Aria's POV
Elara had finally, blessedly, settled into a predictable evening sleep schedule, which meant Damien and I had begun rediscovering the particular luxury of unhurried evenings together — small ones, mostly, tucked into the ordinary rhythm of our days rather than elaborate escapes like the cabin or the great hall.
Tonight, it was simply the bath.
The private chamber attached to our rooms had always felt more functional than indulgent — until Damien filled it, unprompted, with warm water and the particular fragrant oils I favored, candles scattered around the room's edges casting soft, flickering light across the water's surface.
"You did all this?" I asked, genuinely surprised, finding him waiting when I finally slipped free of the evening's paperwork.
"I did." He crossed to m
