Veils Of Illusion

Sheltered Secreta

They were no longer kids, but adults engaged to other people. The thought of their fiancés seeing them in this position gnawed at them. “It's a little... awkward,” Chris whispered in a low voice.

“Yeah,” Ella breathed, her face pressed against his chest. “I feel warm now; I'm no longer freezing.” Chris gave a nervous chuckle and held her closer. After a moment of silence, Ella broke it with a soft laugh.

“You’ve bulked up, haven't you?” Ella teased, lightly tapping his chest. “These muscles are not from the scrawny bestie I remember.” She looked up at him with a pout, and Chris rolled his eyes. Ella chuckled and poked his cheeks. “Do you always blush?” The color on his cheeks deepened as he turned his face away from her.

“Glad to know my hard work’s appreciated.” He avoided her last question, but Ella wasn’t one to let things go easily. “I don't feel comfortable enough,” she said, letting out a cough and wincing. Chris immediately fixed his posture and helped her feel more at ease. Ella turned around and placed her ear on the left side of his chest. She could feel his heart racing at an unsteady pace.

“Your heart is beating so fast,” she whispered, pressing her hands against his chest. Chris said nothing but held her closer. “Are you nervous about something?” This time her words were serious, and silence settled over them as he took his time to respond. “Are we getting married?” Ella frowned and looked up at him, confused. “Of course we are, that’s why we’re in this situation.” She sat up to face him, and Chris ran his hands through his hair, gazing at his childhood best friend.

“Is it right? Are we happy with them?” His words stirred an unfamiliar feeling within her. The truth was that neither of them knew if it was the right decision or what would be best. But one thing was certain: they were engaged, and there was no going back. “I don't know. Evans is also my best friend. He’s the only person who can understand me, the only person I can truly be myself with.” Ella took a deep breath and met his gaze. “But will I get the love I want from him? I don't know.” They held eye contact, and reality began to set in. Chris nodded in understanding and decided to speak his mind.

“Granny Odette betrothed Clara to me. The four of us grew up together, and she believed that growing up together would make us fall in love.” Ella listened attentively as he sighed and continued. “I don’t want to break their hearts. My grandma has hopes for both of us, and Clara is clearly in love with me. I'm stuck,” Chris said in frustration. “She wants Clara to be queen; she believes Clara is the right person to rule the kingdom with me. What about my happiness? Do they even care?”

Ella held his hands, feeling his pain—the pain of being told what to do instead of being asked what he wanted. “But Chris, both of you are perfect for each other. The happiness you are looking for might be with her.” Chris looked at Ella and smiled, but his smile was filled with sadness and felt forced. “She deserves someone who can make her happy, not someone who feels forced to marry her,” he replied as Ella watched a droplet of water on his neck.

“It’s too late to go back now, Chris; everything is set, and you both will get married.” Ella’s words brought him back to reality. “But I'm in love with someone else,” Chris admitted, and Ella gasped. A grin spread wide on her face as she looked at him with excitement, raising her brows. “Who is she?” Instead of answering, he pulled her back into his arms and held her close. “She’s someone you shouldn’t think about. After all, she is also getting married.”

Ella was silent for a moment before holding his hands and speaking in a disappointed voice. “Oh, that's bad. Does she know?” Chris appeared lost in thought and rested his chin on her head. “No, she doesn’t. Enough with the questions. Let’s get some sleep because we have to wake up early to change tents, remember?” Ella nodded and let go, knowing Chris was hurting and feeling helpless to ease his pain.

They held each other close in silence, both lost in thought, knowing that no words were needed. The silence alone spoke volumes.

On the other side of the clearing, the dim light of the lantern flickered, casting nervous shadows as Clara huddled in a corner, her face tight with frustration. “This is ridiculous. Why didn't we plan this before the weather?” Clara pulled her jacket tighter. Evans sat cross-legged across from her, his clothes still damp from the rain. “It’s not like we can control the weather. A storm like this wasn’t expected,” he replied honestly. Clara shot him a sharp glance and let out a frustrated sigh. “This isn’t just about the storm,” she said, flinging her hands and rubbing her forehead.

“I’m talking about Ella and Chris.” Evans let out a deep sigh and ran his hands through his hair. “Clara, it’s none of our fault,” he said softly, but Clara was in no mood to listen. “They are stuck in a tent together, and in rainy weather,” her voice was filled with suspicion. Those words stirred something inside him, and he wasn’t ready to admit it out loud, but it troubled him too. “It's not like they're doing it on purpose,” he paused in his attempt to dry off. “The storm got worse, and you know how that can affect Ella.” He raised his eyebrows and continued to dry off.

“I’m well aware of that, but—” Clara said again, though the anxiety in her voice didn’t wane. “But what?” Evans asked, taking off his jacket and putting it aside. “Both of them alone in a tent. It feels so wrong,” Clara replied uncertainly.

“Clara, they’ve known each other forever. They are practically siblings. Chris won’t do anything—just trust him,” Evans leaned back and closed his eyes. Her voice softened for a moment. “I know, but they both have this connection. They’ve always had it. I don’t think they are even aware of it, but it’s there.”

Evans stayed silent for a second as she stared at the flickering lantern. “Yeah,” he finally admitted quietly. “They do share a connection that we will never understand.” Clara looked at him, her expression softened a little but still conflicted.

“Do you think it’s something we should worry about?” Evans shook his head, raising his eyebrows. “They are no longer kids. There’s nothing to worry about.” Clara nodded and stared out through the tent window, looking lost in thought. With a tight smile on her face, she asked in a sad voice, “Do you think Chris loves me?”

Evans didn’t answer immediately; he just stared at her for a moment before whispering, “Sometimes we ignore things that are already clear to us.” He smiled at her as the lantern light reflected in his eyes. His gaze shifted back to the lantern. “Not everybody wants to face reality. We just believe the lies we tell ourselves to feel better. But we know what the truth is.” He gently pulled his shirt back on as the tent grew chilly. “Some things aren’t worth thinking about.” With that last sentence, he closed his eyes to rest.

“Good night, Clara,” he said. His words echoed in her head. She gazed at his sleeping face, and no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that those words weren’t meant for her, her heart disagreed. “Good night,” she whispered in a low voice before settling down to rest for the night. One thing she kept hoping for was that she and Chris would always be together. With that thought, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

After a restless night, with heavy rain pounding the earth until dawn and leaving a damp chill in the air, both Evans and Clara trudged toward the tent where Ella and Chris had taken shelter for the entire night. They struggled with their boots as they sank into the mud, and the tension between them lingered even though the sky had cleared.

As they approached the tent, Clara's unease grew; she had a spontaneous feeling that something wasn’t right. The moment they reached the tent, they both hesitated. Evans gently unzipped the tent slowly, his eyes meeting Clara’s before stepping in. Clara took a deep breath to calm herself, and as soon as she stepped in, everything around her froze. Her hand flew to her chest, and her eyes widened as she stared at the scene before her. Chris, her fiancé, was sitting on the floor with his bare chest exposed. Ella was curled into him, her body limp and barely covered by a bra. Her face was pressed against his chest, and the scene looked too intimate—too close for Clara's comfort.

Clara’s breath hitched at the sight, and shock quickly transformed into fury. “What the actual hell is going on here?” Her voice was sharp, cutting through the stillness of the early morning. What surprised them more was that Ella didn’t stir or move; she just lay there unresponsive. Chris, however, was jolted at Clara’s voice and looked around for a moment before spotting his elder brother and Clara.

“Oh, sorry, got tired last night,” he said, blinking multiple times to clear his vision. “You don't need to wake her up; just carry her to your tent before the others get here.” Chris pointed at Ella, but his brother made no move to pick up his fiancée. “I told you, but you trust your fiancée so much that you can't see anything,” Clara mocked Evans, who had his gaze stuck on Ella, her pale skin half-naked in his younger brother's arms.

“Come on, Clara, it’s not what you think,” Chris said, looking down at Ella and giving her a gentle shake.

“Ella, wake up.” He shook her again, but there was no reaction. He frowned and tried again. “Ella, come on, this is not the time for pranks.” The worry began to take over his features as he looked up at them. “I ask you a damn question—what the hell happened between you two last night?” Clara's voice grew louder. Chris looked up at her without answering, taking his time as he gently turned Ella to face him. Her eyes were still closed, and her breathing was slow. He pressed his fingers close to her nose to feel her breath.