Chapter 416. Warmer, Considerably Warmer Than It Used to Be

Chapter 416: 416. Warmer, Considerably Warmer Than It Used to Be

Catherine, standing just a few paces away, watched this microscopic exchange with the sharp, predatory attention of someone who understood human nature intimately. She saw the flush on Kaela’s neck, the way William’s fingers twitched at his side, and the raw vulnerability beneath their warrior facades.

She didn’t interrupt; she simply smiled to herself, a small, private expression of satisfaction as she filed the observation away alongside her earlier suspicions about Selena. The pieces were moving on the board faster than anyone realized.

"Right, well, on that note," Selena said, breaking the spell with the practiced ease of a seasoned interrogator.

She began gathering her satchel, the leather creaking softly in the quiet hall. "I should actually go get some rest before I lose my edge."

Her eyes flickered to them one last time, sharp with mischief. "Royal guard training starts at dawn, and I’d rather not face a room full of exhausted, sweaty soldiers while running on too little sleep myself."

"I have a reputation to maintain, after all."

William cleared his throat, forcing his gaze away from Kaela’s to regain some semblance of composure. The flustered heat was still burning in his cheeks.

"Thank you for today, Selena," he said, his voice dropping into a register of sincere gravity. "Genuinely."

"The insight you provided... I don’t think I could have pushed past my limits like that without your patience."

Selena paused, adjusting the strap of her bag. For a moment, the teasing facade slipped, revealing a flash of genuine respect.

"Don’t mention it," she said, waving a dismissive hand in a gesture that was meant to be casual but couldn’t quite hide her satisfaction. "It’s not every day I get to witness something genuinely unprecedented, something that actually breaks the mold."

"Consider us even for the entertainment value alone."

With one final, knowing smirk that seemed to promise she would bring this up again at the most inconvenient possible moment, Selena turned and disappeared into the shadows of the hallway.

William and Kaela remained in the fading light of the hall, the weight of what had been said and what remained unsaid settling over them like a shroud, leaving them both wondering how they would ever face each other in the morning.

Selena made her proper leave shortly after, the sharp click of her boots against the marble sounding like punctuation marks at the end of a long, exhausting Chapter.

As she gathered her belongings, the atmosphere in the hall shifted from the charged, awkward tension of the young warriors to something more mature, more measured. Catherine, sensing the need to escort her guest, stepped forward with a graceful nod.

"Allow me to accompany you partway, Selena," Catherine offered. "The palace corridors can be a labyrinth when the torches burn low."

"I’d appreciate that," Selena replied, her voice losing its teasing edge and settling into something quieter, more contemplative.

As they moved away from the others, leaving William and Kaela to their own private storm of unspoken words, the two women fell into an effortless, familiar stride.

The torchlight flickered along the ancient stone walls, casting dancing shadows that stretched and contracted like living things as they passed. The palace had settled into its nightly rhythm: the distant echo of a guard’s footsteps, the faint crackle of burning oil, and the heavy silence of centuries-old masonry.

Once they had put sufficient distance between themselves and the training hall, Selena slowed her pace. The professional mask she wore so effortlessly slipped, revealing the woman beneath.

"You’ve built something genuinely good here, Catherine," Selena said quietly.

Her voice carried a rare sincerity that bypassed all usual formalities. "And I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

"I remember you back at the academy, the girl who wore her discipline like armor, who was so carefully guarded you might as well have been made of stone."

"You were so determined never to let anyone close enough to actually matter, afraid that any connection would be a weakness."

She turned her head slightly to meet Catherine’s gaze. "Watching you now, seeing this authority you wield, the home you’ve cultivated—it’s genuinely wonderful to see."

"You didn’t just survive; you conquered."

Catherine felt a rare pang of vulnerability at the observation, but she didn’t retreat. Instead, she allowed herself a small, rueful smile. "Thank you, Selena... Truly."

Her eyes drifted toward the direction they had come from, toward the space where William’s presence still seemed to linger in the air. "It took considerable work getting here."

"More work than I care to admit aloud. And I suppose... William helped more than I think he fully realizes."

"He has a way of... dismantling defenses without even realizing he’s doing it."

’She’s right. ’Catherine thought. ’I spent years building walls to protect myself from the very chaos he represents. ’

’And yet, here I am, letting him in, piece by piece.’

Selena let out a soft, fond exhale, a genuine smile spreading across her face, one that wasn’t meant to provoke or tease but simply to appreciate.

"He has a talent for that, apparently," she said, her tone warm. "Among his apparently limitless and occasionally infuriating other talents."

Catherine let out a genuine laugh, the sound bright and clear against the ancient stone.

"Apparently," she agreed, the word carrying the weight of shared understanding.

They continued down the corridor, two women who had seen the world’s brutality and learned to navigate its complexities, walking together through the amber glow of the fading evening.

The two women continued their walk, their footsteps creating a soft, rhythmic echo that seemed to pace the very heartbeat of the palace as it settled into its nightly slumber. The grand corridors now held only the quiet intimacy of their shared history, having once echoed with the shouts of courtiers and the clatter of servants.

"How have you been, honestly?" Catherine asked.

The question wasn’t a formality; it was an invitation, stripped of royal decorum. "It has been far too long since we spoke without the shadow of duty or the presence of an audience between us."

"Whenever I find myself thinking back to those late nights at the academy when we would compare notes over tea until the candles burned down to nothing, I realize how much I’ve missed simply having you around."

"Having someone who speaks my language."

Selena let out a breath she seemed to have been holding for years.

"I’ve missed it too," she admitted, and for once, the razor-sharp bravado she wore like armor softened. "Teaching combat theory to pampered noble children who think a wooden practice sword is an instrument of torture gets old rather quickly."

"Most of them have more ambition in their pinky fingers than they have courage in their entire bodies."

"This royal assignment... it’s a welcome change of pace. At least here, the stakes feel real."

’She sounds different... calmer,’ Selena thought. ’There’s a steadiness in her voice that wasn’t there when we were students.’

’She’s found something worth anchoring herself to.’

"You should consider coming back to the academy properly," Catherine said, her voice carrying a note of genuine persuasion. "Not just for the occasional visit or when a royal assignment happens to overlap with our schedule."

"I think you’d find it has changed considerably since your last tenure."

Selena arched an eyebrow, a familiar spark of challenge returning to her eyes. "Changed... how?"

"Did you finally replace the stale bread in the dining hall with something edible?"

"Warmer," Catherine said simply.

The word hung in the air between them, warm and unexpected. "Considerably warmer than it used to be."

Selena paused mid-step, glancing at Catherine with a look that was equal parts curiosity and suspicion. "That’s an interesting way to put it, Catherine. Almost poetic."

"It’s an accurate way to put it," Catherine replied, offering no further elaboration.

Instead, she offered only a warm, mysterious smile that refused to give anything away.

When they finally reached the arched entrance to the guest wing, the torchlight cast long, dramatic shadows across the doorway. Selena stopped, turning fully to face Catherine.

Her analytical mind, the one that could read a battlefield in seconds, was already working, dissecting the subtle shift in Catherine’s demeanor.

"You’re being deliberately mysterious about something," Selena stated, her eyes narrowing with genuine, searching curiosity. "I’ve known you since we were girls learning to hold a dagger, Catherine."

"I recognize that particular expression... You’re holding something back."

Catherine let out a soft, melodic laugh that echoed pleasantly off the stone.

"Perhaps I am," she conceded, tilting her head. "Perhaps you’ll simply have to visit properly to find out exactly what I mean."

Selena laughed as well, shaking her head in fond exasperation, though a genuine pleased expression lingered behind her amusement. "Fine, you win this round."

"I’ll consider it... Goodnight, Catherine."

"Goodnight, Selena."