The dim glow of candlelight flickered across the stone walls as Aeliana and I walked side by side toward the dining hall. The silence between us was comfortable, yet charged with an undercurrent of tension that had been building for weeks.
After our conversation in the courtyard, things felt different more real, more uncertain, but also...more exciting.
I glanced at Aeliana from the corner of my eye, noticing the way her lips curved into a soft smile. There was a lightness in her step, a kind of quiet confidence that hadn't been there before. It suited her. Hell, everything about her suited me, and that was the damn problem.
When we reached the entrance to the dining hall, I pushed the heavy wooden door open, the creak of the hinges echoing in the empty corridor.
The room was dimly lit, with only a few candles scattered across the long dining table. The hall was empty, no sign of the usual hustle and bustle of the castle's staff or soldiers.
"Looks like it's just us tonight," I said, trying to keep my tone casual, though my heart was doing this annoying little dance in my chest.
Aeliana chuckled softly. "I guess so. I don't mind the quiet, though."
"Me neither," I admitted, though I knew damn well the silence was going to get to me eventually. The only thing louder than silence was my own thoughts, and they were always a mess when it came to Aeliana.
We walked over to the table, and I was surprised to see that it had already been set for two. Plates of food were laid out, still warm, as if someone had prepared them just for us.
There was roasted chicken, golden and crispy with herbs, a platter of freshly baked bread, and a variety of side dishes steamed vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes, and a bowl of mixed berries that looked like they'd been picked just this morning.
I raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Aeliana. "Did you plan this?"
She shook her head, looking just as surprised as I felt. "No... I didn't."
"Well, someone sure as hell went to a lot of trouble to make this look romantic," I muttered, more to myself than to her.
Aeliana blushed, a faint pink tinting her cheeks, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she took a seat at the table, her movements graceful and fluid, like she was trying not to make a big deal out of it.
I followed her lead, sitting across from her and grabbing a slice of bread. I tore off a piece and popped it into my mouth, chewing slowly as I watched her.
She started with the chicken, delicately cutting into it and taking a bite. I could tell she was trying to keep things polite, her posture straight, her hands steady, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes a kind of hunger that had nothing to do with the food in front of her.
"You know," I said after a moment, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest, "you don't have to pretend with me. If you want to dig in, go ahead. No one's watching."
Aeliana looked up at me, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I'm not pretending," she replied, though there was a playful glint in her eyes that told me she knew exactly what I meant.
"Sure you're not," I teased, reaching for the bowl of mashed potatoes and scooping a generous portion onto my plate. "But seriously, relax. You're making me nervous."
"Me? Making you nervous?" Aeliana raised an eyebrow, her tone light, but there was an edge of curiosity there, like she was trying to figure me out.
"Yeah, you." I pointed my fork at her, smirking. "You've got that look like you're trying to solve some kind of puzzle, and I'm not sure I'm ready to be one of your little projects."
She laughed at that, the sound soft and melodic, and it did something to me—something that made me want to keep hearing it, over and over again. "I'm not trying to figure you out, Ciara. I'm just... enjoying your company."
I scoffed, though the warmth in her voice made my chest tighten. "Well, don't get too comfortable. I'm not exactly the best company."
Aeliana tilted her head, studying me with those damn eyes that saw way too much. "I think you're better company than you give yourself credit for."
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just focused on my food, shoveling a forkful of chicken into my mouth and pretending like it was the best thing I'd ever tasted. It was good, but my thoughts were too tangled up in her words to really appreciate it.
We ate in relative silence after that, the only sounds coming from the clink of silverware against plates and the occasional soft sigh from Aeliana as she savored her meal.
I found myself stealing glances at her, noticing the way her hair fell in soft waves around her face, the way her lips parted slightly when she took a bite, the way her eyes seemed to sparkle in the candlelight.
It was infuriating how much I wanted her. How much I cared about her. How much I wanted to be the one to make her smile, to make her laugh, to make her feel...whatever it was that I was feeling.
When we finally finished eating, I leaned back in my chair, feeling more restless than full. I didn't know what to say, didn't know how to navigate this new territory we were in.
Part of me wanted to keep things light, to make some sarcastic comment or joke to break the tension, but another part of me wanted to be serious, to tell her how much she meant to me, even if I couldn't fully understand it myself.
Before I could make up my mind, the door to the dining hall creaked open, and I looked up to see Leora standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest and a knowing smirk on her face.
"Well, well, well," she drawled, her eyes flicking between me and Aeliana. "What do we have here? A private dinner for two? How romantic."
I rolled my eyes, though I could feel a flush creeping up my neck. "Don't you have something better to do than spy on us?"
Leora shrugged, strolling into the room and leaning against the back of one of the chairs. "Not really. Besides, it's my job to keep an eye on things around here. You never know what kind of mischief might be brewing."
I glared at her, though it lacked any real heat. "If you're here to ruin the mood, you're doing a damn good job."
Leora just grinned, clearly enjoying herself. "Oh, I'm not here to ruin anything. In fact, I'm here to give you some good news. You've got a new mission, Ciara."
Aeliana's head snapped up, her expression turning serious. "A new mission?"
"Yep," Leora said, pushing off the chair and walking over to the table. She reached into her coat and pulled out a rolled-up parchment, tossing it onto the table in front of me. "Orders from the higher-ups. Looks like you're heading out tomorrow."
I stared at the parchment, my appetite suddenly gone. "Where to?"
"Not far," Leora said casually, though there was a glint in her eyes that made me uneasy. "Just a little recon mission. Shouldn't take more than a few days."
I nodded, though I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than she was letting on. "Alright. I'll get ready."
Leora clapped her hands together, a satisfied smile on her face. "Good. I knew I could count on you."
She turned to leave, but then paused, glancing back at Aeliana. "Don't worry, Aeliana. I'll make sure she gets back in one piece. Wouldn't want you to miss out on any more romantic dinners."
Aeliana blushed, her eyes darting to me and then back to Leora. "I'm sure she'll be fine," she said, though her voice was tinged with concern.
Leora chuckled, giving me a wink before she finally left the room, the door closing behind her with a soft thud.
I let out a long breath, running a hand through my hair. "Well, that was...something."
Aeliana looked at me, her eyes searching mine. "Are you okay?"
I shrugged, trying to brush it off. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just another mission."
She frowned, clearly not convinced. "But you're leaving tomorrow?"
"Yeah," I said, my tone more clipped than I intended. "It's what I do."
There was a pause, and I could feel her staring at me, like she was trying to figure out what I wasn't saying. I hated it, hated how vulnerable I felt under her gaze.
I let out a long breath, running a hand through my hair. "Well, that was...something."
Aeliana looked at me, her eyes searching mine. "Are you okay?"
I shrugged, trying to brush it off. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just another mission."
She frowned, clearly not convinced. "But you're leaving tomorrow?"
"Yeah," I said, my tone more clipped than I intended. "It's what I do."
There was a pause, and I could feel her staring at me, like she was trying to figure out what I wasn't saying. I hated it, hated how vulnerable I felt under her gaze.
"I don't like this," she finally said, her voice quiet but firm.