Sitting beside her, Lord Ross turned to face his Lady. He took a lock of her hair between his fingers, twirling it around his thumb. The carriage rocked gently as it made its way away from the manor, leaving the chaotic party behind. They’d stayed for a bit, but Lord Ross’s anger had become hard to hide. His Lady had feigned exhaustion and they excused themselves early.

“ My Mistress...I’m so truly sorry.” His words were heartbreakingly soft. Edwin looped the strands of her hair around his finger, gently stroking it. His Lady didn't stop him. She knew he enjoyed playing with her hair like that.

“You have nothing to apologize for Edwin, it was just a cut, I told you that. I’ve suffered far worse than a back handed slap from an ignorant man,” She assured him.

It didn’t matter, sorrow and guilt filled his body to the brim. He bowed his head to her shoulder, hiding his face from her. “I told you that you should’ve brought Crow with you. Crow’s insufferable but that priest” he nearly spat the word out. “ He would’ve lost his arm before he had a chance to damage your beautiful skin.”

“You’re being irrational again Edwin. What good would Crow have done? Why let him have one of Snake’s scales when you could just drop a whole familiar in front of him?” she asked him.

“Still-”

Her finger found his chin and she lifted his head towards her. He immediately averted his gaze. How could someone as worthless as him dare look upon her right now. She smiled so kindly at him. It was so soft, so nurturing. A smile that understood your pain and embraced you despite everything terrible about you.

“Don’t. I broke my promise to you, I don’t want kindness for that.”

“My Darling, look at me,” She said, reaching up and brushing some of his loose hair behind his ear. Delicate touches that always made his heart flutter. “When you look at me with such a pitiful expression, it makes my heart sink,” She cooed to him. Such words, such warmth. “You know your confidence is one of my favorite things about you. How could a man who makes such a face be my love?” Her smile was so tender. He didn’t see it often from her. He never had. It wasn’t something she gave away carelessly, but when she graced him with that smile he could do nothing but comply with whatever she asked of him. He relaxed a bit. “Will you forgive me than? For breaking my promise to you?” he asked her.

She gave a small chuckle in response to the question. “So long and you still haven’t changed,” The promise seemed so silly to her all those years ago. She’d always been stronger than him, but he was the one who promised her safety. To this day he held himself to that. “Yes Edwin, I will forgive you,” She said. If he still held onto that vow, the promise meant the world to him, and she wasn’t going to dishonor his affections by telling him that he hadn’t broken that promise. She knew instead that forgiveness would soothe him. Even if she felt there was nothing to forgive. “Now my Darling, it’s been a long night, and I’m quite tired. Will you rest with me?” She asked.

Edwin’s heart warmed as he wrapped his arm around her, bringing her against him so she could rest her head on his chest. “Of course, Mistress,” he said, holding onto this moment for as long as he could. Everything he was, everything he had was thanks to her. How could he ever deny her commands? She was more precious to all of them than any jewel. No wealth or land could hold a candle to her value in the eyes of the coven. He could give up the entire Ross dukedom and it would amount to nothing in comparison to her.

As she slept against him he stroked the cut on her cheek. That fool. That priest hadn’t escaped him. The coven would seek their own retribution. He had no interest in punishing him by the laws of the empire. He’d give judgment not as the Duke of Seth, but as the Right Hand of the inner circle. He wanted to find the witches? Edwin would be sure he did.