The morning sun had barely warmed the floors of Ashen chambers as he walked inside tirelessly.
"Welcome, My Lord," came the gentle chorus of the maids as they bowed low, carefully arranging breakfast dishes across the long carved table.
Ashen barely noticed them, his mind was on Lumina and no one else.
The moment he stepped in and saw Lumina already seated quietly, nibbling at her bread, his pace quickened. He walked straight toward her, brows furrowed in confusion.
"Hey... good morning. I told you I would be back early. Why didn’t you wait for me before having breakfast?" he asked, stopping in front of her.
Lumina looked up with a small smile, her blindfold gently resting across her pale cheeks. She stretched out her hand toward him. "I needed to go to class soon. I didn’t want to be late."
Ashen sat down beside her, taking her hand slowly and squeezing it. But something felt... off. He noticed how she drew back when he had touched her hands.
He frowned and looked around her body, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"The shield..." he let out and Lumina tensed.
That word just hearing it again reminded her of everything that happened yesterday. The Queen’s rage, and the pain she had caused her.
Ashen leaned closer to her like he was still trying to examine her. "The shield I placed around you... It’s gone."
Lumina forced a smile and tilted her head. "Shield? I don’t remember you placing something like that on me?" She tried to sound innocent.
Ashen’s face twisted slightly in confusion. "I placed a protective shield on you before I left. It was made with Drakonis runes... no one should have been able to hurt you. Where is it?"
"I didn’t know," she said softly. "I must have broken it without realizing. You should have told me before placing it."
Ero, who had been standing nearby, widened his eyes. "That shield... that was your most sacred one..."
Ashen threw a sharp glance at Ero, silently warning him to stop. He turned back to Lumina, masking his frustration.
"It’s fine," he said, even though the pit in his stomach told him otherwise.
"Do you know where the particles are? So I could restore it."
"I don’t know... Ashen. I don’t know where they are scattered. But next time, please tell me if you are placing something like that."
Stella, who stood quietly by the wall, clenched her jaw. Her hands twisted in her apron. She knew her lady was lying to cover up the truth. Lumina had found out about the shield immediately after he had placed it but her lack of trust had made her remove it from her body asking Stella to keep it safe.
Ashen stood with a tired breath, the shield was one of his most sacred protections.
"Alright... I should go have my bath then.," he stated and turned, ready to walk away, but Lumina’s hand shot out again, gripping his arm.
Her fingers were small, soft, and trembling making him pause.
She wouldn’t lie, she missed him terribly. Yesterday’s event had broken something inside her. She had wished he were there, wished she could bury her face in his chest and cry.
Maybe if he were there, she wouldn’t have been whipped and humiliated.
"Hey..." her voice came softly. "Aren’t you going to walk me to class today?"
Ashen sighed and gently removed her hand. "I am tired. I can’t go today."
Ero stared at him in shock. Ashen had rushed home after the investigation just to see her. To hear him say that now could only mean one thing the broken shield had upset him.
"Oh... I am sorry," Lumina whispered, and she looked away, her appetite gone. Her fingers loosened around her fork, and she dropped it quietly on the plate.
Ashen turned away, walking off, but something in him stopped when he heard her speak again.
"Stella... let’s leave."Her voice was soft but firm.
Ashen turned back slowly, watching her rise from her seat. Something about the way she moved told him she was hiding something. Her steps were slower, heavier.
"Fine," he said, striding back to her. "I will go with you."
A gentle smile broke across her face and she stretched her hand again, not able to control her joy as she waited.
Ashen smiled faintly and reached for it, his fingers wrapping around hers. Together, they walked slowly down the corridor toward her class.
He didn’t say much, neither did she but she was satisfied with his presence.
But Ashen noticed her silence... how she wasn’t teasing him as usual.
When they got to the front of the classroom, he lifted her hand and placed a kiss on her wrist but frowned.
The dress she wore today had unusually long sleeves, completely covering her arms and that was strange.
"Why are you wearing something this heavy?" he asked gently. She smiled faintly in return.
"Because I want to." He sighed in frustration and just nodded his head.
He let go of her hand and she moved toward the door. Stella bowed to Ashen, ready to follow her lady, but Ashen stopped her.
"What happened yesterday in class?"
Her lips curled into a fake smile. "Class went smoothly, My Lord."
Ashen stared into her eyes. He saw the slight hesitation. But he didn’t press her and just watched as they both entered the class.
As he walked back to his chambers, Ero was already waiting.
"My Lord," Ero said quickly. "As you predicted, Lord Carlos has agreed. He’s ready to drop someone to take the fall for the Queen’s poisoning."
Ashen’s eyes sharpened. "Who?"
"The hairpin was gifted by Lord Vellian Marque. He is low-ranked but ambitious. He’s been in the Queen’s ear for months, pushing for reforms and gaining allies. Carlos says he is the perfect scapegoat."
Ashen nodded slowly. "Good.. At least he had done something terrible that wouldn’t make us guilty."
He took in a deep breath as he proceeded. "Have Lord Carlos meet me at the old observatory tower. "
"Yes, My Lord. Shall I prepare a bath?"
Ashen waved him off and walked into his chamber. In a rush, he twisted the dragon ring on his finger.
The door creaked open a second later, and a woman entered, locking it behind her.
Ero jumped to his feet. "How dare you..!" Ashen raised a hand stopping him.
"She’s my messenger." Ero’s mouth fell open in shock, he never knew Ashen had appointed some of the maids to be his messengers.
Ashen sat down in the chair by the window.