"I simply do not understand the physics of it, Sire."
Kaia stirred, blinking against the bright morning light flooding the super-suite. She was buried deep in the charcoal velvet sheets, her body a boneless, deliciously aching mass of satisfied exhaustion. The heavy, ancient ruby collar was still locked securely around her throat, the cold gold a stark contrast to the warmth of the bed.
Near the center of the room, Caspian was holding up the two distinct halves of the midnight-blue velvet gown from the night before. The valet looked profoundly traumatized.
"This bodice was reinforced with whalebone," Caspian noted, his hazel eyes wide as he inspected the cleanly ripped seam. "It was designed to withstand the rigors of a formal waltz. You tore it in half as if it were wet parchment."
Aeron stood by the mahogany wardrobe, pouring a cup of black coffee. He was already dressed in dark trousers and a crisp, unbuttoned white linen shirt.
