Shrouded Hearts

Chapter 29

That night, Aria watched as Leo leaped onto the bed like a predatory cat, his broad shoulders and toned arms sprawled out across the soft sheets. He had claimed it for the night with an air of defiance that made her laugh, despite the somber atmosphere that clung to them like a heavy fog.

"Get out," she told him, but he wouldn't budge, his dark eyes challenging her with an unspoken dare. In response, she moved close and attempted to shove him from the bed. He groaned, feigning injury, and she pulled back, concern creeping into her voice. "Did I hurt you?"

In that fleeting moment of vulnerability, he seized his chance, grasping her wrist and yanking her onto the bed beside him. She gasped, struggling to free herself from his grip, but he only laughed—a rare, genuine sound that sent shivers down her spine—and began tickling her mercilessly. With every squirm and giggle, she felt the weight of their reality lifting ever so slightly.

"Stop! Stop!" she managed between gasps of laughter, finding enough strength in her desperation to push him away. Seizing a pillow, she smacked him hard across the face. His eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed, a hint of mischief shining through the darkness that often clouded them.

"Ah, a pillow fight, is it? You're going down, Mrs. Evergreen."

Her own shock mirrored his as he grabbed another pillow and struck her back. The world outside—the violence, the war—faded into the background as they engaged in an intense pillow fight, each blow sending feathers flying through the dimly lit room. Finally, exhausted, they collapsed onto the bed, panting and laughing as the last remnants of levity settled around them.

Leo couldn't resist the smug grin that spread across his face as he declared, "I so won that." Aria scoffed and shot him a sideways glance, her eyes sharp with disbelief. "You so didn't," she retorted.

He chuckled, feeling a sense of superiority. "Oh, but just imagine what the fae will say when I tell them I defeated their princess."

Aria rolled her eyes and scoffed once more. "You wish," she quipped, her tone dripping with skepticism. Their banter continued as they laid in the darkening room, each one trying to outdo the other with their clever comebacks. The air was filled with playful taunts and laughter before Leo turned on his side, his gaze fixed upon Aria's face, and asked with uncharacteristic gentleness, "Tell me about your parents. What were they like?"

She stared up at the cracked ceiling, the shadows casting eerie patterns across its surface, and felt a bittersweet smile tug at her lips as memories came flooding back. The room seemed to grow quieter as she spoke, their breaths syncing in rhythm as she described her mother's warmth and kindness.

"The queen was everything you could want in a mother," Aria said, her voice tinged with longing. "She had this way of making everyone feel loved and safe."

"And your father?" Leo prompted softly, his eyes never leaving her face.

"The king... He was strong and fair, a leader who inspired loyalty among his people." She paused, allowing herself to be swept up in the tales of her childhood; the lessons learned from her parents that had shaped her into the woman she was now.

Throughout it all, Leo listened intently, not interrupting even once. When she finished, he simply asked, "What were their names?"

Aria hesitated, feeling a familiar ache in her chest as she whispered, "My mother's name was Alice, and my father's... Xander."

As the words left her lips, she felt a sense of solace wrap around her heart, as if, in speaking their names, she had reclaimed a small piece of her past—a part of herself that had been lost amid the chaos and violence they now found themselves engulfed in. And for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to hope that perhaps, together, she and Leo might survive this war-torn world and forge a future worth fighting for.