Marcella was a natural with them.
Aimilia knew it was still fairly early, given that Marcella and Gavril had only been actually acting as a married couple for half a year, but she wondered if any day now Marcella would be excitedly telling her they were expecting.
Half of Aimilia hoped so, the other half of her wasn’t sure how she would react when that day came.
There were still some things she was having a hard time wrapping her head around or letting go of. Not because of any romantic feelings still harbored for Gavril. But letting go of something she’d held onto for so long wasn’t as simple as letting go of it once. Aimilia had been letting go of Gavril and the future she hoped to have with him again and again and again asshe welcomed Marcella into her life. Aimilia had always known Gavril would make an excellent father.
They’d spent a few nights at the Academy talking about it, and each time was forever burned into Aimilia’s mind.
Just like Gavril rarely talked about his parents, Aimilia rarely talked about her father for completely opposite reasons, though. Both still painful.
Most days Aimilia’s desire for Gavril and Marcella’s happiness as her friends won out. That didn’t make the pain sting any less as Aimilia was looking down at the corridor of her own life and seeing nothing but shadows and question marks where she’d once had a crystal-clear road to walk.
Of course, if she became head of her house, it would be expected for her to marry and have children.
While the head of the house wasn’t passed down by blood, but by merit, the direct lineage of the head of house were typically the most promising candidates anyway, and were the ones most often to secure the position and carry on the main branch.
That was really the only future she had to consider.
As Marcella was attacked by one of the children, a voice appeared behind Aimilia and said, “I don’t follow. Is the purpose of the game to be caught or not to be caught?”
Aimilia whipped around to see Nikias standing behind her, hands clasped behind his back as he also watched Marcella fall into the dirt, laughing as two children piled on top of her, pinning her down.
Aimilia directed all of her attention to the menace behind her. “I didn’t ask, but you’re more than welcome to. In fact, I’m sure Marcella will teach you how to play if you ask. I bet the little monsters will be happy to help you figure it out.”
Nikias snorted. “A tempting offer to be sure, but not tonight, I don’t think.” Then his eyes skimmed over her briefly as a smirkspread on his lips. “Although, I’d be far more inclined to learn if you were the one educating me.”
Aimilia’s jaw dropped. He wasn’t serious, was he?
Was he just joking?
He couldn’t be?—
Aimilia huffed as heat flooded her cheeks. “Well, I certainly won’t be teaching anyone anything anytime soon, certainly not you. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I was only here looking for Gavril.”
Nikias’ mirthful expression faltered. “It seems we had the same mission. That’s exactly what I came here for, as well.”
Aimilia highly doubted that.
He cleared his throat. “Shall we look together?”
Aimilia lifted her chin, hoping nothing in her expression betrayed the way her heart was racing. “No. I changed my mind. I have a few letters I have to write. So you’ll have to find him on your own.”
Before Nikias could reply, she spun on her heel and disappeared. She did actually. A message from Turpis had arrived. Unfortunately he had little news of her grandfather and his health, but she’d promised to reply anyway.
Even as she walked away, her heart was still fluttering and she couldn’t rid her cheeks of the heat taking over them.
And even though she should be cursing herself for ever having gone after him, she didn’t regret it. She spent that night tossing and turning, but the phantom sensation of Nikias clutching her in his arms would not let her go.
She let out a soft, frustrated huff as she turned and looked out the window to see the empty courtyard.
No Nikias.
Why had she been hoping to see him?
Why was she wishing he was down there, waiting for her to come to him so he could hold her like she was something to lose and finally explain why he would marry her and no one else?
She pressed her fingertips to her heart, trying to slow it as she kept staring at the window. These strange sensations would disappear eventually. They had to.
