Kieran sat alone on the wooden bench inside the gazebo, the soft glow of twinkling yellow bulbs casting warm circles of light around him.
'Was I too harsh with Lucien?' he wondered, his gaze drifting toward the darkened path beyond.
A movement caught his eye, and he looked up to see Ronan approaching.
"You left Leia and Lucien alone," Kieran remarked.
"Yes. Why?" Ronan asked out of curiosity.
"I think he treats her badly," Kieran replied with frustration.
Ronan slipped his hands from his pockets and lowered himself onto the bench beside him. "Why does it feel like you still haven't forgiven Lucien? And yet…" He paused, studying Kieran's profile. "Sometimes I think you care about him more than anyone else. He's looked after us like a parent would. I understand why you reacted the way you did earlier."
