Alena sank to one knee in the grass, reaching for Kaixo’s hand with a soft, pleading look. “I was asking my friend if you could stay with her. This is Damona?—”
Kaixo jerked his arm away, his small face twisting with hurt and anger. “You’re leaving again,” he said, the words cutting through the air.
Leukos stepped in. “We’ll be needed once the Rasennans arrive. We have to?—”
“I want to go with you.” Kaixo looked straight at him, then turned to Theo and Nik, as if hoping one of them would say yes.
Alena reached for him again, slower this time. “The Rasennans are planning an attack. You know it’s too dangerous?—”
“No!” Kaixo’s shout exploded out of him, startling a pair of birds from a nearby tree. “You said we’d stay together, but you’re leaving me behind again!”
Alena froze, fingers suspended mid-reach, face paling as though struck. Her past confrontation with her sister no doubt echoed in her mind.
“You just want to get rid of me!” Kaixo’s voice cracked, sharp with heartbreak. Before any of them could stop him, he bolted, feet pounding across the grass, his slight form swallowed by the trees.
Alena stared after him, eyes glassy, lips pressed tight to keep them from trembling. Leukos stepped close without a word, drawing her into his chest and shielding her from the others.
She didn’t resist. She folded into him, her forehead resting against his chest. The pain carved into her expression gutted him, and he held her close, running his fingers through her auburn hair as if he could smooth the ache away.
“I’m just trying to do what’s best for him,” she whispered, her words muffled in his tunic.
“I know, love,” Leukos murmured, his reply meant for her alone. “I’ll talk to him.”
She gave a faint nod, emotion choking her. Despite their audience, Leukos pressed a soft kiss into her hair. He couldn’t stop himself—not when she looked like this.
When he glanced up, Theo was watching with a warm smile. Nik, on the other hand, grinned like a wolf who’d just caught a rabbit napping in the sun. A few paces back, Damona and Lug exchanged a glance, eyebrows raised.
Damona was the first to speak. “So… are you two a couple? We heard rumours floating around the village?—”
“I didn’t think you were the kind of woman to listen to rumours,” Leukos drawled, sharper than he intended. He hadn’t expected the Westerners to indulge in idle gossip.
Alena shot him a sideways look—part warning, part exasperation—but before she could speak, Damona’s pleasant expression slipped. “And I didn’t think you were the kind of man to disrespect the woman you love.”
Alena’s cheeks flared. Nik let out a low whistle, earning a sharp smack on the shoulder from Theo, who muttered, “Not the time.”
Damona’s gaze pinned Leukos, and Lug sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. “We’re happy for both of you. Of course we are. But Alena is the Rebel Queen’s daughter,” he explained. “Whether you like it or not, everyone’s watching. And people will talk.”
Leukos stiffened. The last thing he wanted was for Alena’s name to be dragged through the mud—especially because of him. They had kept their bond secret because the war demanded their focus, but now that their closest friends knew, there was no need to delay.
“I plan to marry her,” he announced.
All heads snapped to him.
Damona folded her arms, one eyebrow arched. “Really? And when exactly do you plan to do that?”
Leukos didn’t hesitate. “How quickly can you organise a ceremony?”
Damona’s smile returned, approval flickering in her gaze. “Give me two days, and we’ll have you married in the lavender field before the full moon.”
Leukos turned to Alena, searching her face. One look into her shimmering green eyes told him everything he needed to know.
“Do it,” he said.
Damona’s grin widened. She clapped her hands in delight, then reached for Alena’s arm. “Come with me. We need to get you ready.”
Alena blinked, still caught in the moment, but she let herself be swept away. Damona launched into a list of preparations, Lug trailing behind with a reluctant sigh. When Alena glanced back, her smile found Leukos, and an unfamiliar lightness welled in his chest.
“Marriage?” Nik echoed, still grinning.
