Chapter 3 : The Unnamed Ache

It had been three days.

And Prince Adreean Caelvaris had not spoken a word about her.

Not to the Queen. Not to Vaelric. Not to his steward or guards or advisors.

Not even to himself.

He told no one that he remembered the precise curve of her braid, the way the candlelight had turned the black silk of her gown to indigo. He did not admit that her voice—soft, measured, unhurried—still echoed faintly in his ears despite having only said a few words to the Queen.

Because that would be absurd.

He didn’t know her. He didn’t want to.

And yet, she remained — burned somewhere behind his eyes like a brand, waking in his thoughts with every quiet moment. A flicker in the candlelight. A movement in the corner of his vision. Always almost there.

He had searched the ballroom that night only once more after she left.

Just once.

That was not a sign of anything.

He had always appreciated perfection. The symmetry of art, the logic of architecture, the ruthless precision of swordplay. Lady Keahraa — though he still hadn’t spoken her name aloud — was simply… a living extension of that appreciation.

That was all.

She was perfect.

That was the reason.

Not the soft tilt of her mouth, or the intelligence in her eyes, or the way her presence had silenced a room more effectively than a royal decree.

Not the way his fingers itched to brush a strand of her hair back behind her ear.

Not the way his chest tightened at the image of her standing close enough to touch.

Not the way he had imagined kissing her — once, softly, then again, without restraint — before snapping his thoughts back into line like a blade to the throat.

No.

He didn’t feel things like that.

He didn’t want people.

Desire had never been part of his world — not truly. Marriage was a duty, not a hunger. Touch meant nothing. Affection was a tool for the weak.

He did not want her.

Except when he did.

He dreamed of her without meaning to. Awoke with her name unspoken on his lips. Found himself staring out the same balcony she’d passed beneath three nights ago, without remembering how he got there.

Once, he caught the scent of night jasmine in the corridor and froze — not because he liked the flower, but because it had clung to her as she walked past.

His hands clenched at his sides.

He would not ask about her.

If he asked, it would become real. If he acknowledged it, it would grow.

So instead, he buried it.

He trained harder. Stayed longer in the sparring courts. Skipped evening meals. Refused the invitations to tea from the Queen’s councilwomen. Avoided the court altogether.

But no amount of silence could drown the memory of her eyes.

He did not know what this feeling was.

Only that it left him raw. Restless. Wanting.

And Prince Adreean Caelvaris, heir to the strongest kingdom in the realm, had never wanted anyone in his life.

Until now.

And he still refused to call it love.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***