The days leading up to the wedding felt like a blur of plans, rehearsals, and last-minute details. This time, I swore on everything sacred and everything not so sacred that nothing would interfere.
No rogue demons, no uninvited surprises, no chaos. Just Aeliana and me, promising ourselves to each other.
But tonight was different. Tonight, I wanted to step away from the whirlwind of wedding preparations and focus entirely on her.
When I knocked on her door, I was half-nervous, half-excited. I'd left a carefully chosen outfit for her earlier a sleek, dark red dress that I thought would complement her eyes and hair perfectly. I wasn't prepared for how utterly devastating she'd look in it.
The door creaked open, and my breath caught. Aeliana stood there, her hair loosely cascading over her shoulders, the deep red fabric hugging her curves in ways that made my mind stumble into places it shouldn't.
The slit up one side revealed just enough leg to make my pulse quicken, and the way the neckline dipped—
"Stop staring," she said, her lips quirking into a knowing smile.
"I wasn't—" I started, but my voice betrayed me.
"You were." She stepped closer, the faintest sway in her hips that had to be deliberate. "And you didn't say if you liked it."
"I—" My throat felt dry. "I think I'm going to need a moment to recover."
Aeliana laughed, light and melodic, and reached out to straighten the collar of my white shirt. "You clean up well yourself. Though I'm starting to think you planned this."
"Planned what?"
"To make me look... like this." She gestured to herself, her cheeks tinting with the faintest blush.
"Well," I said, leaning closer, my voice dropping just enough to make her shiver, "if I'd known you'd look this good, I might've reconsidered. You're making it very hard to focus on dinner."
Her blush deepened, but she tilted her chin up defiantly. "Then you'd better get it together, Commander, because I'm starving."
I held out my arm, and she looped hers through mine. "Challenge accepted."
The restaurant was tucked away in the quieter part of the city, a place I'd chosen for its intimate atmosphere and warm lighting. The kind of place where everything seemed to slow down, and the world outside faded away.
As we were seated, I found myself stealing glances at her—at the way the candlelight danced across her skin, at the way her lips curved when she smiled, at the softness in her gaze when she looked back at me.
"Are you going to stare all night?" she asked, her tone teasing.
"Maybe," I admitted. "I'm trying to commit every second of this to memory."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile that spread across her face. "You're impossible."
"Only for you."
Dinner was a blur of shared laughter, teasing remarks, and moments where our hands brushed across the table. Each touch sent a spark through me, a reminder of how deeply and irrevocably I was hers.
At one point, she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at me. "You're quiet tonight," she said softly.
"I'm just… overwhelmed."
Her brows knit together in concern. "In a bad way?"
"No." I shook my head, smiling. "In the best way. I'm sitting across from the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and in a few days, she's going to be my wife. It's... a lot to take in."
Her lips parted slightly, as if she were about to say something, but then she smiled—a soft, almost shy smile that made my chest ache. "You always know exactly what to say, don't you?"
"Not always," I admitted. "But with you, it feels easy."
By the time we finished eating, I couldn't remember what I'd ordered. All I knew was that the night had flown by far too quickly, and I wasn't ready for it to end.
We stepped outside, the cool night air brushing against my skin. Aeliana wrapped her arm around mine, leaning into me as we walked.
"Where are we going now?" she asked, looking up at me with a playful glint in her eyes.
"You'll see," I said, smirking.
It wasn't far—a small garden tucked away behind the restaurant, illuminated by strings of twinkling lights. It was quiet, secluded, and perfect.
Aeliana stopped in the centre, looking around in awe. "Ciara, this is beautiful."
"I thought you might like it."
She turned to me, her eyes searching mine. "You're full of surprises tonight."
"Just trying to make it a night worth remembering."
She stepped closer, her hands resting on my chest. "You've already succeeded."
My breath hitched as her fingers trailed up to my collar, her touch sending a wave of heat through me. She stood on her toes, and before I could think, her lips were on mine.
It wasn't the first time we'd kissed, but something about this moment felt different. It was slow, deliberate, and filled with a depth of emotion that made my head spin.
When we finally pulled away, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were sparkling.
"What's next?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of my racing heart.
The walk back to the castle felt longer than usual, the tension between us palpable in the cool evening air.
Aeliana clung to my arm, her warmth seeping through my sleeve and grounding me, though my thoughts were far from calm. Her presence, her scent, the way her dress hugged her figure—it was a sensory overload I wasn't entirely sure I could handle.
The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable. It was charged, humming with unspoken words and desires. Every now and then, Aeliana would glance up at me, her lips curved in a teasing smile, as if she could sense the internal battle I was waging.
"You're quiet again," she said, her voice light, but her eyes glinted with mischief.
I cleared my throat, attempting to focus on the cobblestones beneath our feet. "Just... enjoying the night."
"Is that all you're enjoying?" she teased, her voice dropping into a tone that sent a shiver down my spine.
I stopped walking and turned to face her, narrowing my eyes. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
"Doing what?" she asked innocently, though the smirk tugging at her lips betrayed her.
"You know exactly what," I said, stepping closer. She didn't move away, her chin tilting up in defiance—or maybe invitation.
"Maybe," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
I leaned in, just enough to make her breath hitch, and smirked. "Careful, Aeliana. You might start something you can't finish."
Her laugh was soft but daring, and she tugged at my arm, pulling me forward. "Come on. Let's see if you can keep up."
By the time we reached the castle gates, my resolve was hanging by a thread. Aeliana had a way of unravelling me, of making me feel both utterly out of control and completely at ease all at once.
The grand halls of the castle were mostly empty at this hour, the staff having retired for the night. The flickering torchlight cast long shadows on the stone walls, the air quiet save for the soft echo of our footsteps.
"Are you sure you don't want to call it a night?" I asked, half-joking, as we ascended the staircase leading to my quarters.
Aeliana glanced over her shoulder, her smile equal parts sweet and dangerous. "Not a chance."
When we reached my room, I opened the door and gestured for her to enter first. She stepped inside, her gaze sweeping over the familiar space before settling on me.
"I've always liked your room," she said, her voice soft as she moved towards the window.
"Have you?" I closed the door behind me, my heart pounding as I watched her silhouette against the moonlight.
"It feels... like you," she said, turning to face me. "Strong, steady, but with a softness you try to hide."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "You make me sound far more poetic than I am."
She crossed the room, stopping in front of me. "Maybe you just don't give yourself enough credit."
Her fingers brushed against the collar of my shirt, and my breath hitched. She tilted her head, her eyes searching mine.
"Do you know how infuriatingly irresistible you are?" I asked, my voice rougher than I intended.
Her smile widened. "I might have an idea."
And then she kissed me.
It wasn't tentative or shy—it was bold, searing, and all-consuming. Her hands slid up to tangle in my hair, pulling me closer as if she couldn't bear the distance between us.
I wrapped my arms around her, my hands splaying against the small of her back to press her against me.
The world outside ceased to exist; there was only her—her warmth, her scent, the way her lips moved against mine with a passion that left me breathless.
When we finally broke apart, both of us were panting, our foreheads pressed together.
"I should warn you," I murmured, my voice husky, "if we keep this up, I might not let you leave this room tonight or eer again."
Her laugh was soft, teasing, but her eyes held a depth of emotion that made my chest ache. "Who says I want to leave?"
That was all the invitation I needed.
This kiss was slower, deeper, filled with all the things I couldn't put into words. My hands roamed, memorising every curve, every detail, as if I could etch her into my memory forever.
Aeliana melted against me, her body fitting against mine like it was meant to be there. Her fingers traced the lines of my jaw, down my neck, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.
When we finally pulled away, the room was silent save for the sound of our breathing.
"Ciara," she whispered, her voice trembling with an emotion I couldn't quite place.
I cupped her face in my hands, brushing a thumb over her cheek. "I love you," I said, the words spilling out before I could stop them.
Her eyes glistened, and she smiled—a soft, radiant smile that made me feel like the luckiest person in the world.
"I love you too," she said, her voice barely audible but filled with conviction.
We stayed like that for a moment, holding each other in the quiet intimacy of the night, the rest of the world fading away. For the first time in what felt like forever, everything felt right.