“My lord,” he said evenly.
The man at the center stopped several paces away. His presence alone seemed to bend the space around him.
His gaze moved first to Caleb.
Then — slowly — to Iva.
Every instinct in her screamed to lower her eyes.
She did not.
Caleb spoke before the silence could sharpen.
“She is a civilian who wandered too close to restricted territory,” he said calmly. “Curiosity. Nothing more.”
Iva’s heart slammed against her ribs.
The lie was smooth.
Effortless.
Deliberate.
The royal’s gaze lingered on her for a fraction too long. His expression did not change — but the weight of his scrutiny was suffocating.
“And you handled it personally?” he asked.
A subtle question.
A dangerous one.
Caleb did not hesitate.
“She witnessed nothing of value,” he replied. “I was
