I had already left the main corridor behind when Cassian's voice reached me.
"Darius."
I slowed to a stop.
There was no urgency in the way he called my name, but there was enough intent behind it to make it clear this was not a passing attempt to get my attention. I turned after a brief pause, already knowing who I would see.
Cassian stood several steps away, his posture relaxed but deliberate. There were no attendants nearby, no guards lingering close enough to overhear anything that followed. That alone made the moment intentional. He had chosen to follow me out, and more importantly, he had chosen this distance from everyone else.
"My Prince ," I said.
Cassian's expression shifted slightly, something between amusement and quiet disapproval.
"You still insist on that," he said.
"It remains appropriate."
"Only when it matters," he replied. "This isn't one of those moments."
I did not argue that. I simply waited.
