POV: Ravenna
Morgana watched Ravenna return from the ramparts with that look on her face.
The soft one. The vulnerable one. The one that said she'd just had a meaningful conversation with a certain scarred warrior and was trying very hard not to examine her feelings about it.
Oh no. Oh, this was happening.
Morgana had known Ravenna since they were children. Had watched her throw tantrums over minor inconveniences, sabotage suitors, build walls so high they blocked out the sun. Had held her through nightmares and grief and every terrible thing life had thrown at her.
And she had NEVER seen Ravenna look like this.
Like she was falling and didn't know whether to grab hold or let go.
Nope. This required intervention.
Morgana waited until Ravenna reached her chambers, then followed her inside and closed the door with more force than necessary.
"We need to talk," Morgana announced.
Ravenna jumped, spinning around with wide eyes. "Gods! You scared me. What are you—"
"Sit."
"I'm not a dog, Morgana."
"Sit. Down." Morgana pointed at the chair.
Ravenna's eyes narrowed but she sat. Probably because she knew that tone meant Morgana wasn't backing down. "What's this about?"
"You." Morgana crossed her arms. "Theron. The fact that you're catching feelings and trying to pretend you're not."
Ravenna's face went carefully blank. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Liar."
"I'm not—"
"You just spent an HOUR on the ramparts with him," Morgana cut her off. "You came back looking like someone had just handed you something precious and terrifying. And now you're trying to act like nothing happened." She leaned against the door. "I've known you for sixteen years, Rav. I can read you like a book."
"Then you're reading the wrong book," Ravenna muttered, but her cheeks flushed.
"Are you seriously going to make me drag this out of you?"
"There's nothing TO drag out!"
"Fine." Morgana pushed off the door and started pacing. "Let me lay out the evidence then. You chose to accept the bond even though you could have found a way out. You watch him when you think no one's looking. You defended him viciously at dinner against Lucien. You LIT UP when he walked into the room this morning." She stopped pacing to look at Ravenna directly. "You have feelings for him beyond the bond. Admit it."
Ravenna opened her mouth. Closed it. Looked away.
Victory. Morgana pressed the advantage.
"You do," she said softly. "Don't you?"
"I don't—" Ravenna's voice cracked. "I don't know, Morgana. I don't know what I feel. Everything is so complicated and I can't—" She stopped. Took a breath. "What if it's just the bond? What if these feelings aren't even real?"
Morgana's heart squeezed. She moved to kneel in front of Ravenna's chair, taking her hands.
"Listen to me very carefully," she said. "The bond creates connection. It makes you aware of each other. It makes you WANT to be close. But it doesn't create feelings out of nothing."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've studied bonds since we were kids. Because I've watched bonded pairs for years. Because my aunt was bonded and she explained it to me." Morgana squeezed Ravenna's hands. "The bond is foundation, Rav. Like—like soil. It creates the conditions where feelings CAN grow. But the actual growing? The actual feelings? Those are yours. Those are REAL."
Ravenna's eyes were wet. "But what if I'm wrong? What if I think I care about him and it's just—just proximity or the hum or—"
"Do you trust me?" Morgana asked quietly.
"Of course."
"Then trust me when I say this: I have watched you around men for years. Suitors. Candidates. Nobles. You've never looked at any of them the way you look at Theron." She paused. "You've never DEFENDED any of them. Never worried about their feelings. Never spent an hour talking with them and come back looking like your world just shifted."
"That doesn't mean—"
"It means exactly what you think it means." Morgana's voice was gentle but firm. "You're falling for him, Rav. And it terrifies you because you've spent your whole life protecting yourself from exactly this."
Ravenna's breath hitched. "What if he doesn't—what if it's just the bond for him too? What if I'm feeling all of this and he's just—"
"Are you KIDDING?" Morgana laughed. "Rav, that man looks at you like you hung the stars. Like you're the reason he survived five rejections. Like you're—" She stopped. Softened her voice. "Like you're everything he's ever wanted and he can't believe he gets to have you."
"You're exaggerating."
"I'm not." Morgana stood, pulling Ravenna up with her. "Everyone can see it except you apparently. The way he watches you. The way he LISTENS when you talk. The way his whole body relaxes when you're near." She poked Ravenna's shoulder. "That man is falling just as hard as you are."
"Even if that's true—" Ravenna's voice was small. "Even if we both have feelings—what if I mess it up? What if I'm too broken or too difficult or too—"
"Stop." Morgana gripped both her shoulders. "You are not too broken. You are not too difficult. You are exactly who you're supposed to be. And Theron chose you. Your dragon chose his dragon. You chose each other." She paused. "The bond might have brought you together, but what happens next? That's all you. Both of you. Choosing each other every day."
"I'm scared," Ravenna whispered.
"I know, love. I know." Morgana pulled her into a hug. "But you're going to do it anyway. Because you're brave even when you don't feel brave. And because he's worth being scared for."
Ravenna was quiet for a long moment, her face pressed against Morgana's shoulder.
"I think I'm starting to care about him," she admitted finally, so quietly Morgana almost didn't hear. "More than just—more than I expected. More than I wanted to."
"I know."
"It terrifies me."
"Love usually does."
Ravenna pulled back sharply. "I didn't say love. I said care. That's different."
"Is it?" Morgana smiled slightly. "Give it time, Rav. You'll get there."
"You're assuming a lot."
"I'm assuming you'll let yourself feel what you're already feeling." Morgana brushed a strand of white hair behind Ravenna's ear. "Stop fighting it so hard. Stop trying to logic your way out of emotions. Just—let yourself fall. See what happens."
"What if I get hurt?"
"Then I'll be here to put you back together." Morgana's voice was fierce. "Just like always. But Rav—what if you DON'T get hurt? What if this is actually the real thing? What if you let yourself fall and he catches you?"
Ravenna's expression was vulnerable in a way Morgana rarely saw. Young. Scared. Hopeful despite herself.
"I don't know how to do this," Ravenna said. "How to—how to let someone in. How to be vulnerable without it destroying me."
"You start by admitting you have feelings," Morgana said gently. "To yourself first. Then to him when you're ready." She squeezed Ravenna's shoulders. "Baby steps, love. No one's asking you to declare eternal devotion tomorrow. Just—stop pretending you don't care. Stop trying to logic away what you feel. Let it exist."
"And if it's too much? If I can't handle it?"
"Then we deal with it." Morgana's voice was absolute. "Together. Like we always do."
Ravenna nodded slowly. Some of the tension left her shoulders.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "For—for pushing. I needed that."
"I know you did." Morgana smiled. "Someone has to make sure you don't sabotage the best thing that's ever happened to you."
"I haven't sabotaged anything!"
"Yet." Morgana raised an eyebrow. "But give it time. Your default mode is self-destruction."
"I hate that you're right."
"You love that I'm right." Morgana moved toward the door. "Now go do something relaxing. Take a bath. Read a book. Stop overthinking everything."
"I don't overthink—"
"You absolutely overthink." Morgana paused at the door. "And Rav? For what it's worth—I'm happy for you. Theron is good for you. You're good for him. This could actually work if you let it."
Ravenna's expression softened. "You think so?"
"I know so." Morgana smiled. "I've been watching you two dance around each other for weeks. It was only a matter of time before one of you admitted there were actual feelings involved."
"We haven't admitted anything."
"You just did. To me. That's progress." Morgana opened the door. "Next step is admitting it to HIM. But that's future-Ravenna's problem."
"You're enjoying this entirely too much."
"Someone has to." Morgana grinned. "One of us should get entertainment value out of your emotional crisis."
"You're terrible."
"You love me anyway." Morgana blew her a kiss and left, closing the door behind her.
She leaned against it for a moment, smiling to herself.
Ravenna was falling for Theron. Actually, genuinely falling. Despite her walls and fears and determination to keep everyone at arm's length.
And Theron—gods, that man was so far gone for Ravenna it was almost painful to watch.
They were going to be fine. Maybe not right away. Maybe not without stumbling and misunderstandings and Ravenna's inevitable attempts at self-sabotage.
But eventually, they'd figure it out.
And Morgana would be there every step of the way. Pushing when Ravenna needed pushing. Listening when she needed listening. Making sure her best friend didn't let fear steal what could be the best thing in her life.
Because that's what best friends did.
They made sure you didn't fuck up the good things.
And Theron—scarred, rejected, impossibly patient Theron—was definitely a good thing.
Morgana pushed off the door and headed toward her own chambers, already planning what she'd say next time Ravenna tried to pretend she didn't have feelings.
This was going to be entertaining.
And possibly catastrophic. But mostly entertaining.