The storm had passed.
For the first time in days, the chamber was quiet. Not the suffocating silence of fear—but one filled with soft breaths and warmth. The curtains stirred gently with the breeze, moonlight spilling like silver threads across the bed.
Valen lay with Seraphine curled in his arms, her head resting just below his chin. His fingers traced absent patterns down her spine, memorizing every curve, every breath she took, as though afraid they’d disappear.
And she breathed.
Gently. Rhythmically.
It was all he could ask for. All he needed.
He didn’t speak. Neither did she.
Words would’ve broken the fragile peace they’d found in each other’s arms. For a brief moment in their war-stained lives, the world outside didn’t matter. There was no kingdom. No curse. No blood. Just th
