Warrior Love

Chapter 13

As the evening approached, the golden light of the setting sun painted the skies above Aurelis, casting a warm glow over the kingdom. Zara, though still in awe of the kingdom and its grand beauty, found herself in a quiet moment of reflection. The peacefulness of the garden had helped calm her nerves, but there were still questions swirling in her mind, unanswered.

Zephyr walked beside her, his presence as calm and steady as ever. She could tell that he was trying to make her feel at ease, but something in his eyes told her he was as guarded as she was.

When they reached a quiet corner of the palace, Zara stopped in her tracks, turning to face him. "Evander," she began, her voice hesitant. "I... I don’t want to leave yet."

Zephyr looked at her, surprised, though he quickly masked it with a polite expression. "What do you mean?" he asked gently.

Zara bit her lip, looking down for a moment before meeting his gaze again. "I just… I’m not ready to go back yet," she admitted. "There’s so much about your kingdom I still want to see, and I… I don’t want this visit to be over so soon."

Zephyr’s eyes softened, though a flicker of uncertainty flashed through them. His duty, as well as the need to keep up the illusion of Aurelis, was something that weighed heavily on him. But seeing the sincerity in Zara's eyes, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. She wasn’t in any rush to return, which meant they had more time—time to get to know each other better and time to figure out how this strange arrangement would play out.

“Of course,” Zephyr said, offering a reassuring smile. “You’re more than welcome to stay the night, Your Highness.”

Zara smiled, her shoulders relaxing as if a weight had been lifted. “Thank you. I promise I won’t be a bother.”

As they walked further into the palace, Zephyr’s gaze shifted briefly toward his brothers, who had been observing the exchange from a distance. He could see the questions in their eyes, the same uncertainty he had felt earlier now reflected in their expressions.

“What do we do now?” Zephyr mouthed, his voice barely above a whisper, though his words were clear to his brothers.

Aether gave him an exaggerated shrug, clearly unbothered. "You figure it out, big brother," he said, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. “This is your mess, after all.”

Dylan, however, was more serious. He met Zephyr’s eyes and gave a subtle shake of his head. "Be careful," he warned, his voice low. “We need to keep up the act, or things will get complicated.”

Zephyr nodded, understanding the weight of his brothers’ concerns. With a deep breath, he turned his attention back to Zara, who had now fallen into step beside him, looking up at the towering stone walls and intricate tapestries that adorned the corridors.

“I’ll take you to your room,” Zephyr said, guiding her down the hallway. The silence between them was comfortable, though Zara’s thoughts were clearly still on the events of the day. The grandeur of the palace, the unusual nature of this visit—everything about it felt so surreal.

When they reached the door to her room, Zephyr turned to face her, his expression soft yet somewhat conflicted. "I’ll leave you to settle in," he said gently. "If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask."

Zara smiled, grateful for his kindness. "Thank you, Evander. I appreciate everything."

As Zephyr watched her enter the room, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Zara’s stay wasn’t just a simple visit—it was a turning point. A turning point that would eventually bring them both closer to the truth.