-LILIAN-
I almost laughed. "A witch? No, Elara. No spell. Just… a lot of trouble."
"But he still chose you," she said, her voice full of wonder. "Even after all that."
"Yes," I said slowly, looking out the window at the distant, icy-blue forest. "He did. And I'm still trying to understand why."
Elara nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe… maybe he just saw how strong you are. And how kind." She glanced at me. "You were kind to me, and no one else was."
Her simple words hit me harder than any of Alexander's complicated reasons. Maybe it wasn't about power or ancient bonds for everyone. Maybe it was just about seeing a person.
The afternoon wore on. Elara helped me tidy up some of the scrolls on a nearby table. We talked about simple things: the castle's confusing layout, the changing weather, t
