Elara
The evening continued in a lighter atmosphere, but for me, nothing seemed the same as before. The king's gaze, his words laced with rare vulnerability, kept playing in my mind. The distance between him and me, this invisible barrier that had always seemed insurmountable, had suddenly shrunk, leaving only a thin thread, almost imperceptible, but present enough to awaken thoughts I had never dared to entertain.
I continued circulating among the guests, but my mind was no longer with them. Every exchanged smile, every gesture felt like a mere illusion of normality. I couldn't think of anything but the conversation I had had with Aldric. The king was no longer the distant figure, the ruthless tyrant I had always thought him to be. No, he had become a complex man, broken by years of solitude, carrying the weight of his kingdom and his past choices on his shoulders.
By the end of the evening, as the guests began to leave the castle, I tried to gather my thoughts. I made my way to the stables to prepare the king's horses, as I did every evening. But tonight, the air felt different. The light breeze, carried by the moon, whispered promises and secrets that only a sensitive heart could hear.
As I crossed the courtyard, I saw a solitary figure near one of the castle's main doors. It was him, the king. He seemed lost in thought, as though absorbed by something beyond him. At one point, he turned his head and met my gaze. I froze, a shiver running through me, mixed with apprehension and curiosity.
"Elara," he said in a low voice, but loud enough for me to hear. He was not looking at me the same way as during the banquet. Tonight, his eyes were different, as if searching for something in mine, something he had not yet found.
I bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty."
"It's late," he began after a long silence. "I should go back. But it seems that something is missing tonight. Maybe a bit of company." He fixed me with an intense gaze, as if his eyes could pierce my deepest thoughts. "I wonder if... you would be willing to walk with me for a moment. This is not about court, nor protocols. Just... a walk."
A shiver ran down my spine. A king asking to walk with a servant. It was unthinkable, but there was neither mockery nor command in his voice. He seemed sincere, almost... human. I couldn't refuse, nor could I understand why I hesitated to accept. After all, he had not asked me as a sovereign, but as a man.
I nodded slowly, my voice faint. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will accompany you."
We stepped out into the castle garden, away from the curious eyes of the court. The moonlight illuminated the winding path, casting a silver glow on the ancient stones. We walked side by side, but in a heavy silence, each absorbed in our own thoughts. The king, usually so imposing, seemed smaller under the shadow of the night, almost vulnerable. I felt that this walk in the garden was not just a physical act, but a way for him to escape an invisible burden, a burden he had never shared with anyone.
"Why did you call me tonight?" I asked after a while, breaking the silence.
The king looked up at the moon, his silhouette blending into the shadows. "Because solitude becomes unbearable sometimes. Because even a king... even a king can get lost in the darkness of his thoughts."
I looked at him, surprised by the fragility of his words. He was not used to speaking this way, to sharing his weaknesses with anyone, let alone a simple servant. But tonight, something seemed different. Something in the air, in the stillness of the night, in the atmosphere between us, called him to open his heart.
"You know," he continued, "people always look at me with fear or respect, but no one really looks at me. No one seeks to understand who I am beyond the throne."
I lowered my eyes, a surge of compassion filling my heart. I remembered my own perception of the king, the image of the tyrant, the unyielding sovereign. But what I perceived at this moment was very different. There was something broken in him, something he had buried