The next morning, Asher found himself walking to the dining hall alongside Roan. The conversation from the night before lingered in his mind, an odd mixture of clarity and uncertainty swirling together. Their honesty had felt like a release, but the way they had parted had been painfully awkward—both of them too caught off guard to know how to end the moment. A simple nod, a stilted exchange of goodnights, and then they'd each gone their separate ways, neither willing to look back.
Roan's usual quiet presence was almost comforting as they walked, and Asher found himself grateful for the silence, for once. His thoughts were enough noise on their own. He was used to the routine, to eating alone at a nearly empty table, away from the eyes of the court, with only Roan's occasional updates breaking the solitude.
