After his dinner, Cassius retreated to the study where Julius found him.
"Good evening, your majesty." He bowed deeply while still struggling to catch a breath from his journey.
"Good evening, Julius." Cassius stood up and walked around the desk to welcome his friend and his advisor.
"I have searched everywhere I could," Julius began, frustration edging his voice. "And no one has ever heard of Lilian Hearthorn. There's no trace of her family or her origins. It's as if she's a ghost." He blurted, not daring to look Cassius in his eyes.
Cassius's gaze darkened, his jaw tightening as he absorbed the information. "She was found wandering in the woods. Did you uncover anything about how she got there?"
"No, sir. She was already wounded when the guards captured her near the border, just as they reported. Beyond that, nothing." Julius shook his head.
"Interesting," Cassius muttered, leaning back against his desk, his arms crossing as a shadow of doubt flickered in his eyes. "She wasn't lying, then, when she said no one would miss her."
There was a pause, heavy and charged with something unsaid. Julius, ever perceptive, raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued by the shift in Cassius's tone. He knew that Cassius was a man who rarely allowed himself to feel anything beyond his calculated composure, but there was something in his words now—something raw.
Julius studied Cassius closely, his own mind racing with questions. "Cassius, is there something you're not telling me?" The words hung in the air, thick with the weight of the unspoken truth.
Cassius hasn't disclosed his connection to Lilian to anyone yet but Julius knew him through and through so he couldn't hide it from him for long.Cassius blinked. "What's there to disclose?"
Julius didn't back down. "Do you like her?"
A muscle in Cassius's jaw twitched. "She is… amusing."
"You wouldn't keep anyone merely for your amusement, Cassius."
Cassius stiffened, internally swearing at the fact that Julius knew him so well. "What are you implying?"
"Nothing," Julius replied with a knowing smile. "But I wouldn't mind my king finding a companion to heal his solitary heart. Perhaps… a royal wedding?"
"You're getting ahead of yourself, Julius." Cassius snapped, though the sharpness in his tone only made Julius chuckle.
"But you're not denying the possibility," Julius pointed out, his eyes gleaming with triumph as he watched Cassius struggle for a reply. The silence that followed was enough. "If you care for her," Julius pressed, "say it. It would be easier to protect her here, in Ironwood, if her position in the court was clear—if we knew how you truly regarded her."
Cassius looked down, his fingers curling into fists as he weighed the enormity of what was being asked. Julius had been his confidant for years, standing by his side through every trial, through every decision that shaped Ironwood. He knew he could trust him, yet the vulnerability that swelled in his chest was unbearable.
"I don't want to share this truth with the court yet… or even with Lilian," Cassius said, his voice unsteady for the first time, betraying the turmoil he tried so hard to conceal. "I need to be sure of it myself."
"And?" Julius leaned forward, his eyes urging Cassius to continue.
Cassius swallowed, his throat tight. "When I first saw Lilian… she stirred something inside me. Something deep. Something I've never felt."
Julius's face lit up with a smile. "You *like* her!" he laughed, a genuine, joyful sound. "How fantastic!"
Cassius's expression turned serious, the weight of his next words pressing heavily on his mind. "It's more than that, Julius." Cassius said sharply, his voice cracking with the intensity of the admission. "I believe that she is my fated. My silver line."
Julius's laughter faded, replaced by awe. "Incredible. A *human*?"
Cassius nodded, a slight tremor running through him as he laid bare his most secret fear.
I never thought it possible, but the moment I saw her, I felt it—something akin to the bond our books describe between soulmates. I feel her emotions, her pain, her joy, without needing to be told. It's as if
"I didn't think it was possible, but the feeling… it's beyond what they described in the books. I feel her emotions, her fears, her joy—without needing to be told. I sense so much of her. I'm bound to her, and yet... I'm terrified." His voice broke.
Julius looked at him with concern. "Terrified of what?"
"That she doesn't feel the same." Cassius's voice was a whisper now, raw and laced with doubt. ". What if the bond only works for me? What if she doesn't feel the same? What if she—" He hesitated, his voice dropping to a whisper. "What if she looks at me and sees only a monster? What if she despises me?"
Julius leaned back, his face softening with understanding. "From what I've heard, she doesn't despise you at all. In fact, she enjoys your company —maybe a little too much, if the servants are to be believed."
Cassius's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What have you heard?"
"The servants have been talking," Julius said, unable to hide his grin. "They laugh about your dinners with Lilian, how she asks you the most outrageous questions, testing your patience to see how far she can push you. And instead of scolding her, you answer. Every single time. Until she finally corners you with a question so personal, so uncomfortable, that you have to excuse yourself. They say it's quite the spectacle." Julius crossed his arms. "She gets under your skin because she *wants* to."
Cassius's lips twitched into an unwilling smile, a mixture of exasperation and fondness stirring within him. "How can I be angry at her curiosity when she's never known a vampire before? If answering her questions brings her even the smallest bit of comfort, then perhaps—perhaps she'll trust me more."
Julius laughed softly. "You're already far more attached than you realise, my friend. Don't let fear keep you from what could be the greatest bond of your life. But be careful—this bond, if it's as real as you think, may be more powerful than either of you are prepared for."
Cassius nodded, the weight of those words settling over him like a heavy cloak. "I know," he whispered. And in that moment, for the first time in years, he felt the uncertainty of his own future.
Cassius's gaze drifted toward the window, his chest heavy with the weight of both hope and dread. The image of Lilian—barefoot in the garden, golden hair catching the wind, her laughter mingling with the breeze—flooded his mind. Could she ever feel for him what he felt for her? Could she ever look beyond the vampire and see him beneath?
He could no longer deny what was blooming between them, even if he was afraid to name it. And it terrified him more than any battle he had ever fought. Yet, it was freeing to speak of it out loud to Julius who watched his friend with care and comforting amusement.
"I would be quite keen to those dinners the servants spoke of. I have been away barely for days and the entire court seems to have shifted."
"You are more than welcome to join us for dinner in the morning." Cassius said with a smile. "Maybe you will be able to spot something that others didn't. Maybe you can be my voice of reason."
"I've always been your voice of reason and always will be. Although, I haven't yet had a chance to support you in matters of this calibre." Julius smiled and bowed, before requesting to be excused so that he could have an appropriate rest.