glances in his direction.
It wasn't because he was actually pleasant to look at, but because he sat in silence.
She noticed his gaze looked distant, as though lost in thoughts he had no intention of sharing. Though he carried himself with his usual composure, exhaustion clung to him in subtle ways.
The faint shadows beneath his eyes were proof enough that he hadn't been sleeping.
It unsettled her more than she expected.
She had never imagined the Duke of the North as a man burdened by anything so ordinary as fatigue… much less by troubles severe enough to steal his rest.
But then her thoughts drifted back to the moment before their departure.
