Chapter 95: The Walk
Rhaegar stared at Lorelai’s flushed face, his lips pressed into a thin, unreadable line.
He was always like this—silent, unreadable, and maddeningly evasive. He could have spoken plainly, but he refused to do so unless she asked first. And, once again, she found herself with no choice but to insist, to coax clarity out of his cryptic words.
"What... what did you mean?" she asked again, her voice faltering as she squeezed her eyes shut, overcome with embarrassment.
The repetition of his own words felt foolish to her. She should have been more eloquent, more poised, instead of letting her tangled thoughts spill out so clumsily. Heat flushed her face, creeping up her neck and tingling at the tips of her ears.
The tent was deathly silent, save for her own uneven breaths. Seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity, but Rhaegar still did not answer.
When she finally opened her eyes, she found him watching her intently, his gaze unwavering. It wasn’t just a look—it was a predator’s glare as if she were the most alluring prey in all the land.
"You are as clueless as you are beautiful," he whispered at last, his voice soft yet heavy, laced with an aching vulnerability that cut deeper than his words.
Lorelai felt a shudder course through her body, her composure unraveling under his gaze. The king noticed, a faint glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes as he realized he’d flustered her again.
If she became any more endearing, he thought, he wouldn’t be able to resist devouring her completely—heart, soul, and every delicate piece in between.
The princess took a shaky breath, but it did little to steady her. His arms tightened around her, his gloved hands moving to cup her face, their touch both possessive and tender.
He leaned closer, his lips brushing against her neck before gently biting the sensitive skin. Every so often, he would suck lightly, leaving faint marks that made her shiver. Lorelai remained dazed, her hands tugging at the edges of her vest in a futile attempt to anchor herself. She was utterly helpless.