Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

The moment the tall double doors of the throne room closed behind them, Henrietta stopped in the corridor and turned to Lucas. Her expression was unreadable at first, though her sharp eyes fixed on him with an intensity that could not be ignored.

"Xavier," she said firmly, "tell me honestly. Are you in love with Princess Nyx?"

Lucas blinked at her sudden question, taken aback by the bluntness. He opened his mouth but found himself closing it again, searching for the right words. Henrietta folded her arms, her gaze unwavering, though there was a subtle tremor in her tone as she continued. "I am bound to you, after all, I can sense your emotions, your unrest. All of this… everything you are doing, standing against the elders, pressing the King, proposing impossible solutions, it is for her. So do not think you can hide it from me."

Lucas lowered his head for a moment, inhaling deeply before lifting his eyes to meet hers. "I… do not know, Henrietta," he admitted, his voice low yet steady. "But tell me this. Would I be going through all of this, risking the King's displeasure, opposing men who would gladly see me fall, if I did not feel something for her? I could not let her be handed over like a token to secure an alliance. Not when I had the power to try and change it."

Henrietta's lips parted slightly, though she said nothing at first. A flicker of emotion crossed her face, she quickly tried to mask it. A tinge of something she could not suppress lingered in her chest, curling like smoke....jealousy, though she would never willingly admit it aloud. She tilted her head slightly, her tone quieter now, though laced with an edge. "Then what am I to you, Xavier? Am I nothing more than an instrument? A vessel to provide you with the Yin energy you need to advance your cultivation? A convenient tool you draw upon when it suits you?"

The sharpness of her words might have stung another, but Lucas only shook his head, his eyes firm with sincerity as he stepped closer to her. "No, Henrietta. Never. Do not think so lowly of yourself, and do not think I would ever reduce you to such a thing. You are important to me. I would never dismiss you as unimportant, nor treat you as a mere instrument for my path."

Henrietta's gaze lingered on him, her heartbeat quickening despite herself. Relief eased the tension in her shoulders, yet disappointment swelled within her as well. She should not have even asked such a question, she thought bitterly. She was older than him, wiser by years of cultivation and experience, yet she could not shake the stirrings within her heart. Lucas's words had soothed her, but they also unsettled her in ways she had not expected.

She lowered her eyes briefly, ashamed at her own thoughts, but no matter how she tried to smother them, the truth gnawed at her. She was beginning to fall for him. Despite the gulf of years, despite the bond being one of necessity, despite her disciplined mind telling her she should not, she could not deny the pull she felt towards him. That single night they had shared had been more than an exchange of energy, more than a pragmatic choice for survival and cultivation. It had left an impression she could not erase.

Her body still remembered the way his touch had lingered, the way his presence had filled the space between them. It had been both a physical release and a powerful surge to her cultivation, yet even now, standing in the quiet corridor, her heart betrayed her as she yearned for more. She clenched her hands against the folds of her robe, trying to silence the unspoken desires rising within her, but the conflict remained, raw and undeniable.

She was Henrietta, sworn to the king, loyalty, and the fight against the darkness threatening their kingdom. And yet, here she was, a woman disappointed in herself because she had begun to long for a man she was much older than.

Though she did not say a word of it aloud, she knew the truth, she was already in love with him...and worse still, she did not want to stop.

Henrietta forced herself to shrug the heavy feeling from her chest, her eyes glinting with a calmness that was only half real. She could bury it, she told herself, she could hide it well enough behind her composure and discipline, yet she knew no matter how hard she tried, the thought of Lucas had already begun to linger where it had no business being. Lucas, however, was not blind. The bond between them made it all too clear, and he could already sense the storm beneath her composed exterior. He knew she was falling for him, the proud and powerful seer of Valerion, the ascendant ranked cultivator who had walked the earth for more than a century, a woman feared and respected across the realm, was now in love with him. He was not disappointed in her in the least, rather the opposite. There was no arrogance in his demeanor, but Lucas had always had a way with women, a natural pull that went beyond cultivation or charm.

Still, he did not linger on her silence for too long. Instead, he chose to ease the tension by changing the subject. "Henrietta," he said in a steady voice, "are you still keeping track of Marquess Scott?"

The sharpness returned to her eyes immediately as if the question snapped her back to her usual self. She nodded without hesitation, her tone firm. "Yes. I have been monitoring him around the clock. His movements, his meetings, they are all under watch. He has grown too comfortable in his schemes, which makes him careless, and I intend to use that against him. He believes himself untouchable, but his mask will slip."

Lucas nodded, satisfied with her vigilance. "Good. That is exactly what I hoped to hear. He has been silent for too long, and I do not like silence. Sooner or later, he will make a move, and when he does, we must already be one step ahead."

Their eyes met briefly, and for an instant, she felt the warmth of his trust, the same warmth that tugged dangerously close to the part of her she was trying to suppress. She drew in a breath and looked away before the thought could grow. Lucas, sensing it again but not wishing to press her, continued on. "I would have wished to take you with me on the journey to Lechia," he admitted softly, his expression thoughtful. "Your presence would not only strengthen the delegation, but I would feel far more at ease with you by my side. But the King will need a trusted counsel at his side now more than ever."

Henrietta studied him for a moment, her lips tightening faintly before she inclined her head. "I understand, Xavier. The King will indeed need me here, and if that is where I must remain, then so be it. But you should be careful in Lechia. Do not think for a moment that their Queen will be easily swayed. She is as cunning as she is dangerous."

Lucas gave a slight smile, a confidence in his eyes that was hard to shake. "I know. But I will find a way."

Henrietta's gaze lingered on him longer than she intended, and for a fleeting heartbeat, she wished she could say more, wished she could abandon her mask and voice what had begun to stir within her. But she was Henrietta, and she would not falter here. She composed herself, exhaling slowly before stepping back. "Then I will not take more of your time. I should prepare myself for the arrival of the Emperor of Rus and his retinue."

Lucas inclined his head in acknowledgement, his eyes holding hers with quiet assurance. "Very well. Do what you must. I will join later when the time comes."

Henrietta gave him one last look before turning on her heel.