"I know. And I want it too. But I need time."
He had his reasons. There was something raw in his voice now—something unspoken. Something only old friends could detect.
Embrez gave a small nod. "Very well. It will be postponed."
Alaric relaxed. "Thank you."
"But," Embrez added, raising one finger, "when it is done, it will be grand. That's part of the price for the help I intend to generously render."
Alaric's smile barely touched his eyes. "Fair enough."
But inside, he was already weighing the cost. He could never place Salviana at risk—not again. Not even for love.
The three men turned back to the stars, cloaked in silence and night, each of them guarding secrets too dangerous to name.
The warm night breeze curled around the rooftop like a lingering whisper, rustling the long, regal coats of the three men who stood beneath the vastness of the starlit sky. They were still for a moment, each holding his own thoughts—dark, calculated, and heavy with responsibility.
