Eryndor
Darius laughs like he remembers Aria before the world became heavy.
That is the first thing I notice.
Not the old wolf laws. Not the storm outside. Not the ancient records spread across Cassian’s strategy table describing how the first bond collapsed beneath kingdom pressure.
No.
It is the sound of Aria laughing softly at something Darius says while thunder rattles the palace windows hard enough to shake the
room.
Gods. I almost forgot she could sound like that.
Warmth spreads lazily through the chamber like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. Balanced. Comfortable. Safe. And
somehow, that unsettles me more than political conspiracies. Because the bond reacts to Darius naturally. Not possessively. Not
defensively. Naturally.
Interesting. Very emotionally catastrop
