As I stepped out of the dark cell and into the blinding daylight, a mix of relief and frustration washed over me. Aeliana stood beside me, her presence a comforting weight against my shoulder.
We had shared so little time together after resolving our miscommunications, and now an urgent mission loomed over us, pulling me back into the demands of the kingdom.
I performed a mental check of my gear: blades strapped to my thigh, the cloak that allowed me to blend into shadows, tools for lockpicking tucked away. I felt ready and yet, all I wanted was to lean against Aeliana, to bask in the warmth of her newfound trust.
"Why now?" I muttered under my breath as we walked towards the throne room. "Couldn't they have assigned this mission to anyone else? I swear, I just started to mend things with Aeliana, and now I have to run off and catch some lowlife thief who probably couldn't burrow a hole in a loaf of bread."
