Dinner ended slowly.
Not abruptly.
Not with tension.
But with a quiet kind of fullness that lingered even after the plates had been cleared and the conversation had faded into softer tones.
Lyra hadn't realized how long it had been since she had sat at a table like that.
Without feeling watched.
Without choosing every word carefully.
Without preparing herself for conflict
It unsettled her. More than she expected.
As they stood to leave, Aerith gently lifted the baby from the cradle, her movements practiced and soft. The child stirred only slightly before settling again against her shoulder.
"I'll have the attendants prepare your chambers," she said, her voice warm as her gaze moved between Kael and Lyra
Then, as if remembering something, she added-"And tomorrow, you should go out."
Lyra paused.
"Out?"
Aerith smiled
"Around the kingdom. There's no better way to understand a place than to see it for yourself"
Kael didn't object.
Didn't question it.
"That would be... fine," he said.
Lyra glanced at him briefly.
Not arguing
Not resisting.
"Alright."
Aerith's smile softened, satisfied.
"I think you'll like it here more than you expect."
Lyra didn't answer that
Because part of her-
Already did.
The halls were quieter at night.
Not empty
But calmer.
The golden glow of lanterns replaced the daylight, casting soft shadows along the walls as they walked.
Kael walked beside her.
Not ahead.
Not behind.
Beside
Neither of them spoke
Not at first.
But the silence wasn't uncomfortable.
Not like before
It was... thoughtful.
"You didn't argue."
Kael's voice broke the quiet.
Low
Almost casual
Lyra glanced at him.
"About what?"
"Tomorrow"
She looked ahead again.
"I didn't feel like it."
Kael's gaze lingered on her for a moment.
"That's new."
Lyra let out a quiet breath.
"Maybe I'm tired."
"Of arguing?" he asked.
Lyra paused.
Then-
"Maybe."
They walked a few more steps in silence.
"You're different here"
The words slipped out before she could stop
them.
Kael didn't react immediately.
"How?"
Lyra hesitated, searching for the right words.
"Less... sharp."
Kael almost smirked.
Almost.
"That sounds like an insult."
"It's not."
A pause
"It's just an observation."
Kael looked ahead, his expression unreadable.
"This place is different."
Lyra nodded slightly.
"I noticed."
Another silence followed.
Then-
They stopped.
In front of a door
Lyra blinked.
"This is mine?"
Kael glanced at it.
Then at her.
"Ours."
Lyra's brows pulled together slightly.
"Of course it is"
There was no anger in her voice.
Just... acceptance.
Kael opened the door.
The room inside was spacious, softly lit, with a large bed placed near the center and tall windows that overlooked the quiet night outside.
Everything was arranged neatly, elegantly-But without excess.
Lyra stepped inside slowly..
Taking it in.
"...At least it's not suffocating," she murmured.
Kael closed the door behind them. "...It's her doing."
Lyra glanced back at him. "...Your sister?"
"Yes"
That made sense.
Lyra moved toward the window, her fingers lightly brushing against the curtain as she looked out into the darkened landscape beyond.
Kael didn't move further into the room.
He stayed near the door.
For a moment.
↓
Then-
"You can take the bed."
Lyra turned.
Surprised.
"...And you?"
"I don't need it."
Lyra frowned slightly.
"That's not practical."
Kael shrugged lightly.
"It's enough."
Lyra studied him for a second.
Then-
"...You're not sleeping on the floor."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "...You're concerned?"
Lyra crossed her arms.
"...I'm being reasonable."
A pause.
Then-
"We can share it."
The words hung in the air..
Lyra blinked.
Realizing what she had just said.
Kael didn't react immediately.
"..There's enough space," she added quickly. "And we're not strangers."
That wasn't entirely true.
But it wasn't entirely false either.
Kael exhaled quietly. "Fine."
No argument.
No resistance.
Lyra turned back toward the window.
But her heartbeat had quickened slightly.
Behind her-↓
Kael finally moved further into the room.
The distance between them remained.
But it felt... Different now.
Not forced.
Not rigid.
Just there.
And for the first time-
Sharing a space with him didn't feel like a battle.
But something quieter.
Something uncertain.
Something that neither of them fully understood yet.