Chapter 199: A few more days
Lucas’s grin sharpened, quiet and conspiratorial. "Only if Serathine doesn’t declare them part of her new trade routes."
Serathine’s crimson‑tipped nails traced the stem of her glass, her smile slow and feline. "I could," she said lightly, "but only if Cressida hasn’t already signed them into her budget."
Cressida didn’t even blink. She simply sipped her wine, letting the cool jade of her sleeve catch the light, and murmured, "I prefer to let men bring gifts without conditions. It’s remarkable what you get when you know how to look."
Dax laughed, genuine and unguarded, the kind of laugh that rolled through his chest and softened his kingly posture for just a breath. "Dangerous women at one end, a calculating duke at the other..." He tilted his head at Lucas, eyes gleaming. "And you, Grand Duchess, somehow holding them all in check?"
Lucas propped his chin on one hand, deceptively relaxed. "Someone has to keep the peace. Besides," he added, voice deliberately airy, "you’ve been single far too long, Your Majesty. Sooner or later, one of them will start interviewing prospects for you."
The comment landed like a pebble in still water, the ripples immediate.
Serathine’s emerald‑bright eyes flicked up, sharp and intrigued, her smile turning razor‑sweet. "Oh, that," she purred, leaning an elbow on the table. "Now there’s a thought."
Cressida’s pale brow arched, the faintest curve of interest tugging at her lips. "Dominant omega, perhaps," she mused aloud, tilting her glass thoughtfully, "or someone who won’t break too easily when Saha’s storms come."
Dax froze with his glass halfway to his lips, blinking once as the weight of both women’s gazes landed squarely on him. For a heartbeat he looked almost... human. Then that easy smile returned, though Lucas didn’t miss the slight stiffening of his shoulders.
"I see the trap you’ve set," Dax said dryly, violet eyes narrowing at Lucas even as amusement sparked beneath. "But Grand Duke Fitzgeralt took the only dominant omega available."