The Ride

Rain frowned at Alexander, her suspicion growing. "What's with you?" she asked, unable to hide her curiosity. 'Was he always this inquisitive?' she wondered. The man she remembered hearing about from Sanya was supposed to be an unbothered king, not someone prying into every detail.

"The coffee's still hot," he replied simply. Rain took a sip of her own coffee, then shrugged. "It's tolerable."

"Well, mine's still too hot, so why don't you tell me more about this Clifford while I wait for it to cool down?" Alexander pressed, his tone making it clear he wasn't letting the topic go. Realizing he wasn't going to drop it, Rain relented. For some reason, she felt oddly comfortable and secure around him, so she started narrating how she met Clifford and how their relationship developed.

"I see," Alexander said, his expression unreadable as he finally began sipping his coffee.