Free Web NovelChapter 225: Chapter 225
Ragnar and Circe slipped away from the ballroom and stepped into the night’s cold air. The warmth and glitter of chandeliers fell away behind them, replaced by the hush of the gardens and the soft whisper of leaves stirred by a passing breeze.
Their hands remained clasped as they strolled along the winding stone path, surrounded by lush hedges and moon-washed blooms that gleamed faintly under the stars. As they walked, a sense of peace settled between them, a tender feeling that neither of them wished would end.
Still, curiosity had been gnawing at Circe from the moment he had guided her outside. She glanced up at him now, that same curiosity shining plainly in her eyes, softened by something warmer beneath it.
"Is there a real reason you brought us out here?" she asked playfully, unable to help herself.
"Why else?" Ragnar replied without shame. "I grew tired of watching you from across the hall, and I wanted you all to myself." A small smile curved his lips, deep enough to crinkle the corners of his eyes.
"It’s not like you usually don’t," she said lightly. "We spend every moment together when you aren’t working. Is that already not enough?"
What she wanted to say instead was ’Wouldn’t you ever grow tired of me?’ It pressed against her ribs and begged for release.
But Circe did not say it. She swallowed the words down, ashamed of how vulnerable they sounded, how utterly helpless they made her feel. For so long, she had learned to endure rather than ask. She had been complicit with whatever life had thrown at her—her father exploiting her for his own gain, her mother’s passing, and the heavy responsibility of raising her younger brother because she knew their father never would.
Now there were the strange dreams, vivid and unsettling, that refused to make sense no matter how often she turned them over in her mind.
She had been plucked from the life she knew and cast into one filled with uncertainty and countless unknowns. She survived it through sheer stubbornness, and through an unyielding refusal to break but Ragnar’s kindness and patience also played a huge part in it as well.
And yet... what would happen when that kindness and patience ran out?
Would she fade into insignificance, like a ghost left to wander the halls of his manor? Or would he have her sent away once he grew tired of having her around? There were days when she felt so comfortable at his side that she forgot just how vast the power imbalance between them truly was, and other moments when it loomed so large it was impossible to ignore.
Those thoughts haunted her each night. What if another attempt was made on her life and she did not survive it? Would Ragnar take Rowen in and care for him as she had, or would he be cast aside the way her father had done so easily?
They came to a stop at the center of the gardens, where water poured out from a stone fountain. Circe squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, as if she could dislodge the thoughts by force alone. It was too much. She knew she was overthinking, spiraling into fears that she had left to fester.
When she opened her eyes, Ragnar was watching her with a gentleness that stole the breath from her lungs. In that moment, she knew, without a single doubt, that he had seen the storm behind her eyes, that he somehow understood the worries she had left unsaid.
When Ragnar spoke, he did so quietly, holding her gaze as one hand lifted to cup her cheek.
"I do not think there is any reality in which I would not want you beside me," he said. "You have ensnared me in your web, Circe and I am forever helpless to your whims." freewebnoveℓ.com
His voice was rich with affection, so open and unguarded that for a heartbeat Circe could only stare at him, stunned into silence.
He brushed her cheek with the rough pad of his thumb, staring at her as though she were something precious.
"I have wanted you, and I will always want you," he continued. "That will not change, not anytime soon. I have never done anything to prove otherwise."
He wished she would be more open with him, that she would let him shoulder the weight of her worries alongside her. It would make understanding her so much easier.
"And if you are still thinking about those men inside," he added gently. "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to ensure you never have to experience that again."
It was yet another reason added to the growing list of why he needed to become king. Even if he could not fully erase the prejudices held by certain nobles, he could make them fear displaying their bigotry openly. The queen’s reign had allowed such cruelty to flourish without consequence, but Ragnar intended to change that. For Circe. For everyone who had suffered beneath it. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Circe smiled, emotion swelling too full in her chest, and before either of them could think better of it, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. The embrace felt more intimate than any kiss they had shared. She rested against him, holding on as though she might anchor herself there.
A moment later, his arms came around her in return, strong and sure. They stood like that for a while, the world narrowed to the space between them, basking in each other’s embrace as though neither could quite get enough.
When Circe finally lowered her arms, she did not step away. Instead, she rose onto her tiptoes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. Her mouth lingered on his but neither of them moved to deepen it.
A moment later, Ragnar’s lips began to move over hers, the kiss deepening, growing more insistent with every passing second.
Circe had just begun to part her mouth for him when the unmistakable crunch of leaves reached their ears. Footsteps approaching, close enough that the sound carried clearly through the quiet garden.
Please read my privilege Chapters so that this book can get more exposure!
