Chapter 11: Seri

Seri

Up close, he was… a lot.

Not just tall, but built in a way that made the space feel smaller around him. Broad shoulders, solid through the chest, strength carried easily in the way he stood. His leather armor fit close to his body, worn in places, shaped by use rather than decoration. It didn’t hide anything. If anything, it made his physique more obvious.

He had his own seal skin wrapped around his waist, though it was a slightly more ruddy color than the others she'd seen.

My brain stalled for a second, trying to catch up.

I had been around attractive men before. Divers, athletes, guys who spent their lives outdoors and took care of themselves. I knew how to handle myself around a hot guy.

But this felt different.

It wasn’t just how he looked. It was the way he carried himself. He was a warrior, and you'd be an idiot not to be intimidated by him.

His hair caught the light next. It was red, deep and warm, pulled half back to keep it out of his face, though a few strands had slipped loose. It fell to his shoulders, softening the sharpness of everything else.

And then his face.

High cheekbones, a strong jaw, a well-kept beard that didn’t feel excessive or careless. And across his nose and cheeks—

Freckles.

The same scattered pattern I’d seen on Maeve.

The same ones I’d seen in the mirror.

For a second, he just looked at me.

There was something in his expression—surprise, real and unguarded—before it disappeared just as quickly.

He straightened immediately and bowed.

“Princess Nymora,” he said, his voice steady and controlled. “It is good to see you on your feet. You gave us cause for concern.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

My thoughts had completely lost their structure somewhere between oh wow and what is happening right now.

Say something. Literally anything.

“Th—” I swallowed, trying again. “Thanks.”

The word came out smaller than I intended.

I felt the heat rise almost immediately, creeping up my neck and settling across my face.

Great. That was smooth.

He tilted his head slightly. His expression shifted into something more focused now, more observant, like he was trying to place what felt off.

Maeve’s hand tightened slightly around my arm.

“She’s still recovering,” she said gently.

He nodded once.

“Of course.”

But his attention returned to me almost immediately, steadier now, more deliberate.

“I am sorry I wasn't with you,” he said after a moment, his voice quieter but no less firm. “If I had been, I believe the outcome may have been different.”

The words landed with a weight I wasn’t prepared for.

Guilt.

Not directed at me, but present all the same.

I hesitated, unsure how to respond to something I didn’t understand.

I have no idea what happened to your princess.

“It’s not your fault,” I said finally, because it felt like the only thing that made sense.

His gaze held mine for a second longer, something unreadable passing through it before he gave a slight nod.

“Perhaps not,” he said.

But he didn’t sound convinced.

Maeve shifted slightly, redirecting the conversation before it could settle too deeply.

“She needs to rest,” she said, her tone still gentle but more firm now. “We were just heading to the library for a short walk.”

The library.

Right.

He glanced between us, taking in the situation quickly.

“Then I will escort you.”

My heartbeat picked up without asking my permission.

“No,” I said, a little quicker than I meant to.

Both of them looked at me.

I forced myself to slow down, to smooth it out before it turned into something else.

“I mean—you don’t have to,” I added, softer now. “I’ll be with Maeve.”

I didn’t say the rest of it, but it sat there anyway.

I don’t need you watching me.

His expression didn’t change.

“I will escort you,” he repeated, calm and certain, like it wasn’t something up for discussion.

Not a question.

Not something I could easily refuse.

Maeve didn’t push back either, which told me everything I needed to know about how this worked.

“Very well,” she said.

I nodded, because there wasn’t much else I could do.

“Okay.”

He stepped aside then, giving us space to move through the doorway, but he didn’t step far.

Still close enough that I was aware of him as we passed.

Still close enough that it felt intentional.

Maeve guided me forward, her arm steady beneath mine.

Each step felt more deliberate now, not just because of the pain, but because I could feel him behind us as we moved into the corridor.

He didn’t say anything.

But he was there.

A steady presence that didn’t fade no matter how much I tried to focus on something else.

The hallway stretched out ahead, wider than I expected, lined with tall windows that let in the same soft daylight I had seen from inside the room. Tapestries hung between them, woven with patterns that reminded me of waves and currents, threads catching the light as we passed.

It was beautiful.

But I couldn’t fully take it in.

Not with my thoughts still circling.

You just stared at him like an idiot.

I had always considered myself a strong, modern woman. I had taken countless handsome men on expeditions, and hell, even slept with a few of them when the moment felt right.

Why was I losing it like this?

I couldn’t even manage a normal conversation.

Get it together.

Maeve’s voice broke through my thoughts.

“You’re doing well,” she murmured.

“Thanks,” I said, adjusting my grip slightly.

We moved slowly, the rhythm of our steps steady against the stone floor.

After a few moments, curiosity got the better of me.

I glanced back.

He met my gaze immediately, like he had been watching the entire time.

There was nothing sharp in it.

Nothing intrusive.

Just focused attention, steady and aware.

I looked away quickly, heat rising again before I could stop it.

Okay. This is… not ideal.

Because it wasn’t just the fact that he was clearly not going anywhere.

It was the fact that he made it very difficult to think clearly when he was standing that close.

I exhaled slowly, forcing my attention forward again.

One step at a time.

The library doors came into view at the end of the corridor, taller than the others, carved with the same intricate patterns of celtic knots, vines, and ocean waves I had started to recognize.

Maeve guided me toward them.

“We’re almost there,” she said softly.

“Good,” I replied, meaning it more than I expected.

Because I needed something else to focus on.

Something that didn’t involve trying to act like I hadn’t completely embarrassed myself five seconds into meeting a man who looked like he could easily kill someone.

Maeve pushed the doors open.

I stepped inside, letting the change in space pull my attention away from everything else.

But even as I crossed the threshold, I could still feel it.

That presence behind me.

Steady. Close. Unavoidable.

And very clearly not going anywhere.