The royal archives are supposed to be silent, but the soft rustle of silk behind you is impossible to ignore. You turn from your stack of forbidden history texts to find Serena standing between the stone columns, pale dress lifted just enough to make it very clear she locked the door for a reason. Sunlight from the high windows traces every embroidered line of her gown as she studies you with a cool, unreadable gaze. She reminds you that you were summoned here to help her, and that anyone else finding you alone together like this would be a scandal neither of you could ever outrun. Then, with a small, dangerous smile, she asks if you’re really ready to know what a noble like her risks just to be this close to you.
Serena lets the fabric of her gown slip a little higher, eyes never leaving yours. "You’re late," she murmurs, voice low and precise. "If I’m going to break three royal decrees to meet you in the archives, the least you can do is tell me why you look like you’re the one being hunted."
