The curtain pressed against my back, heavy and suffocating, while I held my breath, straining to hear every sound. The door creaked open, and a soft, familiar voice floated into the chamber.
"Prince Kaelen," Serene said gently, her tone laced with a warmth that made my stomach twist.
Through the narrow gap in the curtain, I saw her step inside, dressed gracefully, her hands folded in front of her. She smiled faintly as though she belonged here, as though she had every right to stand before him.
Kaelen straightened, his back to me now, his posture calm—too calm, as if he were hiding something as well. I could see the faint tension in his shoulders.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you," Serene continued, her voice carrying that careful sweetness. "I… thought we might speak. It has been a long time, hasn't it?"
My chest tightened, breath catching painfully. Of all people, it had to be her.
Kaelen's reply was cool, polite, but there was an edge beneath it. "You are not disturbing me, Serene. But I had not expected you in my chambers."
She moved closer, slow, deliberate, her gaze softening as she looked at him. "I wanted to thank you again for the other day… the horse riding. It reminded me of when things were—simpler." Her voice faltered slightly, as though she were reaching for something long lost.
I pressed deeper into the shadows, my fingers clutching the curtain, trying to still the storm inside me. The echo of Kaelen's nearness still lingered on my skin, I couldn't hear every word clearly, but I didn't need to—the way she looked at him was enough. My heart pounded, not only from fear of being discovered, but from something sharper, darker.
And all the while, I prayed she would leave before Kaelen's composure—or my hiding place—collapsed.
I held my breath behind the curtain, still shaken by how close Kaelen had been to me just seconds ago. My chest was thudding so loud, I was scared he could hear it. Then her voice cut through the room—sharp, trembling, desperate.
"You were the one who told me you loved me first, Kaelen. You were the one who asked me to be with you. I agreed! And now… now that I'm telling you I love you, why are you ignoring me?"
My heart dropped at those words. Loved her? He loved her once? The thought stabbed right through me, and for a moment I felt like I shouldn't even be here.
But then I heard his voice—low, steady, but with an edge I had never heard before.
"That was the past, Serene," he said firmly. "A mistake I will not repeat. Don't twist my words. Whatever I felt six years ago, it ended long ago."
For a moment Serene just stood there, frozen, her fingers trembling at her sides. I could hear her sharp breath, like she was fighting tears.
"You don't mean that…" she whispered, her voice cracking. "Kaelen, you don't. You can't."
He turned his back to her, his shoulders stiff, and for the first time I realized—he wasn't angry. He was hurting.
"I do mean it, Serene. You left. You chose to leave me behind six years ago. And now you come back, acting as if nothing has changed, I won't let myself be broken twice."
I could hear Serene choke on a sob, her footsteps unsteady as she moved closer to him. "I regret it every day. I thought you'd understand. I thought you'd wait for me…"
"Don't," Kaelen cut her off, his tone sharper now. "Stop trying to make me feel guilty.
You left me, and I don't ever—" his voice broke for a moment before rising again, "—I don't ever want to see your face again!"
But she didn't back down. Instead, she clung to him harder, her fingers digging into his coat. "No! I won't lose you again. I won't! You're mine, Kaelen, whether you admit it or not—"
Then, in desperation, she forced herself against him, trying to crash her lips into his like before. Kaelen grabbed her wrists, shoving her back, his voice like fire:
"Don't you dare! Don't you ever touch me like that again!
Serene's breathing turned ragged, half-sobs, half-snarls. She stared at him like she couldn't believe this was real.
I'd never seen him like this. Never. And part of me was terrified.
Serene's lips trembled as she tried to speak, but the weight of his words crushed every excuse before it could leave her mouth. Her eyes glossed with unshed tears. For a moment, she reached out a hand toward him, but Kaelen stepped back, the rejection clear.
Silent, broken, and humiliated, Serene turned on her heels. Her footsteps echoed as she rushed out of the chamber, the heavy door closing behind her with a final thud.
Behind the curtain, Ael finally let out the breath he had been holding.
The door had barely shut behind Serene His eyes darted to the curtain, and before Ael could even step out, Kaelen was already there.
He grabbed Ael gently but firmly by the wrist, pulling him forward, almost desperate, until their bodies closed the distance. Without giving him a chance to protest, Kaelen wrapped his arms around him, holding him so tightly it was as if he feared Ael might disappear.
His voice broke in a whisper against Ael's hair. "Are you not cold? I'm sorry… I didn't think. I should have— I'm sorry, Ael, so sorry."
Ael froze at first, wide-eyed, the warmth of Kaelen's embrace seeping through his body. He could hear it—Kaelen's heartbeat, strong and unsteady, thundering in his chest like it was trying to reach him. Every beat echoed into Ael's own ribs, a rhythm both frightening and strangely comforting.
For the first time, Ael realized: Kaelen's heart wasn't made of ice at all.
For a moment, Ael just stood there, caught between warmth and confusion. Then, gently, he slipped from Kaelen's hold. Without a word, without daring to look back, he turned and walked out of the chamber—his footsteps light but his chest heavy.