>>Aelin
He didn't look away and neither did I
"Yes," He said calmly, "We were engaged as kids." My heart dropped.
"What?" The words escaped my mouth
"She's not coming here for me, Aelin," Draegon said quietly. "Even if she once wanted something… the person I am now isn't the boy she knew. And she's not the woman I remember."
I think I stopped breathing for a second. The words rang through my head like the echo of a sword striking stone—sharp, loud, and impossible to ignore.
Engaged.
My mouth parted, but no sound came out. I stared at him, waiting—pleading—for some kind of clarification.
Draegon exhaled slowly, as if he'd expected this to hit hard. "It wasn't serious, Aelin," he said gently. "It was all… children's play. Nothing binding. Nothing real. The Queen had made the suggestion back then because Vesper and I were good friends."
"But you were engaged," I said, my voice thinner than I wanted it to be.
