The fire crackled low inside the tent, its glow painting the fabric walls in shades of amber and shadow. Outside, the forest murmured softly.....night insects humming, wind brushing through leaves.....but inside, silence pressed thickly between them.
Aurelia lay on her side atop the furs, her back to Malion, eyes open and unfocused. She had not realized how quiet a king could be until this moment. He sat across from her, resting against a carved travel chest, his posture loose yet watchful, as though even stillness bent around his presence.
Her question lingered in the air between them.
What are the marks on your back?
Malion exhaled slowly, the sound barely audible.
"So," he said at last, voice calm but edged with something deeper, "you noticed."
Aurelia shifted, turning onto her elbow. The firelight caught the sharp lines of his face, softening them just enough to make him look… human. Vulnerable, almost. It unsettled her more than his anger ever had.
