Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Stand on my ground

Victoria watched closely as Lucian began eating the food she had brought. But to her dismay, he looked as though he had no appetite. He took small, unenthusiastic bites, his mind clearly elsewhere.

The food, though delicious, seemed tasteless to Lucian. His thoughts were consumed by the memory of Isabel’s hands preparing it, her familiar touch on the food, and the ache in his heart knowing that she must have been thinking about him spending his time with Victoria and not her.

Victoria watched with growing frustration as Lucian picked at his breakfast, barely making a dent in the meal she had worked so hard to prepare. She could see that his mind was far away, and it stung to realize that even in this intimate moment, he seemed distant and uninterested.

"Is the food not to your liking, Your Majesty?" she asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

Lucian looked up, startled out of his thoughts. "No, it’s not that," he said quickly. "The fo