The knock on the door was soft but insistent, pulling Evelyn out of the sea of Seraphina's thoughts. She blinked, her fingers still resting on the pages of the diary, and glanced toward the door.
"Come in," she called, her voice tinged with weariness.
The door opened, and Kael Rotherford stepped inside. His emerald eyes immediately sought hers, filled with an unspoken concern that made her chest tighten. He was dressed simply for the late hour—a dark tunic and breeches that, while understated, only highlighted his natural elegance. His dark hair was slightly tousled, as if he had come in haste.
"I thought you'd be asleep," Kael said softly, closing the door behind him.
Evelyn smiled faintly, setting the diary aside. "I couldn't. Too much on my mind."
He approached slowly, his gaze flickering to the diary on the bedside table before returning to her. "You've been reading."
"Something like that."
Kael walked to the side of the bed, his expression softening. "Of course there is. You were accused of poisoning the prince, interrogated in front of the court, and somehow managed to turn it all around. I'd be worried if you weren't overthinking everything."
Evelyn laughed dryly, leaning back. "You make it sound so simple."
"Because it is." Kael dropped into the chair beside her bed, crossing one leg over the other. "You're alive. You're safe. The prince himself seems... unusually fascinated by you. I'd say today was a win."
"Fascinated is putting it lightly," Evelyn muttered under her breath, the thought of Adrien's piercing gaze making her shiver. "He's unnerving."
Kael chuckled, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Jealousy doesn't suit me, does it?"
Evelyn blinked, startled by his bluntness. "Jealous? You?"
"I miss you, Seraphina," he said suddenly, his voice softer now. His emerald eyes bore into hers, earnest and vulnerable. "You've changed. You're... different. And I can't help but feel like I'm losing you."
Evelyn's heart skipped a beat. She glanced down at her hands, unsure how to respond. The words felt like a confession, raw and unfiltered, and for a moment, she didn't know whether to comfort him or push him away.
"Kael," she began cautiously, "I—"
Before she could finish, Kael stood and plopped himself down on the bed beside her, cutting her off entirely.
"What are you doing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm staying," he said simply, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "You clearly can't sleep, so I'll make sure you do."
"By invading my bed?" Evelyn shot back, incredulous
Evelyn's mouth opened in protest, but before she could say anything, Kael stretched out across the bed, making himself ridiculously comfortable. His head lolled to the side, his cheek pressed against the pillow.
She blinked in disbelief. "You're really going to sleep here?"
Kael just shrugged, looking utterly unbothered. "Yep. I'm your personal bodyguard now. And bodyguards don't leave. They stay until the job's done. And the job, in this case, is getting you to fall asleep."
Evelyn couldn't help but laugh softly at the absurdity of the situation. "You're unbelievable."
Kael gave her a sleepy grin, his eyes fluttering shut as he sank further into the pillow. "I know. I'm also incredibly stubborn, just like you."
Evelyn crossed her arms, trying to glare at him, but the sheer ridiculousness of the situation made it hard to stay annoyed. "You're unbelievable."
"And yet, here I am," he quipped, resting his head on her pillow as if to make a point. "Unbelievable, but undeniably helpful."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a small laugh. "I don't need a babysitter."
"Who said anything about babysitting?" he shot back. "I'm just here to make sure you don't drive yourself crazy."
"By taking over my bed?" she asked, her tone dry.
"Exactly," he said with a grin, his emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. "You're welcome, by the way."
Evelyn huffed but couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. There was something so absurdly Kael about this whole scene. He was like a giant golden retriever—persistent, loyal, and absolutely shameless.
"You're ridiculous," she said, shaking her head.
"And yet, you're smiling," Kael replied, his tone smug. "I must be doing something right."
She rolled her eyes but didn't argue. There was a comfort in his presence, a warmth that she hadn't realized she'd been missing. Still, she wasn't going to let him off that easily.
"Well," she said, leaning back against the headboard, "since you're apparently not leaving, you might as well make yourself useful."
Kael raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? And how would you like me to be useful, Your Grace?"
Evelyn smirked, enjoying the shift in dynamic. "You can start by fluffing my pillows."
Kael burst out laughing, the sound filling the room like a breath of fresh air. "Fluffing pillows? Really? That's the best you've got?"
She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "I figured I'd start small. Wouldn't want to overwhelm you."
Kael shook his head, still chuckling, but he grabbed the nearest pillow and gave it a dramatic fluff before handing it back to her with a flourish. "Your wish is my command, milady."
Evelyn accepted the pillow with mock grace, holding it like a royal scepter. "You're learning," she said, her voice dripping with exaggerated approval.
Kael grinned, leaning back on the bed with a satisfied sigh. "I aim to please."
The playful banter eased the tension in the room, and for a moment, Evelyn felt like the weight of her worries had lifted. But then Kael's expression softened, and his tone grew quieter.
"So," Kael mumbled, his voice half-lidded, "don't think you can avoid the fact that I missed you."
Evelyn blinked, her heart skipping a beat at the sudden vulnerability in his words. She glanced at him, noticing how his usual confident, playful demeanor had slipped away, leaving a hint of something deeper behind.
"Kael," she said, her voice softening despite herself. "You're… crazy."
"I am," he agreed, his lips quirking up into a lazy smile. "But I'm your crazy."
Evelyn chuckled quietly, feeling an unexpected warmth spread in her chest. "You're impossible."
"Yeah, yeah," Kael mumbled, already half asleep. "But I'm also here. You don't get to get rid of me that easily."
Evelyn rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "You're impossible."
"And yet, you tolerate me," he quipped, giving her a cheeky look.
"I really shouldn't," she muttered, though there was no real heat in her words.
Kael smirked, but then his expression softened. He turned his head to look at her, his green eyes glinting in the candlelight. "You're not alone, Seraphina. You know that, right?"
Evelyn's breath caught. She forced herself to hold his gaze, even as the weight of his words settled over her. "I know."
Kael's lips quirked into a half-smile. "Good. Because if you ever forget, I'll be here to remind you."
Evelyn looked away, her chest tightening with something she couldn't quite name. She reached for the blanket, intending to cover herself, but before she could, Kael shifted closer, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Kael," she hissed, freezing in place. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Keeping you here," he said sleepily, his voice muffled as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. "You're always running off. Not tonight."
"I am not running off," she shot back, trying to squirm out of his grasp.
"Then stop moving and go to sleep," he muttered, his grip tightening slightly.
Evelyn let out an exasperated sigh, giving up the fight. "You're like a golden retriever," she grumbled, her tone laced with humor.
Kael let out a low chuckle, his breath warm against her skin. "Golden retriever? I'll take it."
"You should," Evelyn said, her voice softening despite herself. "But just so you know, I don't appreciate being manhandled."
Kael's lips twitched into a smirk, though his eyes remained closed. "Noted. But you don't seem to mind too much."
She rolled her eyes, though she couldn't suppress the small smile that crept onto her face. "You're impossible."
"And yet, here I am," Kael murmured, his voice already fading into the haze of sleep.
Evelyn snorted, but there was no real annoyance behind it. "I swear, you're like a golden retriever. So persistent."
Kael's face lit up with a sleepy grin at the comparison. "A golden retriever? I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should," Evelyn shot back, her tone teasing. "But just so you know, I'm not the type to just lie here and let you control everything."
"Oh, I know," Kael said with a yawn. "I'll just control you instead."
She blinked, caught off guard by his words, but before she could respond, his grip tightened around her, pulling her closer into his embrace.
"Sleep, Seraphina," he whispered, as though he had all the time in the world. "I'll be here when you wake up."
Evelyn sighed, leaning back into the pillows. Evelyn watched as his eyes fluttered shut, his breathing evening out as he drifted off. She shook her head, torn between exasperation and amusement.
"You're impossible," she whispered, pulling the blanket over him despite herself.
As she settled back into bed, she couldn't help but smile. Kael might be insufferable at times, but he was also a constant reminder that she wasn't as alone as she thought. And for tonight, that was enough.
Still, as she glanced over at his sleeping form, she couldn't resist muttering under her breath. "Golden retriever or not, you're lucky I don't throw you out."
Kael mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, his arm flopping over her waist. Evelyn sighed, her cheeks flushing as she tried to squirm free without waking him.
"Figures," she muttered. "Even in sleep, you're clingy."
But despite her protests, she didn't move him. Instead, she let the warmth of his presence lull her into the first peaceful sleep she'd had in days.
Maybe, she thought as sleep slowly claimed her, I don't have to do this alone after all.