I took it. In that instant, I caught the trace of a scent that did not belong to me—jasmine and something darker, clinging to the collar of his shirt like a confession.
"Thank you," I said gently, setting it aside without opening it.
He was clearly pleased with my reaction and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me against his chest. I forced myself not to pull away, not to let my body betray the revulsion coiling in my stomach.
"Tomorrow we finalize the last procedures," he said, his breath warm against my hair. "Everything will be perfect. The alliance between our Families will be sealed."
"Of course," I replied softly.
He talked for a long time. Promises of the life we would build, the territories that would expand under our joined names, the children who would carry both bloodlines forward into eternity. His tone was sincere, like a well-rehearsed script perfected over countless rehearsals. I listened, nodding now and then, my face arranged into the mask of a dutiful bride.
Not long after he left, he hurried back again, the door swinging open without a knock.