"Tell me, Ruby, you never thought once of bringing some things to my attention. Perhaps you fear my actions, makes me suspect you might have more to hide." He stated taking a long sip of that liquid while staring straight in her brown eyes.
Ruby's breaths came uneven, her chest rising and falling in quick waves, as the weight of his gaze pinned her to her seat. The dining hall, though grand and spacious, felt suffocating, as if the very air had thickened around her. The warmth of the flickering candlelight did nothing to ease the chill creeping down her spine.
Xerxes sat still for a long moment, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass and gulping some liquid before he placed it down with deliberate slowness. The faint clink of crystal against wood echoed in the silence, each second str
