"Your Highness? Your Hi—" She exhaled, then carefully called. "Brand?"
The ragged breathing ceased at once. Slowly, the prince's fingers loosened and fell away from his hair and he lifted his head.
The strangeness of his eyes met hers and as she had become accustomed to the different colours—and the mean scar—she did not react, except only to the unusual blaze in them, unlike any she had ever seen in him. Indeed, there was anger there, but beyond it, there was… fear? Sorrow?
Her heart broke for him.
"Lady Gwen?" he whispered.
She managed a small smile. "Hello, Your Highness."
His right eye blinked. "What are you—how are you—you should not—"
