Honora holds the silk gown against Magnus in the candlelit hall, the pale fabric brushing skin that has only known restraint until now. His blush betrays the need he denies as her voice directs each yielding step, drawing him toward the drawers and transformation that will secure their future.
Yet every command she issues risks exposure before the court, where scandal could strip the duchy and the fragile bond they have forged in shadows. Magnus stands at the edge of complete surrender, caught between the silk that claims him and the danger that waits beyond these walls. How far will he let her reshape him before the whispers reach the throne?
