“Anyone in particular I should be prepared to face in battle, m’lady?”
I shake my head, smiling—exactly the light I need when dark thoughts tug.
“Not today,” I reply. “I guess I’m just… settling in, maybe?” Anything more would say too much, though the words are true enough.
“So it’s true.” He leans in, curiosity bright in his eyes, maybe a hint of skepticism. “You’re staying?”
“Word travels fast.” I chuff, pressing my fingertips into the rigid corner of a book, as if the sharp edge could quiet the pressure in my chest.
“Not like that,” he assures me. “Vale—he’s been… busy.”
My shoulders drop along with my walls. “He’s always busy, is he not?” I ask, slow and cautious, coaxing out what Ace isn’t telling me.
Hands raised in mock surrender, he shakes his head. “All I can say is—” His eyes meet mine. “—he’s really happy with you here.”
The words wash over me. I wish it could be that simple—just being happy. I draw a slow breath, filling my lungs and holding it with the same steadiness I’m trying to summon inside. I sit, staring down at the books.
For hours I search for that familiar ease the library once gave me. Pages blur, words lose meaning, unrest stirs. I close the heavy tome, fingers tracing its worn leather cover as I gather the courage to speak, the fear gnawing at me.
“Is there a place for me here?” My brow furrows as the question escapes. “Truly? Not as a guest but…” Courage falters. His. Why can’t I say it? Why can’t I believe it?
Ace considers, not rushing to placate me but granting my fear the space it deserves.
“No.” One word—and my heart sinks. He doesn’t move to soothe me; each word that follows is deliberate. “Not yet, at least. But if anyone could make a place—for you, for what I see you two share—it’s him.”
Ace leans back in his chair, boots heavy on the empty seat between us.
“He didn’t go to war the way others did. By the time he was fighting battles, the world had already changed. Make no mistakethough, he has a warrior’s heart—fierce and loyal. I’ve seen him, through diplomacy and sword alike, take up arms and always come out the winner.”
His feet find the floor again as he leans toward me, hand over mine the way he does when he wants to be sure I’m not just listening but hearing.
“Don’t underestimate him.”
I nod, eyes lowering to the table, unable to meet the moment fully.
“I won’t presume to know exactly what you two have,” he says, voice gentler now, “but I know Vale. I’ve known him centuries. And I’ve never heard him speak of anyone the way he speaks of you. You can trust him.”
The assurance means much; Ace’s friendship even more.
“It won’t be easy, will it?” I finally lift my eyes to his.
“Probably not,” he chuckles, cracking through the heaviness. “But you’re not alone in this. We’ve got you.” His elbow nudges me, the gesture grounding as laughter softens the air again.
I leave the library without summons, wandering the common halls. Faces mill around me. I try to be just one among them, and to some, that is all I am. Caught up in their own stories, they pay little regard to me. It’s the few though—the ones whose eyes linger, who lean in to whisper—that unnerve me.
I lift my chin, holding my head higher than I did even in the village, where I first learned how to fortify my will.
No. Not like this.
I soften. This isn’t the village. Yes, I am an outsider here—but what of it?
My heels strike the stone floor with a new steadiness. Determined. Strong.
I smile at anyone who looks my way.
I have found something here that means too much to let fear drive me away. A long, steady breath, and my smile widens. I can do this.
I focus on the good—the smiles that return mine with genuine kindness. Each time I feel a cutting glance, I give a nod as I smile. It almost becomes a game—one I’m determined to win.
