“Are you looking for the axe?” Vaelric asked casually, still leaning against the tree.
“Yes, actually,” she said sharply. “Do you see it?”
He pointed to a far corner where the brambles and thorns wove together into a chaotic web. “It’s over there. Looks like you dropped it, though I’m not sure how or why,” he added, his smirk widening.
Riona rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the observation. Think you could grab it for me?”
Vaelric raised a brow, his grin growing.
“Are you asking me for help?”
She muttered a curse under her breath and seriously considered lighting the entire mess, herself included on fire, just to end the humiliation.
“Nope, I’ve got it. Thanks, though,” she huffed, clawing her way through the twisted branches.
For nearly half an hour, Riona struggled. Small cuts covered her arms and face, her clothes were torn, and her hair was tangled with twigs. Finally, she dropped to the ground, admitting defeat.
“Vaelric,” she called out, exasperated. “Yes?” he drawled, his tone laced with amusement.
“Can you get me out of here?” she pleaded.
In moments, Vaelric was at her side, pulling her free with one hand while holding her axe in the other. Her basket hung neatly over his arm. He smiled at her, his expression softening. “It’s the least I could do. Though, I won’t lie, that was the most amusing thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
Riona couldn’t help it, she laughed, and Vaelric joined in. The tension broke, and for a moment, the awkwardness faded.
She noticed the basket was now filled with firewood. “You didn’t have to do that,” she said, glancing at it in surprise.
“Well, you had enough going on without having to worry about this,” he said, still chuckling softly.
Riona smiled, feeling her earlier frustration melt away. Before she could speak, Vaelric offered, “Can I walk you home? I’ll carry this—you look like you could use some company.”
She hesitated for only a moment before nodding. “Yes… I’d like that.”
They made small talk as they walked, the conversation easy, unhurried. Then Vaelric cleared his throat.
“You know… I understand what it’s like to have a father who’s never satisfied with anything.” He paused, as if weighing his next words. “My father…” his voice trailed off, deep in thought. “He saw everything I did as failure. I was never good enough, and he made sure I knew it. He beat it into me. Every. Damn. Day. He had a bad day? I was the target. He was sad? I was the target. Never a moment’s rest in that fucking house.”
He shook his head, looking at Riona, anger flickering behind his eyes. Riona nodded slowly, She didn’t question how he knew of her father. She assumed that everyone knew who she was by now, it was hard to miss the daughter of the commanding general, and she was sure that he made sure everyone knew who she was. “I’m sorry. Some people were never meant to be parents.”
Without thinking, she reached for his hand, holding it gently. The weight of the moment settled between them, but the conversation flowed easily again, shifting back to lighter things as they walked.
By the time they reached her front door, a slight smile tugged at Riona’s lips. “This is me,” she said, swaying lightly on her feet. “If you’d like to come in for some tea… I don’t have much right now. I just moved in.”
Vaelric responded almost instantly. “It would be a pleasure.”
They stepped inside, and Riona went into the kitchen to find a kettle, rinsing it and filling it with water. Meanwhile, Vaelric examined the small space. His eyeslingered on the empty hearth before he began bundling small pieces of parchment and broken wood. With a fluid motion of his hands, the fire sprang to life, flames licking at the cold air until they crackled and roared, filling the room with warmth. By the time Riona returned with two cups, Vaelric had fed the flames into a steady blaze. She glanced at the small side table and its matching chair, both worn with time. The green and gold paint swirled across them, faded in places where they’d been well loved. Riona sighed. “I suppose we’ll sit on the floor,” she said, setting the cups down before lowering herself in front of the fire.
Vaelric joined her. “Thank you for the tea,” he said, his voice soft as he took in the room. The glow of the fire caught the gold and fiery hues in his eyes, and Riona couldn’t help but stare, losing herself in their swirling depths.
Vaelric noticed her gaze, his own desire growing as he took her in. She was beautiful and powerful, yet there was a vulnerability that tugged at him. But then something else caught his attention, the faint glimmer of gold trimsticking out from Riona’s bag. The firelight reflected off it, and Vaelric’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Riona followed his gaze; it was on the book. She had forgotten about it, forgotten it just long enough for it to make itself known again. Her body tensed, and she shot to her feet. “It’s getting late, and I have training in the morning. Thank you again for everything,” she said, moving toward the door.
Vaelric nodded and rose, setting his empty teacup on the table before meeting her at the threshold. His eyes held hers, and he leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
“Thanks again for the tea. Goodnight, Riona,” he whispered gently before stepping into the shadows and vanishing into the night.
Chapter 51
