My tortured Luna

Chapter 20

Sages POV

The next morning began exactly the same.

Three quiet knocks.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

By the time I reached the door, I already knew who would be standing on the other side. When I opened it, Valens greeted me with the same small smile he always wore in the mornings, a wooden tray balanced carefully in one hand.

"Good morning, Sage." His voice was as calm as it always was, never too loud, never demanding more than I was ready to give.

"Good morning." I stepped aside, and just like every morning before, he waited until I had invited him in before crossing the doorway.

The words became a routine almost without either of us noticing.

So did everything else.

Every morning he arrived at the same time.

Every morning he knocked three times.

Every morning he waited.

He never opened the door himself.

Never assumed I wanted company.

Never stepped inside until I invited him.

It was such a small thing.

But somehow...

It became the safest part of my day. The breakfasts changed every morning. Some days there were grapes. Other days fresh peaches or slices of watermelon that were still cold from the kitchen. Once there were tiny tomatoes that Penny insisted tasted better with salt, although neither of us entirely agreed with her.

One morning, I frowned at something golden resting neatly beside the toast. The pastry looked unlike anything I had ever seen, layers upon layers of flaky dough surrounding a pale vanilla filling dusted lightly with powdered sugar. I looked from it to Valens.

"What is it?" I turned it carefully between my fingers, watching a few delicate flakes fall onto the plate.

"A Danish pastry." A faint smile touched his lips as he reached for his tea. I tilted my head.

"...Is it Danish?" I wasn't entirely sure if I was asking about the pastry or the name. His smile grew just enough for me to notice.

"I've been told no one really knows." He took a sip of his tea, sounding almost amused by the mystery himself. I looked back at the pastry.

"That seems confusing." I carefully broke off a small piece before bringing it to my mouth.

"It probably is." His shoulders lifted ever so slightly. The crisp layers crumbled between my fingers before melting the moment I tasted them. I blinked, searching for the right word.

"It's..." I hesitated for a second before looking back at him. "...really good."

"I'm glad." That was all he said before returning his attention to his breakfast. Nothing more. He never watched me expectantly. Never asked if I liked something over and over again. He simply noticed. The next morning there wasn't another Danish pastry. Instead, he'd brought fresh fruit, warm toast and a small bowl of yoghurt with honey.

I realised then...

He wasn't trying to spoil me.

He was paying attention.

The mornings blurred gently into one another.

Some days we talked.

Some days we spent half an hour sitting together in complete silence while the palace slowly woke around us.

I found that I didn't mind either.

His presence no longer felt unfamiliar.

It didn't fill the room.

It didn't demand my attention.

It simply...

Settled around me. Like sunlight through a window.Warm enough to notice.Gentle enough to forget it was there until it disappeared. One morning he told me about the palace gardens in spring, when thousands of flowers bloomed all at once. Another day he explained why the guards changed shifts before sunrise, saying the quietest hours of the morning were often the most dangerous.

Sometimes he spoke about Jayden.

Apparently he had an impressive talent for getting lost inside the palace despite having lived there most of his life. I laughed quietly at the image.

"It happens more often than he'd like anyone to know." Valens smiled into his tea before taking another sip, sounding almost apologetic on Jayden's behalf.

Another morning, he told me about Valeria.

"When she was twelve, she climbed onto the roof because she wanted to watch the meteor shower." Affection softened his expression before he'd even finished the sentence.

I looked up.

"Did she get into trouble?" I already suspected I knew the answer.

"Oh, yes." A quiet chuckle escaped him. "Quite a lot."

"What happened?" I rested my elbows lightly on the table, suddenly invested in the story.

"The entire palace searched for her for hours." He shook his head at the memory. I couldn't help smiling.

"And?" I prompted when he didn't continue straight away.

"We eventually found her asleep on the roof." His smile widened just enough for me to picture the scene. A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. It wasn't loud, just enough to make my shoulders shake once. Valens didn't laugh. He simply watched me for a second longer than usual before lowering his eyes to his cup again. A comfortable silence settled between us once more. It was during one of those quiet mornings that I found myself asking a question I hadn't planned.

"What was your mother like?" The words slipped out softly as I traced the rim of my cup with my fingertip. His hand paused around the porcelain. For a moment, I wondered if I'd made a mistake. Then his expression softened.

"She laughed." His eyes drifted towards the window, and I realised he wasn't seeing the gardens anymore. I waited.

"A lot?" I asked quietly, not wanting to interrupt whatever memory had found him. He nodded.

"Every single day." The corner of his mouth lifted. "She believed every problem in the world could wait until after breakfast."

I smiled.

"I think I would've liked her." The words came easily, surprising even me.

He looked back at me. For a long moment, he didn't answer. Then he smiled.

"I think she would've liked you too." There wasn't a trace of hesitation in his voice. Warmth spread across my cheeks. I lowered my eyes to the table, suddenly fascinated by the pattern in the wood. Neither of us spoke again for a while. He never told me how she died. I never asked. Some losses didn't need to be opened just because they existed. Just as he never asked me about Jack. Or the arena. Or the scars that covered my body. He never asked why I sometimes stared at the door for too long. Or why I still folded every blanket perfectly before leaving the bed. He simply accepted whatever pieces of my past I chose to place in front of him.

Perhaps that was why...

I slowly found myself giving him more.

"I used to hide bread." The confession slipped out one morning while I spread honey across my toast. Valens looked up. He didn't interrupt.

"I never knew when I'd eat again." I kept my eyes on the knife in my hand as I spoke. "So I'd hide pieces under my mattress." A small smile found its way onto my lips.

"They always went stale."

"I imagine they did." A quiet smile appeared on his face, gentle enough that it didn't make me feel embarrassed.

"I still catch myself thinking about it sometimes." I shrugged almost apologetically before realising what I was doing.

"I know." His answer was so calm that it made me look up.

"You do?" I searched his face, wondering how he could possibly know. He nodded.

"I've noticed you always leave a little food on your plate." There was no judgement in his voice. Only quiet observation. Embarrassment flickered through me.

"I'm sor—" The word stopped before it was finished. His eyes met mine. A small smile appeared between us. Neither of us said the word. Neither of us needed to. For the first time... I hadn't apologised. Something warm settled quietly inside my chest. When breakfast was over, Valens stood and gathered the empty dishes before carrying the tray to the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He looked at me as he said it, the certainty in his voice leaving no room for doubt. There was no uncertainty. No promise he wasn't sure he could keep. Just quiet certainty. I watched him leave before closing the door behind him. The room felt a little quieter than it had a moment before. Not lonely. Just...

Missing something. I looked towards the door for a second longer than necessary before turning back towards the window. Somewhere along the way... Without even noticing when it had happened... I'd stopped looking forward to breakfast. And started looking forward...

To him.