Violet
The wind kept blowing, but it no longer cut me like before. It was gentler now, maybe because of the company, maybe because of the silent hope that we wouldn't be found anytime soon. We rode toward the heart of enemy territory, and even after so many days beside Draven, the name of that place still sent chills down my spine. He noticed. He always noticed.
"You're uneasy," he said, without turning his face."We're heading straight into danger. How else should I feel?"He sighed lightly, adjusting the reins."No one will want to get involved in this. The people we're going to see owe me favors. And more than that, nobody wants a war here. No one needs kingdoms in this region—neither Cardan nor Espadaris. Even my kingdom would demand consequences if something happened on this soil."
I nodded, even without fully understanding the underworld's alliance politics. Everything felt so fragile, like thin glass about to crack.
The sun was beginning to set when he veered off into the woods, leaving the main trail."We're not going straight to the merchant?" I asked."Later. I know a village nearby. Simple villagers, but good food. I haven't seen any wanted posters around here. We can rest a bit."
The idea of warm food and a roof was too tempting to refuse. We followed a few winding paths until lights appeared. Small torches lit the entrance to a village hidden among the hills. Smoke rose softly from the chimneys, blending with the cold evening air. Music. The smell of roasted meat and sweet breads. Laughter, instruments being tuned. It didn't feel real.
We dismounted. For a moment, we just stood and watched. Children ran around, adults toasted by the fires. Long tables overflowed with steaming plates. No one looked at us with suspicion. It was as if we were part of some ancient story that deserved rest.
Draven smiled—the kind of smile he rarely showed."Welcome to Wheat Village," he said, as if unveiling a hidden treasure.
We sat near the fire. They served us mushroom soup, meat stewed with sweet root, and a kind of warm wine that heated from the inside. I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten so much. Draven, beside me, seemed different. Relaxed. He made a joke about how fast I drank the wine, comparing me to a thirsty sailor. I teased him back, saying he looked like a hungry bear. We laughed together, and for a moment, I forgot the weight on my shoulders.
A woman with colorful ribbons in her hair approached our table."You two. Come dance."I tried to decline, but she pulled my hand with gentle force."Here, everyone dances. Even those afraid to smile."
I was pulled into the circle. Draven followed shortly behind. Hands guided us, claps marked the rhythm, and our steps intertwined with the other villagers'. Laughter, spins, human warmth. The firelight cast shadows across our faces, but there was light in our eyes. Then, in the middle of a turn, he was there. Standing in front of me.
Our steps slowed. I don't know if it was the music or time itself that stopped. But there we were—eye to eye. Our faces close. The laughter dissolved in the silence of the moment. He held out his hand. I took it. Not like before. This time was different.
Our bodies leaned in. Our foreheads nearly touched. And for a second, our souls bowed. It wasn't a kiss on the lips. It was in the gaze. A silent sealing of something we didn't yet know how to name.
But I turned away. Too quickly. I felt my cheeks burn.
We kept dancing, in a different rhythm, without words.Why did I pull away? Why did I look away? I wanted it. I wanted it with every part of me. But my thoughts screamed. How could I kiss an enemy? How could I allow something that had always been forbidden? My feelings clashed like tide against rock.
But deep down, a part of me already knew.I no longer saw a soldier.I saw the man who had saved me so many times.I saw the man who, even surrounded by shadows, made me feel alive.
And while the circle spun, and the night spilled into songs and drums, I danced. For me. For him. For what could still be.Even if it lasted only that night.Even if the world resumed chasing us at dawn.