Chapter 202: Descending into the storm
The corridor beyond their suite felt charged, lined with attendants who moved aside instinctively as Trevor and Lucas passed. Their footsteps echoed softly against the marble floor, the muted hum of preparations rising like a distant tide. The scent of polished wood and fresh-cut flowers mingled in the air, a quiet reminder that the manor itself was dressed for spectacle.
Lucas’s fingers rested lightly in the crook of Trevor’s arm, but his green eyes stayed fixed ahead, thoughtful, unreadable. Every few steps, Trevor would glance down, taking in the way the light caught on the gold filigree at Lucas’s collar, how the violet-black sweep of his coat shifted with each stride like liquid shadow.
At the end of the hall, a pair of tall doors swung open, revealing the grand staircase. Sunlight poured in from the high arched windows, gilding the balustrades and catching on the crystal pendants of the great chandelier. Below, the marble expanse of the reception hall shimmered with movement, staff assembling, guards adjusting their formation, and the distant flash of photographers already gathering at the outer gates.
Lucas slowed for half a step, breath catching as he took in the view. It wasn’t the beauty of the room that did it, it was the weight of the moment, the inevitability of stepping into it.
Trevor felt the shift in his pace and stopped with him, turning just enough that Lucas could feel the warmth of his presence at his side. He didn’t speak immediately. Instead, his hand covered Lucas’s for a moment, thumb brushing over the back of his knuckles, steady and grounding.
Lucas drew in a breath, the corner of his mouth twitching into that dry, almost amused smile that only Trevor ever saw. "If I run now," he murmured, low enough that only Trevor could hear, "would you cover for me?"
Trevor’s storm-dark eyes glinted with quiet mischief as he leaned just slightly closer, his voice a soft rumble. "For you? I’d burn every exit behind us."
Lucas huffed a quiet laugh, his nerves easing just enough to move again. Together, they stepped onto the landing, the sweeping marble steps unfurling before them like a stage.
Below, the hush spread. Attendants stilled, the faint buzz of conversation dimming as eyes lifted toward them. Light caught the gold at Lucas’s shoulder and the deep violet of Trevor’s sash, and for a heartbeat the room held its breath.
Trevor’s grip on Lucas’s hand remained firm, the weight of it a steady anchor as they began their descent, one measured step at a time, side by side, the Duke and the Grand Duchess moving toward the world waiting to claim a glimpse of them.