Veyron's eyes with grief, though he tried to school his face into composure. "Your Highness, I beg of you. Please. No matter how tempting it is…no matter how much you want her, you must not mark this woman. The moment you do… it will destroy you."
Damien looked away, shoulders taut beneath the weight of inevitability.
"But," Veyron added quickly, stepping closer, "I promise you…I will do everything and anything in my power to fix this. I don't care what I have to do. Whatever it takes. I owe you that."
"You don't have to worry about me. Just… save her. She's not going to choose me anyway."
That last sentence slipped out like a dagger he hadn't meant to show. Without waiting for a reply, he turned sharply. "You can wait out here for me," he said over his shoulder, not bothering to look back.
He disappeared through the castle doors, the stone swallowing his retreating footsteps.
******
