"I'm just saying," Vaela insists, barely holding back a dreamy sigh as she twirls across the estate's common room, "he was charming, sincere, devastatingly handsome, and he actually listened to me. Like really listened."
Lilith is sprawled across the velvet sofa, kicking her feet in the air and pretending to gag. "We get it, you wanna climb the elven throne and ride it like a surfboard."
Elsuana snorts into her tea.
"I'm serious!" Vaela protests, though her smirk betrays her pride. "He's different. He's not just a figurehead. He actually wants to change things. He's stuck in a system slower than molasses, but he's trying."
Thalos leans against the doorway, arms crossed. "And he's hot. Don't forget that part."
"I was getting there!" Vaela flicks a pillow at him.
Lucien chuckles from the corner. "So… are we seducing the king now, or winning a bid for our company?"
Vaela winks. "Why not both?"
