Rhea no longer felt as uncomfortable around the stoic Lord Easton Iris as she once had. Knowing he too feared something, something that others might say was irrational, humanized him.

So when Althea was called away the day Rhea and Lord Easton returned from their stormy adventure and when Althea encouraged Rhea to ask Lord Easton for a tour of the Duchy’s secret underground library, Rhea found herself walking toward the Duke’s office.

Only for her to overhear the voices of the Duke and Lord Easton that filtered through the small opening between the office door and its frame.

“….her reputation could very well be sullied by this little adventure of yours.”

“I didn’t hear you telling me it was a bad idea when Althea proposed it.”

A clap was heard, “Well, I see no other direction but for you to court her.”

There was a beat of silence while Rhea wrinkled her nose. She didn’t like the idea of anyone being forced to court her.

“No.” Lord Easton’s voice was quiet but firm.

Well, Rhea supposed it made sense, the gentleman didn’t like her much. He’d made that quite clear.

“At least spend some time with her, that’s an order.”

Rhea knocked on the door not wishing to hear Lord Easton’s resounding refusal to the command also.

“Come in,” came the Duke’s voice.

Rhea bent her knee as soon as she came into the room and lowered her gaze before raising it and it met Lord Easton who was quick to look away.

“What do you need, Lady Ipheion.”

“Althea told me of the great library below the estate. I was wondering if I might peruse your collection.”

“Easton will show you the way.” The Duke rose from his desk and gave what Rhea was sure was his version of a strict gaze but with the sun haloing him from behind, he only seemed like a bright beacon of light.

“I wouldn’t wish to inconvenience Lord Easton.”

“Nonsense, Easton why don’t you escort the young lady? Our library can be quite the labyrinth if one doesn’t know their way around.”

The library proved to be quite the maze of bookshelves lit only by light stones, a rare stone only mined in the Marquis and yet the long corridors were lined with candelabras housing them.

“Is there something you are looking for specifically, Lady Ipheion?”

“Do you perhaps have a section regarding legends and myths?”

“Right this way.”

Rhea watched him shift his gaze to hers before offering his arm. Carefully she slipped her hand in the corner of his elbow.

They were walking in silence for what felt like eons of time when Rhea decided to break it.

“How much further?”

They had turned down several pathways of floor-to-ceiling shelves with no end in sight.

“Two left turns and one right and we should arrive there soon.”

A draft of air blew past them and Lord Easton bowed his head and apologized.

“I’ll be right back.”

But he wasn’t. So Rhea sought out the section herself.

“Two lefts.” She made two left turns at each upcoming intersection before she reached another, “One right.”

It was a cozy corner with a reading nook in between several tall bookshelves. She had to squint to make out the titles but when she reached the bottom of the shelf she found it. “The Embers & the Legacy They Left Behind”.

Favian’s library only had books with mentions of the name Ember(s) as they were the founding people of the planet known as Ember. She curled up in the nook and opened the book, reading aided by the glow of the light stones.

This is where Lord Easton found her, completely curled up and focused on the book in her lap.

“You may come with me. I know the way out.”

Rhea didn’t even bother to look up from the book. “No need.”

The book was fascinating. It told of the Embers as not just the original beings of the planet but also beings of varied abilities. Some even could make things appear seemingly from thin air. Rhea concluded they must have been like her, being users inessential or perhaps too powerful for the old world to handle. It was all rather curious.

It was the staring that eventually had her closing the book her finger placed as a temporary bookmark.

“You may bring it above.”

It was almost as if he’d read her mind, her mind drifted remembering to the first time she met him and ALICE’s status for him. A mere question mark sat where an ability would be, something to ponder indeed.

The Capital was alive with activity. Rhea was surprised to find no knights trailing after them only Crown Prince Cassius and Lord Easton joined the ladies' shopping trip.

Rhea couldn’t help but wonder what her friends with think, her hand through the arm of Lord Easton, their small group weaving through the groups of people. Dana would no doubt ask if she were courting Lord Easton.

Glancing up at him slightly, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was what this was.

Althea was not discreet in how she tried to match her brother, Easton, and Rhea.

He would always end up showing up while she and Rhea were doing their activities.

Tea in the gardens, perusing the library, and even one time when Althea talked Rhea into showing her how to bake the delightful tarts she was known for at the Flower Path. Always that brooding gaze following her wherever she went. If only she could read his mind.

They were crossing the street when a runaway horse nearly ran her over and Lord Easton lifted her as if she didn’t way anything right out of the path of the horse. Rhea couldn’t help the blush that rose in her cheeks as she felt his muscles ripple beneath her hands as he held her close.

“Rhea, are you alright?” Althea looked from the two of them, her hands at the ready to heal even the slightest cut or bruise.

“I’m fine, thank you, Althea.” When Lord Easton set her down on the other side of the street she looked up into his silver eyes, her figure reflected in the surface of his glasses, “Thank you, Lord Easton.”

And still, her cheeks wouldn’t fade and she noticed his hands still lingered on her waist, she stepped back out of his embrace before they exchanged nods. Oh if only she could just run away from this moment, take the closest skyship, and fly away home but she couldn’t very well leave Wren behind. She shook her head and looked into the piercing gaze of Lord Easton.

“Shall we continue?”

It was when the four of them were in the busiest merchant street in the Capital that they got separated. The two couples on their own had to find somewhere there was less foot traffic to rest.

Lord Easton had slipped his hand into Rhea’s and pulled her through the bustle. She couldn’t help but feel another blush rising on her cheeks. Lord Easton’s long fingers were holding hers and for the first time in her life, she felt small. It was an odd feeling, her hand engulfed in his.

They slipped through the pressing crowd until they seemed pushed into a crevice between two shops. It would seem her cheeks wouldn’t get a moment free from the rise of color in them. Rhea felt her curves pressed against Lord Easton’s hard chest.

Rhea raised her head only to find herself frozen her breaths being breathed in by Lord Easton. His gaze was more intent than she had ever seen it before.

She couldn’t help but wonder again what sort of thoughts were running through those shifting silver eyes of his. Only to notice the pupil of his eyes had grown bigger and his hands were on her hips neither moving as if he too were frozen. Rhea raised her hand and placed it on his chest, his heart was beating so fast. Worried for his health she pushed him back, not catching the brief look of devastation in his eyes before she looked out to see the crowds were not so congested as before.

“Shall we go?”