Aria's POV
We walked in silence for a while. I couldn't help but glare at him grumbling under my breath. He looked over his shoulder at me, his eyes still twinkling with amusement.
"Cheer up, princess". Kael said, a hint of playfulness in his tone.
Which I pointedly ignored.
He slowed his pace to match my stride. We were walking side by side now, our shoulders close enough to lightly brush each other.
I ignored the flutters in my belly. "Butterflies", I had overhead one of the maids back home call it, when she was gossiping to her friends about one of the stable boys.
She had described it as little herds or butterflies swarming her stomach when he smiled at her. Her companion had said it meant she fancied him.
I didn't fancy Kael, he was an arrogant, controlling and manipulative man who had kidnapped and imprisoned me. It was impossible for me to fancy a man who had tried to kill me before and threatened to kill me, more times than I could count.
I shook off the weird thought. It was simply impossible.
Kael's voice broke me out of my internal crisis.
"What was your childhood like?"
My heart sped up. It was not a topic I wanted to discuss.
"It was as normal as one could have" I said dismissively.
"I'm sure yours must have been interesting. Was it not?" I asked changing the subject.
Kael's expression changed, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of something else in his eyes. Something that looked almost like sadness.
Only then had I realized the implication of my question.
"I shouldn't have…"
"It was…complicated," he said, his voive measured and controlled.
"I was trained from a young age to take over the realm. My parents were not exactly demanding but a lot was expected of me."
"So I didn't really have a childhood to speak of. Most of it was spent attending court meetings with my father, sparring lessons, magic lessons, history and war tactics and a bunch of other things."
"As much as I hated those lessons, they were the only reason I was still alive" He let out a dark chuckle.
"I'm sorry" I said, my voice hardly above a whisper.
"Don't worry, it's in….the past" Kael said.
But something about the way he said it rubbed me off the wrong way. I looked at his face searching for what? I did not know. But I didn't see anything that indicated that he meant something else.
I was probably reading meanings into what isn't there.
"I've always loved watching the sunset," Kael said, in his low drawl, breaking the awkward silence that was starting to form.
"It's like the whole world is slowing down, just for a moment."
I nodded, feeling a sense of calm wash over me. "I know what you mean,"
Kael's gaze lingered on mine for a moment, and I felt a shiver run down her spine. But then he looked away, his eyes returning to the trees.
"I used to watch the sunset with my mother whenever I had the time," Kael said. "She'd tell me stories and myths of lost realms."
My curiosity was piqued. "Lost realms?" I asked.
Kael's eyes took on a faraway look. "Realms other than ours, some lost to time, some destroyed nothing but ruins others swarming with creatures we could only imagine" he said. "I always thought it was all made up stories to make me feel better." He said with an
I felt a pang of sadness and guilt. "You miss her, don't you?" I asked, my voice gentle.
Kael's gaze snapped back to mine, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of vulnerability in his eyes but It was gone as soon as it appeared.
"Yes," he said. "I miss her every day."
I wasn't thinking when I took his hand, my only thought was to comfort him. I felt a spark of electricity as our palms touched. I quickly pulled my hand away, trying to brush off the sensation.
Thankfully, we reached a clearing with a small lake just as the sun began to set. I was glad to have escaped the awkwardness that would have followed.
The water was calm and peaceful, reflecting the vibrant colors of the sky like a mirror. We stood there in silence, watching as the sun dipped lower and lower, casting a warm orange glow over the landscape.
It was a beautiful moment, and I felt a sense of peace wash over me as I stood there with Kael.
I suddenly didn't want the moment to end which terrified me greatly….I was liking it a little bit too much.
As much as I hated it, I had to break the moment.
"Kael," I said, turning to him. "Can I ask you something?"
He looked at me, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he was wary of what I might ask. "What is it?" he said, his voice low and cautious as if he could read my mind. I shuddered internally at that possibility.
I took a deep breath, trying to phrase my question carefully. "How did you get your magic?" I finally said, after finding no other way of wording the question.
Kael's expression changed instantly, his eyes hardening, "I think it's time for us to go back, it's getting late" he said, his voice cold and detached.
Whatever tenderness that had been present was locked away deep down inside of him. It was scary how quickly he could shut off his emotions but what scared me the most was that I wanted to see more of it, more of him.
The real him.