"Why so glum this morning?" Aurelius asked, his tone light and teasing as he watched her approach.
Thalia snapped to attention, forcing a smile onto her face. "I'm not glum."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "You look like you're about to face an executioner's block." He paused, studying her face. "Should I be worried that a simple horse ride is inspiring this level of dread?"
Despite everything, despite the weight crushing her chest and the confession waiting like a blade, she felt her lips twitch. The joke was too close to the truth to be funny, but somehow that made her want to laugh anyway. A dark, slightly hysterical laugh that she swallowed down.
Aurelius caught the change in her expression and his smile widened. "There. See? You really can smile. I was starting to th
