The Duke asked to have his dinner alone in his bedroom to everyone's relief, and after he had, Embla had asked for the same. Kai felt a very specific kind of relief over it, relief that his self-control hadn't been tested again.

It had been hard enough for him to watch Saga talk to Embla without being able to interfere. Even from a distance, it had been clear whatever Embla had said had made Saga uncomfortable, and Kai had wanted to walk over to her side and get her out of the situation. It had taken a lot for him to stand waiting, only watching.

He wasn't sure he would manage as well in front of the Duke, for though he still didn't know exactly what wrongs the Duke had done Saga, it was becoming more and more clear how much his presence rattled her. Just thinking about the Duke made Kai taste ash in his mouth. Seeing him next to Saga, even more, seeing him interact with Saga, potentially hear his insults—Kai wasn't sure he would be able to keep himself from letting the Duke know exactly what he thought.

So it was a blessing the Duke did not seem to want to spend any time with his daughter. Less time for Kai to remain in control of his emotions, less risk that he would break and do something which would lead to negative consequences for them more than the Duke.

The next morning, he woke up feeling as if his head was filled with cotton. He had twisted and turned all night, unable to fall asleep as images from the day had replayed. Especially the image of Saga breaking. He had been both confused and scared when Saga had laughed. The tears which had followed had been easier to deal with, but that laugh had echoed and twisted and had made Kai certain she had lost her mind. And it had haunted him as he tried to sleep, even had slipped into his dreams.

But he shook the tiredness out of his head. The day was a big day, and though tainted by the Duke's presence, it was a day to celebrate since it was Saga's birthday.

Standing up from the mattress on the floor, he was surprised to find he was alone. Since he would guard Saga, Viggo had arranged for Kai to sleep in the room next to theirs with Audun. The room hadn't been properly fixed, though. Two mattresses had been placed on the floor, and apart from that, there was a table and two chairs. Kai didn't mind at all. In fact, having a mattress to himself was more than he had had while growing up.

He had expected the older man to still be there, though. Audun had entered the room quite a while after Kai had settled in to rest, and it was early in the morning—only the faintest trace of the sun visible in the sky—yet Audun had already left. It was almost as if he hadn't been in the room at all.

But as Kai's eyes fell on the table, he saw a sign of Audun's presence, causing him to smile. A plate of food stood waiting.

After having eaten it and got himself completely ready for the day, Kai left the bedroom to stand guard outside of Saga and Viggo's bedroom.

Further down the hall, he could see the two Fyris guards standing guard outside the guest bedrooms. Both of them stood with straight backs, heads high, hands clasped behind their backs. Kai emulated their positions for a second, or maybe two, then he leaned his back against the wall. The position had felt far too unnatural.

Once in a comfortable standing position, he waited. His eyes trailed unevenness in the stone wall, his mind tried to find patterns in them. Though it didn't hold his attention for long. He spent some time studying the two Fyris knights. Started doing it with just glances, but then opted to stare actively at them. Neither of them showed any sign of noticing his stare.

Next, he studied the ceiling. Followed by the floor. Then back to the wall to contemplate how he probably wouldn't like working as a personal guard. Or well, if it was for Saga, he knew he would enjoy parts of the work, but this—this long and boring wait—he didn't think he'd ever get used to.

Just as he turned to the two other guards, considering if it would be far too weird of him to strike up a conversation, the door to Saga and Viggo's bedroom opened.

He straightened himself as if the wall had burnt him and clasped his hands behind his back. From the room, Viggo emerged, his eyes finding Kai's instantly. Then casting a wary glance at the Fyris knights before moving closer to Kai.

"Have they woken up?" Viggo asked in a whisper. One which hopefully didn't travel to the other knights.

"They've not left their room," Kai answered in a similarly low whisper.

Viggo nodded. "She seems fine considering right now. But will you check on her in a bit?"

Kai's throat constricted so all he could manage was a nod.

Viggo gave his shoulder a pat before leaving, making the corridor as eventless as before. Except now Kai could not stop his thoughts from spinning into danger.

He had received permission from Viggo to spend time alone with Saga in their bedroom. Again.

The day before, when Viggo had left Kai alone with Saga, Kai had thought Viggo hadn't considered what he really had done. That Viggo's mind had been too preoccupied with everything. But that couldn't have been the case now. Yet Viggo had given Kai permission to be alone with Saga.

Wasn't Viggo at all worried about how it could be interpreted? And did he not think it inappropriate for his wife to spend time alone in a private space with another man? Or was Kai simply overthinking it?

Kai had to be overthinking it. Viggo simply trusted Saga and Kai enough. Trusted that nothing out of line would happen.

A conclusion Kai felt none of the joy he ought to over. Instead, it made him bitter. Was it really so unthinkable in Viggo's eyes that anything would happen that he felt no need to guard against it, even a little? Not that anything would ever happen, Kai knew he couldn't cross the line. But still. And what was it which made it so unthinkable to Viggo? Was he so certain about Saga's feelings?

Kai rarely allowed himself to think about that. Always steered his thoughts in another direction when it edged closer to wondering about how Saga and Viggo's relationship was in private. But he could not stop them now. Could not stop imagining Saga and Viggo being intimate in the way he wished he could be intimate with Saga. They acted proper when in public; the way Viggo had held Saga in comfort the day before was the first time Kai had seen such intimacy between them. But of course they would be more intimate in private.

Kai had even been in the room when the consummation of the marriage had been verified.

The thought gnawed at him, tore at him. Made him want to take his sword and swing it at just something to release what was building.

But he had no right to feel any of this. Saga wasn't his. She didn't even think of him in such a way. Never would because she already had a husband, already had someone to feel those things for.

Kai would, like Evind had said, like Kare had said, do better if he forgot about Saga.

Which made the bracelet in his pocket burn in mockery. He had been such a fool to make her a birthday gift, to even rope Kare into helping him make it. She would not care for it. Because she was kind, she would accept it. But then she would likely put it in a box and never look at it again.

Or maybe she would take a bit of pity on him and wear it for the day before hiding it away. But appreciate it? Like it? No. She would just think it silly.

His hand reached into the pocket. Fisted the bracelet with his hand. Then let it go, deciding it would remain there. And maybe it was for the best it always remained there. A physical reminder to not even for a second fool himself into believing Saga felt anything at all for him.

If time had moved slowly before, it was nothing compared to the pace it went at as Kai berated himself for his stupidity. It stretched and stretched. Could just as well have stood still.

And eventually it came to a halt.

The door to the Duke's bedroom opened, and the man Kai hated more than anyone stepped outside. Simply seeing him made Kai want to storm over, take the ridiculous cane, and wield it as a weapon against him.

But Kai locked all his muscles in place. Though the pressure of his teeth against teeth increased as the Duke walked closer. As the Duke approached the door behind which Saga was.

"Is Lord Viggo still in there?" the Duke asked Kai without so much as a glance, and with a ridiculing emphasis on the title.

"He is not," Kai answered, holding on to a hope it was Viggo the Duke wanted to talk to, not Saga.

But then a hand reached for the doorknob and time froze.

Thought after thought had time to pass through Kai's mind.

What did the Duke want with Saga?

How could Kai prevent him from entering?

Should he snatch the cane and use it to push the Duke back?

Would the Duke not even give Saga the courtesy of a knock before forcing his coldness on her?

Then time moved again.

Kai took a step forward.

"You ought to knock," he said just as the Duke's hand landed on the doorknob.

The Duke turned to one of the Fyris knights, who had followed. "Is a boy trying to tell me how to act?" the Duke sneered and pushed the door open.

Kai hoped Saga was at least decent. Though this intrusion would undoubtedly cause her to break worse than she had done the day before, he had time to hope for that before the Duke stepped inside. A foolish thing to hope about when he knew it didn't matter what she wore. Her father's presence would break her all the same.

Kai entered right behind the Duke, just in time to see Saga stand from the table by the window—wearing a simple dress—and bend her head. Not considering anything but her, Kai moved around the Duke and walked over to her side. Positioned himself close. Close enough, he could have held her hand, and how he wanted to. How he wanted to share his strength with her to help her through what was about to transpire.

"You do not need to be here. I wish to have a private word with my daughter," the Duke ordered Kai, but Kai would not move. He had regretted leaving her alone with the Duke the day after the wedding. He would not make the same mistake again.

"The Lord has ordered otherwise," Kai answered.

"A father can't even congratulate his daughter on her birthday in peace?" the Duke scoffed while Saga trembled. "You are to leave us alone."

"I will not."

The anger built on the Duke's face. Made it twisted and even uglier than otherwise. And Kai felt a small ounce of satisfaction over denying the awful man what he wanted.

"Come now, Saga. Don't you want to talk to your father alone?" the Duke changed his tactics. Though the words were far too harsh to sound even a little genuine. They sounded more like threats.

Next to Kai, Saga opened her mouth, her lips quivered. She closed it again, swallowed. Then spoke words which had Kai cursing on the inside.

"You needn't stay here, Kai."

"You heard her. Leave," the Duke leered, and Kai wanted to scream at him and use his fists as well to let the Duke know exactly how he felt. No weapons, just his fists to get the satisfaction of feeling against his own flesh as the Duke's flesh crumbled.

But Kai only repeated what he had already said. "I will not."

"Who do you think you are to deny me?" the Duke said. He did not raise his voice, but it wasn't needed. The authority which the Duke held echoed in the words. The entitlement. How he was used to everyone bending to his will.

But Kai refused to bend.

"I'm a squire of Sinkbek. The orders I follow do not come from you."

"Your lady told you to leave. Follow her order," the Duke said next. And again, Kai found it hard to not act on his violent impulses, for how the Duke weaponised Saga's fear against her had Kai see red.

"The orders I have negate any order Lady Saga might give me. I will not leave unless physically forced to."

The Duke gave Kai a long, cold stare. The icy blue of the Duke's eyes trying to pierce Kai's own blue eyes. But Kai's only reaction was to let his hand rest on the hilt of his sword. If the Duke was foolish enough to order his own knights to physically remove Kai, then the squire was prepared and had no doubt about his own ability to win. Those knights maybe knew how to stand still with their backs straight, but Kai had noticed one of them move with stiffness in his body and the other put most of his weight on one leg. Even if both attacked him, Kai knew how to approach them.

The Duke scoffed. "The King will certainly be interested in the insolence of a simple Lord's squire."

Then the Duke turned and left, as Kai thought the King had far too much time at hand if he would take an interest in this.

When the door closed on them, a sigh left Kai and he turned to Saga.

Her head was still bent. Her body still trembled.

"How are you, Lady Saga?" he asked.

The words seemed to act on her as if they broke a spell. Her head came up so she could meet his eyes, and she took a step toward him, closed the distance. Without thinking, Kai wrapped his arms around her.

"You are safe," he whispered. "Like I promised, I won't leave you alone with him."

She nodded against his chest as her trembles became those of tears, and with ache Kai realised it was the first time she didn't say she was fine. All other times when he had asked her how she was, she had answered that she was fine, even when it had been obvious she wasn't. Though she hadn't said she wasn't fine this time, she hadn't lied by saying she was.

Before he had longed for the day she would be honest about it and give him a truthful answer. Now he hated how her fear of her father was powerful enough to even take that lie from her.