“I don’t have to speak to you to wed you. I don’t have to speak to you to get you with child. Though never fear, if I need the pepper, I will not have trouble requesting it of you when we’re at supper.”

One moment…

He had told me that we—

“Now go back, Elena,” he ordered.

I did not go back.

I took a step toward him and snapped, “But weeks ago you were on about us ruling side by side, living as husband and wife, raising our children together, and now I should expect nothing from you but your seed and knowing your desire to season your food?”

“Just return to the others, princess,” he said on a harassed sigh.

“What’s changed?” I asked.

“Naught has changed.”

“I know of the parallel universe where we have twins who live in that different world. Between leaving the others and now, was your twin switched with you?”

“Don’t be absurd.”

I took another step toward him. “It’s you being absurd, Cassius. What’s the matter with you?”

“Naught,” he clipped.

“You aren’t sleeping by my side.”

“You aren’t far away.”

I took yet another step toward him. “You haven’t touched me in ages. Kissed me. Even looked upon me as if you wish to do either when before, when we were in Firenze, you seemed eager to do both…and often.”

“Elena,” he growled.

I took yet another step toward him, putting myself directly in front of him, and planted the end of my staff in the dirt, demanding, “What has changed?”

It took a moment, as if he needed that to make up a plausible lie, before he did not lie.

He struck.

“You are not her and with every minute I’m with you, I’m reminded of that. You are nothing like her. And I miss her. I want her, I do not want you. But I have no choice, as the whole of my life I’ve never had a choice. This time, the choice I do not have is that for the rest of my days I have to put up with you.”

“Put up with me?” I whispered.

He opened his mouth, but I took another step, this time away from him.

His body seemed to twitch powerfully, the entire length of it, as if he were about to make a movement to reach to me and was struggling to contain that urge.

But then he grew still and said, “You asked.”

“I did, indeed,” I replied. I then dipped my chin and finished, “I’ll leave you to your reflections.”

And on that, I whirled and started to walk away, concentrating on doing only that for what I very much wished to do was run.

I didn’t get a step in before I heard him hiss behind me. No words, just that hiss.