Princess of Wind

Chapter 13: Late Night Chats and Something More

It was later in the evening when Ayden finally collapsed in the bed of his childhood room. The day had flown past in teary reunions and overjoyed relatives once they landed on the training field at top of the house of wind. Everyone had wanted to know everything about his life in the past ten years and in turn tell him everything about theirs.

While he loved talking to his family again and reconnecting after all the time apart, Ayden also enjoyed the silence he now lay in. Not only was it a chance for him to process the events of the day, but it also gave him time to think over one, well actually two, lingering questions that had been tormenting him for the past month he'd spent wandering a past Prythian: what family would he stay with and what in the world was going on with the portals? Neither one was particularly appealing, yet both seemed to demand answers at once.

Sighing, he rolled over in his bed and focused on the many stars that his mother had painted shooting across his ceiling. It was unlikely that he would fall asleep anytime soon, so he was thankful that he at least had something interesting to look at while he waited.

It was a few moments later when footsteps in the hallway drew his attention, they moved towards his room before abruptly stopping outside of his door. A second later a soft knock sounded followed by Elea softly whispering, "Ayden, are you awake?"

"Yes," he said, sitting up in bed and thankful for the distraction a friend could provide, "do you want to come in?"

"If you don't mind," Elea said, pushing the door open and slipping in, her borrowed silk nightgown flowing around her in a smooth wave, "I can't seem to fall asleep, so I came here. I hope I'm not bothering you"

"Not at all," Ayden said, patting the bed at his side, "what can I do to help?"

"Talking with me," Elea said, settling under the covers next to him, "I don't want to be alone right now, I spent enough time in the past month like that."

"I know what you mean," he said, a faint smile on his face as he recalled an old memory, "I was the same way when I first came to the palace."

"You were," Elea said, softly giggling, "that's why I made our little bargain, driving you out of your room and all that."

"Sure," Ayden said, absentmindedly glancing at where Elea's tattoo lay unhidden, she must have removed the wrydmark she usually had on to hide it, "I think you wanted a friend outside of your family, getting me out of my room was just a bonus."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," Elea said, rolling to face the ceiling covered in stars, "your mom really is a talented artist," her eyes flickered over the painted surface drinking in the hundreds of dots that would surely mimic the star in the sky above the house.

"Well, now you know where I got my love of art from," Ayden said.

"I do indeed," Elea said, "though I distinctly remember you telling me that years ago."

"Now you have your proof," Ayden replied, his head turned towards her.

"That I do," Elea said, pausing for a second as she pulled herself further under the covers, "you know I missed this, I missed you."

"I missed you too Elea," Ayden said, rolling her over and pulling her into his embrace.

"I would ask you to promise to never leave me again," she said, her head falling on his shoulder, "but I could never force you away."

"And you never will have to," Ayden said, enjoying the comfort that being near Elea had always given him, "these portals, I've seen them enough that I could draw one. We could find a way to open a permanent gateway between worlds."

"I don't know," Elea said, looking back up at the ceiling, "I'd have to look into what's causing the portals first. Depending on what it is, it may not be safe to open any more."

Ayden sighed and rolled back over, his hands cupping his face as he groaned in frustration. "What am I going to do?"

"For now you are going to calm down and relax," Elea said, rolling onto her side, "we can't do anything until I research further."

"So what do you propose I do?" Ayden asked, his thoughts still running rapid within his head.

"Why don't you draw," Elea said, "you always used to do that before you left Terrasen."

"And what do you propose I draw," Ayden asked, not failing to notice the slight bit of pain that remained in her gaze at the mention of the time they had been apart.

"Well there's not much to draw in this room," Elea said, looking around, "just the bed, lamp, dresser, and..."

"And what?" Ayden asked, watching a dark blush spread across Elea's cheeks as her words trailed off.

"Me," she said, ducking her head out of his sight.

"Why so embarrassed," he asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and picking up a sketchbook and pencil that he had found earlier in the top self of the dresser. Half of the pages were covered in the messy drawings he had done as a child, while the others remained blank and ready.

"I don't know," she said, sitting up and climbing on top of the covers, "maybe because we're alone, at night, in our pajamas," she gestured to her rather short nightgown, before motioning to his lack of shirt and loose pants.

"That's never bothered you before," Ayden responded, sitting at the opposite end of the bed and setting the sketchbook on his knees.

"Because we were kids back then," Elea said, her eyes focused on the bed before her.

"And what about our current situation changes anything for then," Ayden asked, enjoying getting under her skin while sketching the outlines of his drawing.

"Well that's because...," she trailed off, her face scrunching.

"Because," he prompted, looking up from his sketch.

"Because I like you now," Elea said, a look of pure vulnerability on her face, as her turquoise eyes ringed with gold looked up at him through nearly invisible eyelashes.

He had not been expecting that, not from her, not when he had spent so long convincing himself that she was just a friend, and only that. After all, a relationship between the heir to the throne of a kingdom and the son of a court of another world could never work out.

Within his shock Ayden lost control of the pencil drawing a harsh line across the paper before dropping it onto the bed. His only movement as he tried to process her words.

"I'm sorry," Elea said after a moment of silence, "I shouldn't have said that," she moved to climb off of the bed.

"Elea wait," Ayden said, moving toward her, the sketchbook forgotten behind him, "I, I like you too, more than you could ever know, and I'm sorry for freezing up, I just never thought that you would feel the same."

"Gods," Elea said, moving away from the door and toward where he sat at the edge of the bed, "what are we going to do."

"I don't know, Elea," Ayden said, "but I think our best bet is to figure it out along the way."

"Are you sure," Elea asked, moving until she stood right before him, her eyes tilted down to meet his.

"Positive," he said, utterly entranced by her.

It was in that moment that Elea leaned forward, her arms wrapping around him and pulling him closer until their faces were a mere hair apart. She froze there, her eyes scanning his, waiting for his move.

He made it, quickly closing the gap between them with a kiss that made him feel strong enough to take on the world yet weak enough to melt into a puddle right where he was. It was a kiss that seemed to answer a million questions, one that told of a song sung since the start of time, and one that brought a golden string snapping in place between him and his mate in his arms.