Chapter 41: The Dinner

Conor stood in front of the large mirror in his room, adjusting the uniform collar for what felt like the hundredth time. The fine fabric of the guardsman’s uniform fit perfectly, tailored to his frame, yet it felt foreign, a symbol of a role he wasn’t sure he was meant to play. The dragon ring on his finger caught the light, the dragon’s eyes gleaming as if to remind him of something he couldn’t quite grasp.

Dinner. This dinner was meant to be a political maneuver, a showcase by the Duke, and Conor knew it. The stakes were high, and everyone had a role to play, even him—though what that role was, he still didn’t fully understand. The thoughts of Kerrigan’s earlier words, the distance that had grown between them since they arrived at the Duke’s estate, weighed heavily on him. And now, there was the added tension of meeting a prince, someone who could very well be a potential suitor for Kerrigan.

As he made his way down the long corridor to the dining hall, his thoughts churned. He had