Cas smiled when Iris reaffirmed that she wanted to be with him. He would never get tired of hearing it. However, the expression didn’t last long as she went on to tell him what she knew about the rebels in the city. His brows furrowed in thought at the mention that they weren’t far from the safe house. That was interesting, since they weren’t very far from the harbor. He wondered if the rebels had been using the waterway to get into the capital and made a mental note to have his security team follow up on that hunch later. There were enough security cameras in the area that one of them had to have picked up something near the docks if he was right.

“One of a few,” he said with a half-smile, giving her hands a squeeze. He didn’t know where all of the safe houses were off the top of his head, since he’d been a kid when his father had flown him around to see them, but he did know there were at least four of them both in and outside of the capital city. The one they’d ended up using was one of the smallest too.

At her question, he lifted his shoulders. “I was, but not around here,” he replied, sidling closer to her on the bed to wrap an arm around her waist. Now that she was back, he couldn’t help wanting to be as close to her as he could get. “Right now, I have a couple guys looking into some officers in the military… but it doesn’t matter.” He shook his head. “You’re not going back to prison, Iris. Never again. And… after we get out of here, I want you to come back to the palace with me.”

As he pulled her in against his side, he held her gaze earnestly. In his head, it wasn’t even a question. They’d spent too much time apart, and no matter what anyone else thought about it, he had more than enough space with all the vacant rooms his family hadn’t occupied since his father had evicted them. “If it’s still too soon to share the master room with me, you can stay in one of the other bedrooms down the hall,” he offered. Honestly, he did want her as close as possible, but he wasn’t going to push it after everything she’d been through. As much as he wanted to pick up right where they’d left off, he didn’t know if she was ready for that or not.

And there was still the matter of his almost-fiancée. He could see on Iris’s face that she wasn’t happy to find out that he’d started seeing someone else while he’d thought she was dead. A part of him wished he’d waited just a little longer too—but there was no way he could have known he’d see her again. “You have nothing to be jealous of,” he promised. “Nothing happened, and we never even got far enough into it to start courting. We just talked about it.” He winced a little, shuffling his feet as he glanced away from her. “She’s, um… the princess of the Suphate kingdom. Her name’s Raine, and the only reason we even considered courting was because we were friends when we were kids. But really,” he turned back to her insistently. “Now that you’re back, everything is different. I don’t want to be with her, Iris. I want to be with you. I love you.”

Iris enjoyed the touch between them, it had been so long since she’d had any sort of comfort like this. With all the previous trauma and everything that had happened it would have been nice to have someone there to comfort her. It’s not like Jacob was a comforting person, but she had missed that whilst healing. It seemed Cas was on the same wavelength as she felt the arm wrap around her waist, and she couldn’t help but movie closer to him where possible. “As I say, I’ll share whatever information to your team. I want you to be safe and free from all this rebellion.” A part of her still felt a twinge of guilt that she had been a big part of it before.

“Could I really?” It seemed surreal at the idea of moving into the palace with him, she had stayed there once before all the drama had kicked off, but his father hadn’t been welcoming. Not that his father was around anymore, and he was right to have not trusted her in the first place. “You wouldn’t get into trouble for it?”

It seemed like a silly thing to ask; he was a King and could do as he liked and they’d been apart for too long. Cas clearly wanted to just pick up where they left off, but he was still considerate of her own comfort as he offered her to stay in another room if she didn’t want to share. Feeling the heat in her cheeks she still wanted to share a room with him, she wouldn’t want to sleep in another room not whilst back in the palace when she’d be so conscious with the people around. “I would like to share. If you’re comfortable too of course.” Though she was certain she knew the answer to it already.

Shifting a little uncomfortably as he spoke about Raine, a princess from another kingdom who was of his standard unlike some rebel. “No, I understand. Of course. You thought I was dead. You’d have to think about the kingdom.” Hearing the confirmation that he loved her was all she needed, she shouldn’t be jealous when he had started to move on with his life without her because that was a decision, she had ultimately made by leaving in the first place.

“I just hope with me now in the picture it doesn’t damage anything for you.” Iris sighed softly knowing she was about to cause a lot of drama for him, both with political people and his subjects. All that should matter was the fact they were reunited and could work things out. It shouldn’t be too difficult. Right?

“Although... won’t it be kind of awkward, this place doesn’t seem big.” Iris hinted towards the fact Raine was still here, he would have to have some sort of conversation with her about this and then there was Jacob. This brief moment of peace and enjoyment between them wasn’t going to last long.

“How much longer do you have to stay here?”

Caspian lifted his shoulders noncommittally. “If it’s a problem, I’ll deal with it,” he assured her quietly. There was a high chance it would be. Plenty of people in the capital had seen Iris’s face on wanted ads when his father had listed her among the bountied rebels in Aspiria, so it wouldn’t be surprising if anyone recognized her when he took her with him to live in the palace. When word got around that the nation’s king was in a relationship with a former member of the scourge, it would be nothing short of a scandal.

But it didn’t change the fact that he wanted to be with her, and that he was done letting the woman he loved slip through his fingers.

So, when she said she still wanted to share a room with him, he brightened. After everything they’d been through, it was a relief to know that she wanted to pick things up where they’d left off. However, the expression didn’t last long as their conversation circled to Raine. It was a lot more complicated now, he knew. Even though he and the Suphate princess hadn’t signed any documents, he had technically already talked to her father about courting her, so if he backed out now, there was a chance there would be hard feelings between their families. He still had no intention of following through now that Iris was back, but he was going to have to tread carefully when he eventually left the safe house.

“I’m just happy you’re back,” he shook his head with a sigh. “Besides, even if there’s drama, it’ll blow over. It always does.” The upper echelon of Aspiria were a fickle people. That was something he could count on, at least. Whether his relationship with Iris caused quiet whispers or an all-out uproar in the capital, he was sure it would die down whenever the other high borns found something else to gawk at. The only lasting impact, perhaps, would be the fact that he wasn’t a bachelor anymore. Marriage was off the table as a negotiation tool with the kingdom’s sister nations.

And right now, it was way too soon to be worrying about anything like that. Instead, he shifted his weight when Iris brought up a more immediate problem, glancing uncomfortably at the bedroom door. She had a point. “Well… I’m sure she’ll understand,” he justified with a tentative frown. “We’ve been friends for a long time. That hasn’t changed just because we started thinking about courtship.” At least, he hoped not. Technically, he knew he couldn’t speak for Raine, but just because he wasn’t going to marry her didn’t mean he wanted to completely sever ties.

“Either until those rebels are caught or the military decides the palace is secure enough for me to go back,” he replied, turning to Iris again. For a moment, he studied her thoughtfully, then offered her a hand. “Have you had anything to eat? There’s more than enough food to go around in the kitchen if you want some.”

Iris could feel the nerves settle in; she was about to be surrounded by people who didn’t want her here and she knew this would cause an uproar. Single handedly she was about to cause one of the biggest scandals and could be ruining relationships with sister nations, but Caspian knew all of that. He knew the risks and yet he still wanted to choose her over everything else. It was hard not to enjoy that fact, that she was that important to him he was willing to fight a country for her.

“Hopefully.” Iris wanted to believe it would blow over as easy as he said it would, in truth she wasn’t sure how quickly it would and if anyone would truly accept her dating the King of all people. However, it was a headache he was willing to take so she had to be willing to face it with him. If they stayed a united strong front, it would be okay, and she was sure she could do that with him.

Biting the bottom of her lip she saw the tentative frown of his, she wasn’t sure how this Raine would react, and it didn’t help they had just hidden themselves in a bedroom. Who knew what was going through that girls' head and she felt partially guilty for being the reason for this. “I hope so, if you’ve been friends for a long time, maybe she will understand?” Trying to be hopeful and positive about it for once, rather than worrying. Negative thoughts had only caused issues before, and she didn’t particularly want to spiral through that again.

Even with Ethan dead the rebels were still causing havoc, she had to wonder who had decided to take up the fight this time. Her father had originally started it, Ethan continued it, but surely the fact the rebels were still going someone else had to be pulling the strings. Had her father and Ethan just been pawns before? Was someone else behind this the whole time? “It’s strange to think the rebels are still causing havoc, I thought with... well. I guess someone else has decided to take the lead.” Hesitating at speaking her fathers name, and Ethans for that matter.

Iris would never forget the pain Ethan had put her through, even with her healed physically the mental scar was still there. Distracted by the offer of his hand she took it in her own with a smile, nothing else should matter right now.

“Oh, well. It’s been a few days. I should probably eat.” Iris admitted sheepishly, it was why she had been caught stealing because she had been in need of some sort of drink or food to keep her own search going. Until she had been caught red handed. Glancing at the door it did mean facing Jacob and Raine. Anxious at the thought of seeing them she shifted a little on the bed, uncomfortable at the idea but it was inevitable, and it would happen eventually.

“Are you sure it will be, okay?” Unable to stop herself from asking the burning question, she was still cautious at the thought of seeing this Raine. Jacob too, but she was more concerned about Caspians reaction to Jacob now he knew the truth behind her ‘death’.

Caspian nodded. It was what he wanted to believe, but at the moment, all he could do was guess. Raine had always seemed to be the understanding sort though. Even when they were kids, he’d thought she was the more level-headed of the two of them, and she had always been pragmatic. After Iris had turned up without any warning, she would have to realize he didn’t mean to give her false hopes, wouldn’t she? He pressed his lips together as he thought about it. Of course, he didn’t expect her to breeze along with the sudden change without any qualms, but hopefully, if his impression of her was right, she wouldn’t hold it over his head once the dust settled.

More important was the matter of the continuing rebellion in the districts. As Iris turned his attention there, the king frowned to himself. She was right that it was strange. There were still plenty of missing pieces, and his intelligence on the situation had been… well, lackluster, even before his father had passed away. They had taken out multiple kingpins amongst the Scourge, and yet the rebels continued to operate like a well-oiled machine. He wasn’t sure who was pulling the strings behind it all, but clearly, there was someone in charge of the operations that they hadn’t managed to take out yet.

“Someone else, maybe,” he sighed, running a hand over his hair. “Or maybe the same someone… I don’t know. We’re working on it.” Meeting her gaze again, his dark eyes flitted between her blue. “Whoever it is, they’re done using you though. I promise. No one’s going to be taking you away again.”

Perhaps it was brazen to make a promise like that when he hadn’t been able to stop Ethan from kidnapping her last time, but he meant it regardless. Now that she was back, he was going to do everything in his power to keep her safe from the rebellion. Right now, that meant keeping her close in the bunker. Later, he planned to do the same in the palace. The hotel he’d hidden her away in before hadn’t had the same level of security as either of those places, so at the very least, he could rest in the knowledge that his security team would be looking out for her alongside him.

As she rested her hand in his, Cas laced his fingers with hers with a smile, happy with the simple pleasure of being able to touch her again. However, the expression disappeared quickly when she admitted it had been a while since she’d last fed herself. “Days?” he echoed, gawking at her incredulously. “Jesus, Iris. We need to get some food in you right now.”

Getting up from the bed, he ushered her with him by a tug to her hand, only to pause momentarily at her next question. “It will be,” he assured her with a nod. The other people in the bunker might have mixed feelings about her presence there, but he was in charge, and that meant they had to set those feelings aside if he asked them to make her feel welcome.

It might not happen right away, but he was confident the dust would settle. With that thought in mind, he led her with him back out of the room and down the hall until they could rejoin the others. When they stepped back into the room, most of the team was still crowded around their monitors, while Raine was seated on the couch by the silently playing TV, and Jacob was standing aside with his phone in hand, his eyes fixed on the screen as if busy.

It was the latter who Caspian fixated on, his eyes narrowing as the sting of his guard’s betrayal cut through him again. He’d promised Iris he wouldn’t fire the other man, but he couldn’t bring himself to pretend like Jacob hadn’t kept her hidden from him—let him think she was dead—for an entire month. His grip tightened on her hand, and he glanced at her sideways. “Take whatever you want from the pantry… I need a minute to talk to Jacob.”

“I thought my father was the leader of it, I guess he was just a pawn in someone else's game. Ethan... me...” Iris sighed shaking her head confused by it all, who was truly behind this rebellion? “I’m no one special, I doubt they would use me anymore.” Hearing him promise that fact too warmed her heart, that even with the separation between them he felt so strongly about her.

“Eh... well. You know me.” Iris tried to wash it over, that it had been days since she had eaten. Food had always been a sore subject at times, especially when she had been trapped in the hotel by herself. “Sorry, I promise I’ll do better.” Hoping that would ease his worries about her, plus she had a feeling that everything would change now. With her in the picture she half expected him to wrap her up in cotton wool, ensuring that she was well looked after.

Iris was still hesitant at the thought of facing everyone, Caspian seemed to be certain it would be okay, but she was cautious. By showing up Iris had ruined any alliances and what if Raine was bitter about her showing up? She wasn’t anything special, she wasn’t any sort of class unlike Raine. Biting the bottom of her lip she followed along silently not wanting to draw any attention to herself.

Entering the room, it felt hostile, and she felt his grip tighten as he looked over at Jacob. Iris in turn avoided looking at Jacob, as well as Raine on the sofa feeling awfully aware of the silence in the room. Glancing at Caspian she nodded at his offer of the pantry, but she knew she wouldn’t eat not whilst she was worrying over what he was about to talk to Jacob about.

“Right...” Trailing off as she looked at Caspian before daring a glance at Jacob, the guilt apparent in her face because she knew this wasn’t going to end well. It was a miracle she had gotten Caspian to agree not to fire him, to make that promise as she knew he would still get mad. In truth she was surprised he hadn't directed any sort of anger towards her just yet, it was bound to happen as this wasn’t all Jacobs fault.

“Cas... just. He saved me remember.” A gentle plea to Caspian in hopes that he wouldn’t be too harsh, that he would be kind to the security guard. “Please...” Looking back at Caspian hoping he would listen; she didn’t want Jacob to get into any sort of trouble. Not after the lengths he had gone to keep her alive, it had been a difficult recovery, but he had ensured her safety and brought her back from the brink of death.

Had Jacob not been there she would have died; she would never have gotten another chance to see Caspian or another chance at life. Now it was time to face the consequences, but she didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

In Caspian’s mind, Iris was anything but “nothing special,” no matter how many times she used words like that to describe herself. Even being objective, he was confident she had value to the rebellion too. Maybe a while ago, before they’d met and he’d fallen head over heels for her, the Scourge wouldn’t have seen her as useful to their operations. But now, she was back in his life; the girlfriend of Aspiria’s king. It wasn’t unrealistic for them to target her again if they ever thought they had the chance—which was why he was never going to give it to them.

For now, she was safe in the bunker with him and the others though, so it wasn’t something to linger on. As they rejoined the group in the common space, that safety was tangible. He casted her a flicker of a glance before his gaze settled on the head of his security team, and he narrowed his eyes. Jacob was about to have a lot of explaining to do.

He took a step in the other man’s direction, but before he could move further, he paused and glanced at Iris again with a frown. She was right that Jacob had saved her. He knew that. The problem was that the guy could have saved her a dozen different ways, and he’d chosen the path to send her back to the districts beyond the capital walls—where the civil war was still raging strong and anything could have happened to her. Where she was a hundred miles away, and he thought she was dead. He wasn’t going to let that slide.

“I know,” he muttered, turning his gaze back to the guard. “But I want to hear it from him.”

He gave her hand one more quick squeeze before letting it fall away, stepping away from her to get the other man’s attention. Jacob looked up from his phone as the king approached, his features as impassive as always. It was difficult to get a gauge on his thoughts, but Cas almost thought he saw the guy wince as he inclined his head toward the room he’d just left and beckoned him over with a subtly tense: “Hey, man. Let’s talk.”

Jacob studied him for a moment before he righted his posture and slipped his phone into his pocket with a nod. “Of course.”

The corner of Cas’s mouth twitched downward, but he held his tongue as he led the older man back to the bedroom and closed the door behind them, leaving Iris alone with the rest of the security team and Raine, who had turned around on the couch to quietly watch them over the back of it. As soon as Caspian and Jacob disappeared, her eyes settled on Iris, and she pursed her lips before calling over in an airy tone: “If it’s food you want, the frozen trays are better than the stuff in the pantry.”

Iris bit the bottom of her lip nervous around her new surroundings and the idea of Cas and Jacob having a talk with one another. Even though she had tried to defend his actions she knew Cas would not go back on his word and fire the man at least. At least he’d still have the head of security keeping him safe, but she knew she’d caused a mass amount of tension between the two. Feeling responsible for the inevitable disagreement between the pair she couldn’t help but watch them.

Having such a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach she stood for a few minutes just watching the pair disappear to the room she had just been in with Cas. With Cas gone, even though he was still in the same building her safety blanket was also gone. Surrounded by security personnel and a woman who he had started to look at a potential courtship with.

There was also the awkwardness at the fact the only reason she had been brought here was because she had been caught stealing, no doubt that would make a headline once rumours began to spiral. King of Asparia dating a common thief from the rebellion. Cringing at the thought of the horrific headlines about to come his way she avoided looking at any of the security members, but what she didn’t expect was to be addressed by the other women.

Nerves began to fester as she anxiously looked towards Raine who had been watching the whole event. “Oh... right. Thank you.” Trying to keep her voice calm and polite with addressing her, she didn’t want to offend her any more than she probably already was right now.

“I’ll just leave it for now. I’m not really hungry anymore.” Iris didn’t want to cause any kind of inconvenience to anyone, plus with how awkward she was currently feeling she didn’t want to bring any more attention to herself. Iris was sure Cas would understand her reasoning when she explained it to him, and maybe when things were a bit more settled, she’d feel comfortable helping herself.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Iris.” Trying to be the bigger person, trying to make it less awkward she introduced herself to Raine. There was a twitch of her hand as if she was going to offer it out for a handshake, but she thought against it just leaving it by her side. Maybe the small talk would get them through it for the moment, hopefully it would pass enough time until Cas and Jacob would come back into the room giving them a buffer.

However, if Raine would rather sit in silence and not engage Iris would respect that, a part of her hoping that maybe it would be the case. Sitting in silence was easy, even if it was awkward.

“Well, if you change your mind.” The words were punctuated with a half-smile and a shrug as Raine turned back toward the TV. With her back to the new arrival, the expression on her face was slightly pained, and she squeezed her hands together in her lap. Caspian hadn’t mentioned there had been someone else. By the look on his face, she could already tell things weren’t over between them though. It was a lot to process, and she was lost in her thoughts when the other woman spoke again, making her jump and immediately close her eyes as she silently chided herself for the lapse in composure. She might have been caught off guard, but she was still a princess. A lady of dignity. Now was the time to act like one.

With a deep breath, she rose from the couch and turned around to face Iris fully, smoothing down the front of her dress. She smiled thinly again and dipped her head in greeting, “I’m Raine Auclair, princess of the Suphate kingdom. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Iris.”

—.—

“You told me she was dead.”

As soon as the door had swung closed behind him, Caspian had rounded on Jacob with venom in his eyes. His hand was still on the knob with a white-knuckled grip, and every ounce of betrayal cut through his features. “I thought you were on my side. Why did you lie to me? Why did you send her away?”

The guard winced, his gaze fixed down somewhere below the prince’s eye-level. “I am on your side, your majesty,” he said quietly. “That’s why I told you she was gone.” He lifted his gaze, his jaw set with pointed resolution. They were here now, so there was no point in beating around the bush anymore. “To be perfectly candid, you need to let her go, Caspian,” he asserted firmly. “I understand that you love her, but you’re the king now. Ruling this country means making difficult decisions, not allowing your feelings to undermine the leader you have the potential to be.

“Iris is a commoner. If that wasn’t already enough to disqualify her from your courtship, she has a known history in this city as a wanted criminal. The people aren’t going to forget that overnight,” he went on, folding his arms across his chest. “No matter how much you care for her, that reputation is going to haunt her for the rest of her days if she stays in the capital, and our allies will always look at you with suspicion for choosing to forgive her of her crimes, welcoming her into society with open arms and even wedding her into the royal line. It’s political suicide, and honestly? I knew that if you knew she was alive, you would still pour every part of yourself into hunting her down to the negligence of your real duties. That is why I lied.”

Cas clenched his teeth. “So you still think I’m just some irresponsible kid.”

“If you step back out there and choose Iris over Raine, you’ll prove it to me,” Jacob confirmed bluntly.

The king took a sharp step toward the older man, his fists clenched at his sides, but stopped himself with a growl, turning his glower angrily to the floor. Everything in him wanted to punch the guy in the face. He was outraged, insulted, and betrayed. Jacob claimed to understand, but he didn’t. He didn’t get it at all. And obviously, he couldn’t. “The only reason you still have your job right now is her,” he hissed, lifting his scowl to the guard again. “You can keep working for me because I promised her I wouldn’t fire you, but as far as our personal relationship goes, we’re done.”

Opening the door behind him, he inclined his head in gesture for Jacob to exit. “Get out. I need some time to be alone.”

The guard pressed his lips together, but after a moment of hesitation, he bowed. “Your majesty,” he spoke softly, his voice terse and formal once again as he rose and walked out of the room without looking back.

Iris could feel the tension, the feeling of not being wanted and she could understand to a degree. After all she had turned up and thrown a major spanner in the works, Raine and Caspian had been talking potential deals, they had been getting to know one another. Caspian had started to heal from her and started to move on with a princess, and she was about to ruin everything. Understanding the reason why she wasn’t the most favourable person right now, she didn’t take anything to heart. It did remind her of her own station, and how unsuited to this life she was.

A princess? Iris hesitated for a moment as Raine introduced herself. Remembering her manners she quickly recovered a politely bowed to the princess, her heart hammering away in her chest because she knew this would change everything. This woman screamed of elegance and grace and would have been perfect for Caspian, this was who the public would expect to see. Not some street rat. A girl from the rebellion who had played a part in the Kings abduction not too long ago. “No, honestly. The pleasure is all mine.”

Already her mind was racing, of course there was a hint of jealousy as she knew Caspian had started to move on. Though, she knew deep down she couldn’t be mad. After all she had left him first, willing to give him up because it was for the best. Believing Jacob that Caspian would be better off without her.

“How would you like me to address you?” Not wanting to insult the princess, but she didn’t want to just call her by her first name and cause even more issues. It felt the safest option, and at least it was polite. There was no need to twist the knife in, after all it was clear that Iris and Caspian had unfinished business so she could only imagine what was going on through her head right now.

Chewing the inside of her cheek she tried not to fiddle with her clothes, give away how uneasy she felt. How inferior she felt to this princess, her eyes glancing towards the door that Caspian had taken Jacob inside. Iris didn’t regret for a moment making Caspian to agree to not fire the guard, she knew how impulsive he could be, and she trusted Jacob. Although he hadn’t been there all the time whilst she was recovering, she couldn’t fault the fact he had saved her life, that he had taken care of her. Even though she hadn’t fully regained her strength she had been well enough to go back to the districts, but he hadn’t sent her back.

His home has practically become hers and she had grown comfortable roaming around it, but she knew how much Jacob cared for Caspian. There had never been an ulterior motive, Jacob was just a decent guy that took his job seriously. Knowing she had already gotten him in trouble made her feel guilty, but she couldn’t let him lose her job for her mistake.

It hadn’t even been her intention to go back to Cas, she had only left to try and find more about the rebels that should have been dead. Ethan was dead, Jacob had confirmed that to her, and so was her father. Shuddering at the repressed memory of the interrogator showing her the photos of her gunned down father. So, who was behind it?

There was no way of finding out now, Caspian wouldn’t let her leave not now he knew she was alive. Hearing the door, she couldn’t help but look towards Jacob her eyes instantly downcast on the floor as the guilt washed over her not wanting to see a look of disappointment. Not that she imagined he would, he had always been hard to read, but she was upset with herself for getting caught and getting him into trouble.

Iris’s reverent bow should have put her at least somewhat at ease, but instead, it only served to remind Raine of the fact that Caspian was prepared to terminate their courtship over a commoner. Her unreadable eyes remained on the woman before her, her feelings masked with careful practice even as her mind was filled to the brim with offense and confusion. She couldn’t help but wonder where this person had come from or how the Aspirian king knew her. From everything she understood about her country’s sister kingdom, they maintained just as strict segregation between social classes as her own people did. By all reason, Iris should never have crossed paths with Aspiria’s new young ruler. Yet here she was in his bunker.

“Publicly, you may refer to me as Princess Auclair or Your Royal Highness,” she answered easily, choosing to view the common woman’s question as an opportunity to educate. After all, since she was low born, there was every chance Iris had never been informed of proper etiquette around royal titles. She wouldn’t have needed to know. “But here,” she went on, “feel free to simply call me princess Raine.”

She had plenty of questions of her own, but for now, she chose to shelve them in favor of asking Caspian later. She wanted to hear from him what was going on between him and this girl—and whether or not their engagement still stood. So, rather than interrogating her supposed fiancé’s returned lover, she turned off the TV and stepped around the sofa with a soft, “Excuse me for a moment.” as she made her way down the hall to the restroom for a minute alone.

On her way past Cas’s room, she shuffled to the side just as the door opened, and Jacob stepped out, stalling at the unexpected sight of the princess in his path. He blinked and bowed with a murmured apology before continuing on his way to the the common room, his gaze slightly distant. At first, his eyes were fixed on the ground, but he lifted them to meet Iris’s when he felt her gaze on him from across the room. Even from where he stood, he could see the shame there before she turned away, and he exhaled quietly. In truth, he didn’t think it was completely undeserved. Both she and Caspian continued to make poor choices because they couldn’t let each other go. However, the part of him that had grown soft toward the district girl compelled him to offer her the same comfort he’d already begun repeating silently to himself. Stepping over to walk by her on his way to the kitchen, he murmured softly in passing: “Give him time.”

They both knew how emotionally charged the king could be, but with enough time, he would calm down. Personally, he hoped Caspian would make the best decision for Aspiria when that happened, but, knowing it wasn’t his place to affect that choice, he would respect the younger man’s boundary and keep a professional distance.

—.—

“Fuck.”

Cas ground his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut as he took a shuddered breath. As soon as Jacob had left the room, he’d shut the door behind the guard and sat down on the bed, dropping his head into his hands. Everything about what had just happened felt overwhelming. Iris was alive, and one of his closest friends had kept the secret from him for more than a month. And he wasn’t even sorry about it. He curled his fingers into tight fists against his hair.

He lost track of time as he sat in the room alone, but after a while of stewing in the pit of his betrayal, he forced himself to get up again with a steeling exhale. Iris was still in the other room with Raine and the rest of the security team. It wouldn’t be right to leave her alone with so many people she barely knew or didn’t know at all—and of course, he itched to keep her close after believing he’d lost her once.

Stepping over to the door, he paused just long enough to compose himself before pulling it open and traipsing back to the main room, his tired eyes sweeping the bunker in search of Iris.

Iris wasn’t surprised by the way Raine held herself, the reminder that she was a Princess and she just a commoner. Of course, to assert some kind of power she would make her address her as such, but it was just another gentle reminder that Iris was not of the same stature. Publicly or not, she would still have to address her as Princess, and she knew it was the right thing to do of course, but she couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. Especially as all eyes seemed to be on her, whether it was this Princess, or the security detail based in this bunker. Everyone no doubt having the same question. Who was she?

They had brought her here as a thief, as someone the King would pass judgement on, and no doubt send back to the prisons. Yet here she still stood, now a guest of the Kings. “Of course, I will address you as such.” Offering a polite smile, but Iris knew it didn’t reach her eyes as she was unsettled by this whole situation, and she couldn’t exactly just slip away.

The Princess however, deemed it necessary to create space and Iris was relieved when she had excused herself, needing a moment. Letting out a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding as the princess was no longer in her vicinity.

This whole situation wasn’t ideal, and she felt a little lost as to what to do, she hadn’t meant to come back and cause such damage. As much as she had wanted to see Caspian again, she knew that her return wouldn’t bode well for him and his decisions that he had to make as a King. Already she had caused issues with a potential Princess he had been courting, even if there was still a slither of jealousy she understood why.

Hearing Jacobs words as he passed her by, she knew he was right, sighing once more she knew he would need time, but it didn’t help that she felt like she had ruined things. Especially for Jacob who had done nothing but help her when he didn’t have too. “I’m sorry.” Whispering the words in return, hoping he would understand, she didn’t mean for this to happen, she hoped he didn’t think she had done this on purpose.

With people dispersing, the security team returning to their posts and focusing on the job at hand. Every now and then casting a glance her way. Raine was still nowhere to be seen she chose to take the moment to take a seat in the living room. Awkwardly she felt stiff trying not to attract any attention to her as she fixed her gaze to the television, pretending it was the most interesting thing to be watching.

It didn’t matter what was on the TV, but right now it was the easiest thing to throw her attention on whilst in a room full of people that no doubt hated her. It didn’t even matter that she had come out here to eat having not for the past few days, nothing right now mattered except for the programme that was now playing on TV.

Inside she was just hoping for Cas to return, so she felt like she had someone on her side as she was certain she had ruined whatever friendship she had with Jacob. She had been such an idiot thinking she could find out more for this rebellion to help Cas and Jacob, but ultimately, she had just ruined several different relationships in the space of a couple of minutes.

He’d been alone for a while, he knew that, but Caspian still stalled at the end of the hallway when his gaze passed over the other people in the bunker. He’d thought he would find Raine right where he’d left her, but instead, it was Iris on the couch while the princess was nowhere to be seen. He blinked and glanced toward the kitchen, where the rest of the security team was focused back on its own operation. Seeing Jacob among them, quietly working on a laptop, sent a jolt of annoyance through him, and he turned away again with a low huff. A part of him still wanted to send the older man far away from him, but he couldn’t do that as long as Jacob held the title of security head, so instead, he made his way over to the living room without a word, following through on his want to be with Iris.

Circling around the side of the couch, he paused for a moment rather than sitting down right away though. ‘If you step back out there and choose Iris over Raine, you’ll prove it to me.’ The words echoed in his head, and he pressed his tongue against his teeth. His eyes flicked back toward Jacob, and this time, he caught the other man looking in his direction before the security lead promptly dropped his own gaze back to the screen in front of him. Even though the other man’s expression was unreadable, the king could take a guess at what was going on inside his head, and he clenched his fists at his sides. It wasn’t Jacob’s business. It didn’t matter what he thought. Who he courted was his own decision, so, stubbornly, he dropped onto the couch next to Iris, reaching to take her hand in his.

“Sorry,” he murmured, his gaze low as he leaned lightly against her side. “I didn’t mean for you to end up in the middle of so much shit.”

Even with his back turned, he could practically feel the burning of furtive eyes on them from the kitchen. None of the other guards had spoken up, but he was sure it wasn’t only Jacob who was confused and uneasy about this unexpected arrival in their bunker. At least some of them had to be aware of Iris’s criminal past and her ties to the rebellion too. Acutely aware of the questions he was raising by cozying up to a member of the Scourge over the princess he was supposed to be marrying, he clutched her hand a little tighter, equally as protective of her as he was torn over the mess of their situation.

Everything felt excruciatingly slow, just sat alone on the sofa her hands fiddling with themselves out of something to do to try and distract herself. Her mind was racing, so many thoughts running through it that she could feel a headache forming. Stressing herself out for no reason and as she sat on the sofa, she couldn’t help but wish for it to swallow her hole. Finding herself shrinking a little lower in the sofa Iris could feel the eyes on her even as she forced herself to stare at the television. Not that it helped as she was very much aware of her surroundings.

Even as she focused on the television, she wasn’t taking in what was playing, her mind was elsewhere, and she hadn’t even noticed Cas had finally approached. It wasn’t until she felt him sit down next to her that she snapped out of the daze she had been, trying not to look too startled as he took her hand. Feeling the warmth of him lean into her she couldn’t help but look at their hands, a sense of unease creeping in. Was it really okay for them to be so open about this?

Moments ago, he had been courting another princess, and now she was here he was openly holding her hand. Leaning into her side? Proving to Jacob he had made his choice even if it may have been the bad one, because she understood why she couldn’t be in his life anymore. Yet somehow, they had been drawn back together.

“No need to apologise, really. It is partly my fault too. I’m sorry for that, for uprooting everything. Again.” Whispering under her breath in return, not wanting to be too loud as they already had such a wide audience. Though having Cas next to her did ease her worries, even if just a little bit. At least she didn’t feel totally alone in this small safe house.

Feeling his grip on her hand tighten she couldn’t help but grip it back, it felt surreal being here with him. It was wrong, she should have stayed away and had she not been caught being reckless in that shop, it would have been different. It was clear Jacob hadn’t realised she had left his condo, she wondered if she hadn’t been caught how long it would have taken him to realise, she was no longer there?

Trying to push out all the thoughts she knew there was no use in thinking on the what ifs, or what could have been. It would only cause her to spiral and right now she had to count her blessings, she had been taken to Cas and it was clear he still cared for her like she had him. She had to trust she would be safe with him, that he would protect her.

“I’m sorry, for making this such a messy situation for you.” A gentle apology left her lips again, because truly she had not wanted to cause such havoc by reappearing. That had not been her intention.

Caspian shook his head. None of this was Iris’s fault as far as he was concerned. Jacob had been the one to lie to him and let him think she’d been dead this entire time, which had also been the reason why he’d let himself try to humor the idea of courting someone else. He wouldn’t have even considered marrying Raine if he’d known the love of his life was alive and hidden in the capital. They’d been so close to each other for weeks, and he’d never known. Now that he did, he was going to make things right.

“I’m just glad you’re here,” he repeated again, his voice quiet. With so many prying eyes and ears just one room over, he wanted to keep as much of their conversation private as he could. Like Jacob, it was no one’s business who he chose to be with, and he didn’t want any more gossip or slander to be spread about the person he actually wanted to keep by his side. Of course, realistically, he couldn’t control all of that, but right now, after everything else that had just happened, he was too exhausted to deal with any more fires. He just wanted to turn his brain off and sit with Iris.

Closing his eyes, he let a little more of his weight lean against her shoulder, taking comfort in her warmth against his side. If there hadn’t been an audience, he would have pressed his head against hers too, but unfortunately, the tension in the bunker was still thick enough that getting too close with Iris was probably a bad idea. As happy as he was to be with her again, he couldn’t just forget about the fact that he’d been courting Raine until a half an hour ago. He didn’t want to be completely irreverent of his former fiancée’s feelings.

For a few beats, he rested in the silence, until Iris spoke again, and he looked up to seek her solemn gaze. “It’s not your fault,” he assured her again, giving her hand a squeeze. “I have some things I need to tie up, but I’ll take care of all of it. I promise. Right now, let’s just take it easy and leave the problems for another day, okay?”

It was such an awkward situation to be in, even with Caspian at her side she still felt incredibly awkward in this small room with him. Even with his compliment saying how glad he was that she was here in this room with him, it didn’t change how she currently felt. Not to mention there was also a princess here, one that he had an intention of courting, and she couldn’t help but feel insecure about it all. Even in a room with such a small amount of people she dreaded the gossip that would spread, she knew how much in the limelight he was as a King, especially after a rebel attack on his home and now he was sat with a girl that had been a part of the scourge. People would know she was the daughter of one of its so-called leaders.

Wanting nothing more than to just hide away she found herself sat there awkwardly with Caspian as he made his point against Jacob. Still feeling guilty that she had gotten him into trouble with Cas, she felt like she had ruined whatever trust the King had with him and she didn’t regret asking Cas not to fire him. Knowing how impulsive he could be, it had definitely been the right decision to make. In her eyes it wasn’t Jacob's fault, she was the one who had chosen to abandon him as she had felt it was the right thing to do.

Iris was certain he hadn’t really taken her words in from earlier, even as she had apologised for her decisions in this, she knew he had just blamed Jacob for it all. Chewing the inside of her cheek as she could feel a headache forming, her mind reeling from it all as she knew it was like a time bomb ticking between them. Destined to explode, because she was certain he was just more focused on the fact she was alive and not about the fact she had also been the one to lie to him too.

“Cas...” Iris sighed as he spoke about taking it easy, not worrying about the problems but he had a lot of things that he would now need to tie up and she felt it would only get worse if he didn’t talk with Raine and at least try to explain before she started to form her own opinion of the situation.

“I think, I think you should talk to her. Else I worry it will just make things worse.” It was hard to hide the worry in her eyes, the look of how unsettled she was in this situation because she still felt uncomfortable being here in this bunker with him. It wasn’t his fault at all, if it was just them like it had been in the hotel room it was fine as no one would be watching them. There would be no prying eyes making assumptions or judging them.

Right here and now in this small safe house, where she had been brought in after being accused of stealing. Well, it certainly didn’t paint a good picture at all. “I don’t want there to be bad blood or make things difficult.”

Caspian bit the inside of his cheek at the tone of Iris’s voice when she said his name. He didn’t understand why she was so reluctant to just table their problems and focus on the fact that they were back together again. He’d thought she’d been dead for so long. Why was it so difficult to take one day just to celebrate that she was alive? That was all he wanted right now.

Even as the belligerent thoughts circulated in his mind, he could feel his stomach knotting though—could feel the furtive eyes on the back of his head and sense the unspoken questions hanging heavy in the air. As desperate as he was to blind himself to the wrench Iris’s return had thrown into the course of his life, a part of him knew deep down that things weren’t going to be that simple. He couldn’t be just a young person in love when he had the weight of an entire country riding on his shoulders. His life had ceased to belong solely to himself when he’d accepted the crown of Aspiria.

So, even though Iris’s insistence that he needed to talk to Raine just reminded him that he couldn’t even let the dust settle before responsibilities started nipping at his heels again, he nodded wordlessly. She was right. Frustrating as it was, he was the one who had to table his desire when he knew Iris’s return affected more people than just himself. The princess he’d been courting wasn’t just anyone either. More than perhaps anyone else in the capital, she deserved that conversation.

“You’re right,” he admitted, glancing up from his lap to meet Iris’s gaze. Pressing his lips together, he gave her hand a squeeze and then reluctantly let it go as he pulled himself to his feet with a sigh. He had a feeling it wasn’t going to be an easy chat, and he was already exhausted from hashing things out with Jacob, but waiting would only make things worse in the long run. “I’ll look for her,” he decided quietly, his gaze lingering on Iris. “Will you be alright without me for a bit? I’ll try not to be gone too long, but… I think I do owe it to her to give her as long as she needs.”

As much as the thought of him leaving her on her own in this room upset her, she knew this was for the best. Cas had to talk to Raine, before anything else got worse or relations broken. It didn’t help matters because she was jealous of the princess he had been courting, although she understood why, she knew it had to have been a hard decision. However, it was hard to compare when she was just a member of the scourge and Raine was a princess. Forcing a smile on her features, she tried to look like she wasn’t worried, or to show the hint of jealousy she felt as she nodded.

“It’s the right thing to do Cas.” It didn’t matter about her own thoughts or feelings in this moment, he needed to talk to the princess and try to smooth things over. Whether or not that would happen would be a different story and if it took a while she understood. Iris couldn’t imagine what the princess was feeling, but she knew that before they could just sit and enjoy each other's company he should try to explain himself and the situation. Else it would just be a slap in the face to the princess.

“I’ll be fine. I might, get some fresh air or something.” The room felt so stuffy, but she imagined that was more because of how awkward she felt in all of this than anything else. Unsure on if she would be allowed to get fresh air was a different story, but having not had food and barely any water just yet she felt the fresh air would help with the unease that was nesting in the pit of her stomach.

Iris did not wish any ill of Raine, as much as there was a sense of jealousy, she knew that it was no one's fault but herself. Had she not made the decision to leave Cas in that hotel things would have been different. Had Jacob not made the choice to save her life and allowed her to recover in his home, not forcing her to leave back to the districts this may not have happened. Ultimately, she had chosen to leave the hotel, just as much as she had left Jacob's home stupidly thinking she could be of use with the rebellion.

Perhaps she would use this moment to check in on Jacob? See how he was faring after the altercation with Cas. She felt like she needed to apologising to him properly as she knew she had caused a rift between him and the new King. It was such a big mess that they all now had to clean up, and she was smack back in the middle of it being the cause.

“I know,” Caspian murmured. But just because it was the right thing to do didn’t make it feel any less painful. It had never been his intention to hurt Raine. The only reason he’d even taken steps to court someone else had been because he’d thought Iris had been dead. He did like the Suphate princess too. She’d been his friend for a long time. If his first love hadn’t suddenly reappeared in his life, he would have genuinely tried to make things work with her, to get married and lead Aspiria as partners even if love never showed up along the way. Truly, she was the best person he could think of to be his queen out of all the options he’d considered—if Iris hadn’t returned and resurrected all the feelings he’d thought he would never experience again.

Letting out his breath, he shook his head. “Actually… now that you’re here, you’re kind of stuck with us,” he confessed with a sympathetic frown. “This safe house is in a confidential location, so security won’t let anyone come and go until the threat outside is cleared. I’m sorry.” It had been a point of frustration for him and the others too. All he wanted was to go back to the palace, and it probably wouldn’t be much longer before the building was deemed safe for him to return, but in the meantime, everyone in the bunker had to stay put while the military wrapped up their work above ground.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised one more time before he finally turned and headed down the hall. He hadn’t seen exactly where Raine had gone, but it wasn’t hard to take a guess. After all, the safe house wasn’t very big. There were only so many rooms she could hide away in for privacy away from the others. Knocking gently on the doors he passed, he kept going until he was eventually met with a quiet “Yes?” behind the door that led to the bathroom. There, he stopped and took a steeling breath.

“Raine?” he probed softly, leaning nearly close to the painted wood for his cheek to brush against its cool surface. “Can we talk?”

For a long pause, there was silence, then the door handle clicked open, and Cas edged back a half-step as the princess’s familiar face appeared in the narrow gap. She nodded wordlessly and pulled the door aside for him to step through. “Yeah,” she muttered, turning away as she stepped back from the entrance. “I think we need to.”

He winced slightly at her cold tone, his eyes flickering back toward the living room. This was going to be uncomfortable. He knew he couldn’t put it off any longer than he already had though. Not in a space this confined. So, after only a beat of hesitation, he slipped inside the bathroom, closing the door behind him until it locked with an audible snap.

“Oh... right. Of course. Silly me.” Iris winced forgetting they were in a safe house, it made sense of course she just could go out for fresh air no matter how stifling it felt inside. It wasn’t going to be an ideal conversation that he was going to have, and she couldn’t help but feel guilty as she was to blame for everything. It seemed Cas was probably the only one who wanted her around right now, the princess of course would want nothing more than to see the back of her. Jacob probably now hated her too, and it was her fault as she had been stupid.

Watching as Cas slowly left to have that difficult conversation, she found herself uncomfortable on the sofa once more. It was hard trying to ignore the sideway glances she could feel, or the whispers she could hear happening. Going out for fresh air sounded more appealing by the minute so she could escape all these glances, but she knew there would be no chance and she didn’t want to make a fool of herself.

Clearing her throat, she rose to her feet with her head held high as she decided to make a trip to the kitchen, ignoring the looks thrown her way as she got herself a glass of water lost in her own world as a voice she recognised was heard in the distance.

“All secure, I figure not too much longer hauled up in this safe house.” Harry had entered the building, relaying information from the investigation that had been happening at the palace only to stop and hesitate as he could have sworn, he’d seen a ghost. Shaking it off quickly he approached the girl in the kitchen to get a better look only to see it truly was her. Iris. The rebel he had guarded in the hospital. The rebel he had seen dead, he couldn’t feel a pulse and Jacob confirmed she was dead? Yet, here she stood. In the safe house of all places. “Iris? Is that really you? Jeez, it really is. What the hell. I thought you were dead?”

Eyeing up the girl as he could barely believe she was stood before him alive, he remembered seeing that broken body, blood on the floor. The pale deathly skin and he had remembered checking for a pulse, he couldn’t find one. Though thinking back on it he had questioned the judgement, but it was unlike Jacob to make a mistake too. “How?” Asking the question without hesitation because he couldn’t understand.

“It’s eh... a long story.” Iris cringed a little, not sure if she should be telling him as well as it wasn’t public knowledge and what if Cas didn’t want anyone to know? Wondering just how he would want that kind of news handled she decided for now it was best to keep quiet about it, just in case he didn’t want people knowing Jacob had harboured her all this time. “It’s good to see you?” Trying to be polite, she felt a little awkward especially as the last time they had seen each other hand been when she was in hospital and he was guarding her as a prisoner. She had no clue he had been there at the rescue attempt.