Horror bloomed in Alena’s chest, stealing her breath away.She’s no longer the sister you knew.The White Mare had known what had happened to her.
Her vision blurred, but she refused to give in to despair again. Not when both Leywani and Leukos needed her.
“I think that’s enough for tonight,” she said, letting her gaze settle on Theo with a firmness that ended any protest before it began. “It’s late. We all need rest. Alcaros, please see Leywani to a bed.”
Alcaros nodded and crossed to Leywani’s side, offering his arm. She stiffened in her chair, but with a gentle squeeze from Alena, she gave in and stood, leaning on him for support. Together, they headed for the wooden partition.
“This way,” he murmured, guiding her through the candlelit room.
Theo rose next, gesturing at his seat beside Leukos. Alena offered a grateful smile, then lifted a clay pitcher and filled two goblets with wine while Theo gave them space.
She set a goblet into Leukos’ hands. He hadn’t moved since hearing the news about his brother, but he took it without a word and drained it in a single swallow, the tension in his shoulders barely easing.
Alena refilled his cup, staying close, unwilling to let his silence push her away again. When he finally faced her, the haunted look in his eyes shifted, enough to remind her that he saw her, too.
“Do you… want to talk about him?” she asked gently.
Leukos shook his head. “No. He’s been gone for years, and I… Out of all the possibilities, I never…” His words faltered, breaking on a rough exhale. “I’ll speak with the Rasennan—Lecne—tomorrow.”
“At least it sounds like he might be on our side…?” she offered, though she already knew his answer.
“Perhaps.” He raked a hand through his hair, leaving it dishevelled. Weariness dragged at his face. “We’ll confirm the scroll’s information with Volcos and his spies tomorrow.”
Alena’s chest tightened at how hard he was trying to keep his voice steady. She reached up and smoothed back a dark strand that had fallen across his brow. “Then let’s rest tonight,” she murmured. “Tomorrow can wait.”
Leukos rose at that, motion brisk as if to prove his composure. Theo moved to follow, but Leukos waved him off, his tone clipped. “I’m fine.”
Alena knew better.
Theo guided them towards the beds, and Leukos sank onto a cot. Next to it, Leywani occupied another, already half-asleep under a rough wool blanket. His composure cracked there, in the way he collapsed rather than lay down, as though the weight of the news about his brother had finally pressed him low.
“There are more beds in the hut next door for the men,” Alcaros said, unease plain in the set of his jaw.
Alena unclasped Leukos’ cloak from her shoulders and draped it over a chair. “He can stay here tonight,” she replied, her tone leaving no room for dispute.
Alcaros lingered, clearly unwilling to let it drop. “My lady, are you certain?—?”
“It’s fine,” Theo said quietly, taking Alcaros’ arm and steering him away. Just before they slipped outside, Alena caught the faintest murmur from Theo: “They’re soulmates.”
The main door shut behind them with a soft, finalclick, and silence fell over the hut. Only the crackle of the hearth and the steady rhythm of Leywani’s breathing filled the space.
Alena knelt before Leukos and unlaced his boots with care, pulling them off one by one. Then she worked on his armour, setting each piece aside with gentle precision, as if the simple act could strip more than just the physical weight from his shoulders.
From the water basin, she drew a damp cloth and brushed it across his brow, tracing the sharp lines of his face, wiping away dirt and sweat. She lingered, fingertips pressing lightly against the tension beneath his skin. She didn’t know how to heal the pain in him, didn’t even know if she could, but she found afragile, selfish comfort in touching him. If she could take even a fraction of his burden into her hands, she would.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered at last, his gaze fixed on the floor. “You don’t have to stay. After what you heard about Katell… maybe you’d rather be alone.”
“No.” Alena didn’t hesitate. “I’m exactly where I should be.”
Whatever protest Leukos had faded on his lips, and she let the silence stretch between them, sinking into the quiet comfort of caring for him.
She helped him shrug off his cloak, then hesitated at the edge of the narrow bed, heart fluttering. Perhaps she’d been too forward, insisting she stay with him tonight. Maybe he hadn’t wanted her here at all.
Her hand hovered at the edge of the blanket, caught between retreat and the ache of longing.
Before she could second-guess herself, his arms swept around her, pulling her onto his lap. She let out a soft gasp, but melted into him, against the solid breadth of his chest. His warmth surrounded her, his heartbeat thudding beneath her ear.
A shiver ran down her spine, her breath catching. The world outside vanished, leaving only this impossible, perfect closeness.
