The Guarded Bride

Kaelia

Daylight dragged into the dining room, bringing a heavy, suffocating tension with it. I sat at the table pushing food around my plate with a fork, not taking a single bite, until Valen cut through the quiet.

“We’re heading out today.”

I lifted my head slowly. “To go where?”

He was already on his feet, shrugging one arm into his jacket. “Shopping. For the wedding.”

The word landed like