Snippet #1977267

Lelinus had refused to take a seat in the library. Instead, he was glaring at the doorway that Christine would inevitably have to pass through in order to talk to him, as though his glare was really shooting daggers and he hoped to take her down when she entered. Thus, it came with great surprise that a fairer, more fashionable woman appeared at the door. For a second his heart skipped a beat as he took in her outfit: dark blues and golds along with blacks. Those were familiar colors. They were his colors.

"Rivera?" he asked in shock. Idly, he glad to see that she had stuck to her refusal to wear a dress whenever she could get away with not wearing one. She definitely looked like a noblewoman now, but she was still Rivera. He would have liked to say something clever or witty in response, but as was usual when Rivera took him by surprise, his tongue was one step ahead of his mind.

"It's the fact that your Noble Birth is liable to have you executed. Did you have to anger Jamie so much? My spies tell me you did nothing but antagonize him!"

He was so relieved to see her again, after being separated from her by his brother and yet, the worry and anger he had been suppressing had chosen this moment burst through the dam of his self-control. Nonetheless, he couldn't stop himself from reaching out to her and pulling her into his embrace.

"This isn't the time to make jokes, Vera!"