Chapter 28 Lines Drawn Chapter 28 Lines Drawn : 58 +20 Free Coins Rita's careful phrasing crowned Joanna with praise while simultaneously laying a snare for Meryl ; refuse , and she would seem indifferent to the Niven family's welfare . " Rita , my mother watches over my lessons so the Niven family's name will not be shamed , " Fiona said with a bright , almost pointed smile . " We all act for the family , after all . " Rita glanced at Fiona . Since their last meeting , Fiona's thoughts had grown sharper , her words smoothed to glide like oiled silk . After half an hour in Lily Garden's perfumed shade , Rita excused herself and departed . " It seems Rita returned to the estate solely for this ," Fiona remarked once the visitor's footsteps had faded . Joanna could not bear to plead personally , so she had sent Rita as her negotiator . Meryl only shrugged ; unless Joanna visited herself , any envoy was bound to fail . " Mother , what if Aunt Joanna stalls until the hole she's digging becomes a cavern ? What then ? " Fiona asked . " If it ever grows that large , negotiations will finally be easy , " Meryl said , calm as stone . Fiona , unwilling to sacrifice the second branch's coffers to patch someone else's folly , suggested , " Mother , would you consider granting me two of our shops instead ? " Meryl frowned . " I would think twice before you dabble in such schemes . " In Duflana , prestige still favored fields over storefronts . An unmarried daughter from a government household who chose commerce risked being dismissed as little more than a shopgirl - an indelible stain on the family's honor . Fiona sighed inwardly . She figured Meryl would sing a different tune if she ever discovered that Vincent's future sweetheart was none other than the daughter of the most illustrious trading clan in all of Duflana . I can already picture her shock . The first hard frost had barely settled when Rita left with Elijah Wagner . He could not spare even a night . The moment his guard shift ended , he bypassed his own estate and rode straight to the Niven Estate to claim her . Fiona felt an unexpected tug in her chest . For six consecutive winters , she had watched Elijah repeat that same breathless dash . When she had first wed Soren , she once returned home alone , and Elijah - genuinely puzzled - asked why her new husband had not escorted her back . 1/3 14:42 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 28 Lines Drawn With time , Fiona's solitary visits became the norm , and Elijah no longer pressed . 58 +20 Free Coins So too did the early pride she had worn like a cloak on her wedding day slowly fray , thread by quiet thread . On the day she met Xavier , Fiona dressed with painstaking care . She chose a lotus - pink gown of gossamer silk , its straight sleeves and cinched waist softening the winter air's austerity . Even in the chill , the fabric floated , showing a waist slimmer than a willow switch . Over it , she draped a snow - white fox - fur cape . The pristine outer layer allowed mere hints of rose to glow beneath , lending her an almost dreamlike allure - neither as brazen as a lotus in full sun nor as severe as a white peony , but perfectly balanced between the two . Victoria had extended the invitation herself , and Fiona's seldom - seen cousin , Lilith , accompanied her . The Luthor Estate was half the size of the sprawling Niven grounds , and most of the Luthor relatives held posts far from Jexburgh . Among the younger generation , only Xavier remained in Jexburgh . That was Fiona's first glimpse of Victoria . Unlike the lacquered elegance common among noble matrons , Victoria wore plain wool and not a trace of powder . Kneeling by a frost - kissed planter , she tended winter pansies with gentle , unhurried hands . " My respects , Mrs. Luthor ," Fiona murmured , voice as light as drifting snow . Victoria's eyes lifted , warm and unpretentious . " You must be here to thank Xavier for the archery lessons . He's in the study - last door on the left . Feel free to go in ; he won't mind . " " Mrs. Luthor , I should have come earlier with my mother , but you were away visiting your own family at the time , " Fiona replied after a beat . Victoria's smile deepened , crinkling the corners of her eyes . " I told Meryl she needn't trouble herself , I've never cared for social calls , and certainly not formal ones ." Fiona felt an even warmer impression of the Luthor family . With a matriarch like Victoria , she was sure the family would be easy to get along with . Finding the study proved simple enough . The estate was compact , and Glowstrike - the lacquered bow she carried - guided her steps like a silent talisman . She rapped twice on the cedar door , " Mr. Xavier ? " Inside , Xavier and Soren were deep in conversation about evidence implicating Matthew Saunders in bribery . The knock cut the tension cleanly in half . 2/3 14:42 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 28 Lines Drawn : 58 +20 Free Coins " Best not keep Ms. Fiona waiting , " Soren teased , a thin smile slipping through the gravity of politics . Xavier held Soren's gaze for a thoughtful moment , then rose and drew the door wide . From his seat , Soren could see Fiona framed in the doorway . Anyone paying the slightest . attention would note the painstaking care in every fold of silk and every wisp of hair - a declaration written in fabric rather than ink . " I took first place in archery ! " she announced the instant their eyes met , joy breaking across her face like sunrise . " So I heard ," Xavier said . The hard edge he'd worn during the discussion melted , replaced by quiet pride . " I owe it to you - thank you for teaching me with such patience . " Fiona lifted the bow from the side and held it out , the polished limbs catching the lamplight . " This is Glowstrike ," she said softly . " General Sentor carried it in his former life . I would like you to have it . " Inside the study , Soren paused mid - page , the sentence fading before his eyes as a memory of that strange dream swept over him . Xavier's gaze wavered , complicated shadows flickering in his dark eyes - delight mingled with reluctance . He glanced into the study before murmuring , " Such a gift is far too precious . " "I have no wish to give it to anyone else , " Fiona answered , steady but earnest . " I want it to be yours alone . " The moment the words left her mouth , a blush climbed her cheeks . She remembered using almost the same line to coax Soren on their wedding night , realizing now how little imagination she possessed . Xavier pressed his lips together , studying her with a gaze so direct it felt like warm steel against skin . Just when Fiona braced for refusal , he reached out and claimed the bow . " Okay , then , " he said , voice low yet decisive . " I have heard Lord Soren has long coveted Glowstrike ," Xavier added , lifting the weapon for inspection . " By giving it to me , you may leave him with regret . D 3/3