As lunchtime rolled around, the busy energy of the office quieted down a bit, and we found ourselves seated in the castle's dining hall.
The grand room was still intimidating, but with Aeliana beside me, I felt oddly comfortable. We were both eating, the chatter of the other knights and workers fading into the background, giving us a rare moment of privacy.
I poked at my food for a moment before I finally spoke. "So, Aeliana," I started, trying to sound casual but feeling a bit awkward, "when you said 'a proper date' earlier... what exactly did you mean by that?" I lifted my gaze to meet hers, curious but a little nervous.
Aeliana paused, mid-bite, and raised her eyebrows at me with a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "What? You've never been on a 'proper' date before?" she teased, leaning forward slightly with a playful glint in her eyes.
I narrowed my eyes at her, a grin threatening to break through despite myself. "I've been on dates," I shot back, "I just want to know what you meant by it."
Aeliana leaned back in her chair, pretending to ponder the question dramatically. "Hmm, well," she started, twirling a piece of food on her fork.
"I was thinking something... romantic. You know, maybe somewhere with a nice view, good food, maybe even dancing if you're feeling adventurous." She looked at me, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
"Dancing?" I repeated, laughing lightly. The thought of me, with my less-than-graceful moves, trying to dance with Aeliana was both funny and terrifying. "I don't know if you'd want to subject yourself to that," I said, shaking my head.
"Oh, I definitely would," Aeliana replied with a grin. "I think watching you stumble around trying to dance would be adorable."
I rolled my eyes playfully. "Adorable? I'm trying to be intimidating here, Aeliana."
"Well, you're failing," she teased, sticking out her tongue. "But seriously, I just want to do something... special with you. Like, no work distractions, no castle responsibilities. Just us."
Her tone shifted slightly, and I could tell she meant it. A warmth spread through my chest, and I felt my heart skip a beat. Aeliana had this way of making everything feel... light. Like the world wasn't as heavy when she was around.
"I like the sound of that," I said, my voice softer now. "But... proper dates aren't really my strong suit. You might have to guide me through this."
Aeliana chuckled and reached across the table to gently take my hand. Her fingers were warm, and I felt a familiar rush of electricity shoot up my arm.
"Don't worry," she said, her smile soft and genuine. "I'll be there the whole time. You just have to be yourself."
I felt myself relax a little more. Aeliana always knew how to say the right thing to ease my nerves, even when I didn't know I was tense.
We ate in comfortable silence for a few moments, enjoying the food and each other's company. But my mind kept drifting back to her earlier words: dancing, views, romance... I wasn't used to thinking about these things, at least not in the context of a real relationship.
"So," I began again, trying to sound casual but definitely failing, "you really want to go dancing?"
Aeliana laughed. "I mean, it's not a requirement, but I think it could be fun." She looked at me, her eyes full of playful challenge. "Unless you're too scared, of course."
I scoffed. "Scared? Of dancing? Please." I waved her off, pretending to be confident even though the idea of it still made me a little nervous. "I just don't want to embarrass you when my dancing skills blow everyone else out of the water."
Aeliana snorted, clearly not buying it. "Sure, Ciara. Sure."
We continued eating, trading light banter between bites. Aeliana kept making jokes about what our "proper" date could look like, throwing out increasingly ridiculous suggestions like skydiving or a sword fight at sunset.
I played along, laughing at her wild ideas, but deep down, I could feel something shifting.
It wasn't just another mission or a task I had to complete. This was personal. This was about us, and I found myself caring more than I expected about how it would all turn out.
As we finished our meals, Aeliana leaned back in her chair, looking content. She gave me a sideways glance, her lips twitching up into another smirk. "So, are you nervous about our date?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
I paused, taking a moment to think. Nervous? Yeah, maybe a little. But not in the way I usually got nervous before a fight or a mission. This was... different. "A bit," I admitted. "But not because of you. Just... it feels like a big deal, you know?"
Aeliana's expression softened. She nodded, her teasing tone gone for a moment. "Yeah, it does. But it's a good kind of big deal. I'm excited, Ciara."
I smiled at her, feeling that warmth in my chest grow again. "I'm excited too," I admitted. "Even if dancing is involved."
She laughed again, her bright, genuine laughter filling the room and making my heart race. "You'll do great," she assured me. "And besides, the date is more about us having fun together, not about being perfect."
"Good, because perfection is definitely not something I can guarantee," I said with a grin, relaxing a little more.
Aeliana reached over again, this time squeezing my hand gently. "I don't need perfection. I just need you."
For a moment, I couldn't think of a response. I was too caught up in how easy it was to be around her, how natural this all felt. I never thought I'd be the kind of person to go on romantic dates or worry about dancing, but with Aeliana, it didn't seem so strange.
We finished the rest of our lunch in peace, the atmosphere light and full of warmth. As we stood up to leave, Aeliana glanced over at me again with that familiar teasing look in her eyes.
"So, do you think you're ready for our proper date now?" she asked, her tone playful.
I smirked, pretending to think it over. "I guess I can handle it," I replied, crossing my arms in mock seriousness. "As long as there's no skydiving involved."
"No promises," she teased back.
As we headed out of the dining hall, my mind was buzzing with thoughts of what our date would be like. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew one thing for sure: I was looking forward to it. With Aeliana, everything felt like an adventure.
She reached out and nudged me playfully. "Don't overthink it, okay?" she said, reading me like an open book. "It's just us, having fun."
I nodded, a smile creeping back onto my face. "Yeah. Just us."
As we made our way through the castle halls, the thought of what lay ahead dancing, laughter, maybe even a few awkward stumbles didn't feel as intimidating as it had before. Because at the end of the day, as long as Aeliana was by my side, I knew it would all be worth it.
She glanced over at me one more time, a soft smile on her lips. "If that's what you want, it's okay."
I didn't realize how much I wanted this until now.
As we walked out of the dining hall, my mind was still lingering on Aeliana's words. Her excitement about our date made me both eager and slightly nervous.
Not the usual kind of nerves I get before a mission, but the good kind, the kind that comes with anticipation.
But I had to admit, it was different from anything I'd experienced before. A date? A proper date? What did that even mean for someone like me?
I glanced over at Aeliana. She seemed so at ease, her steps light and her eyes sparkling. I admired how effortless it all seemed for her. She wasn't overthinking anything just taking things as they came. She caught me staring and smirked.
"What?" she teased, her voice playful. "Already planning how to impress me tonight?"
I laughed softly, shaking my head. "I don't think I need to plan to impress you. I'm already a natural."
Aeliana gave me a dramatic eye roll but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "Well, just in case, you might want to, I don't know, put some effort into getting ready?"
I raised an eyebrow, playing along. "Effort, huh? I thought my usual look was already good enough."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "It is. But imagine what a little *extra* effort could do."
I laughed again, feeling lighter. "Fine. Fine. I'll go get ready."
She beamed, clearly pleased with herself. "Good. I'll be waiting."
With a grin, I turned and headed toward the room I was staying in. Time to figure out what "extra effort" meant for tonight. I couldn't deny it anymore I was looking forward to this date.