Isolde's heart stopped. A sharp gasp escaped her, her entire body going rigid with shock. Elias didn't flinch, didn't look away. He simply watched her, his face open and certain. The words hung between them, suspended like something fragile and dangerous.
"Please don't act surprised." Isolde stood up, "Elias I'm going to marry-"
"Yes I know."
"Then why?" She choked, her throat tight with emotion. "Why would you say that?"
His jaw tightened, but he didn't look away. "Because it's true." He stood, closing the distance between them in two quick steps.
Isolde backed against the chair, her fingers gripping the back for support. His hands came up, not touching her, hovering just above her shoulders. "I've loved you since the moment I saw you in that garden at the academy," he said, his words rough with something unreadable. "You were standing there in the sun, your hair half-fallen out of its braid, looking like you didn't belong anywhere. And I knew."
