Aire walked through the corridor back to her room numb.

Servants bowed as she passed. She did not acknowledge any of it. Her body moved, but her mind did not.

The words still echoed in her head.

’Illegitimate.’ ’Whoring maid.’

Her fingers curled slightly against the fabric of her gown. She didn’t remember when she started holding it so tightly.

Her steps didn’t falter. She simply... kept moving until she reached her door.

It opened before she could touch it.

A servant stepped aside immediately after opening it, and Aire walked in. The door closed behind her with a soft click.

The world outside disappeared in the quietness of the room. Aire stood there for a moment, thinking.

Her shoulders dropped slowly. Her inside had finally loosened just enough to breathe.

She walked further in. Each step slower than the last. The weight in her chest didn’t lift. It settled into her deeper and deeper with each step.

She reached the edge of the bed and sat down carefully. Her hands rested on her lap, still thinking.

Her gaze dropped to them. Her hands looked steady, normal and unchanged. Yet they didn’t feel like hers, just like every other thing in this world.

"They always said it quietly." She murmured, as if recollecting. "They never called her a whole to my face." she murmured.

Her eyes had a far off look, as tears polled in her eyes. "No one ever said it like that before." Her lips pressed together. A breath left her slowly.

She leaned forward slightly, with her elbows resting against her thighs. Her head bowed in defeat.

The room stayed silent.

Time passed. She didn’t know how much time passed as she stayed that way. She didn’t care until the door opened.

She didn’t bother to look up, expecting it to be Madam, or one of the maids.

Alaric stepped in. He didn’t speak immediately. He looked around the room after finding her on her bed.

He closed the door behind him quietly. The sound was softer than before. He was careful not to disturb something fragile.

His chest tightened at the sight of her. He moved toward her slowly.

"Aire." He called her softly.

She didn’t respond, though her shoulders shifted slightly. That was enough response for him at the moment.

He stopped a few steps in front of her.

"I’m sorry."

Aire stayed quiet, and the words settled between them.

Aire blinked, clearing her foggy eyes. Her gaze lifted slowly as her eyes met his. Her eyes were extremely tired to her soul when she looked at him.

"You didn’t say anything," she murmured. Her voice was soft, but didn’t lose the exhaustion behind them.

"I’m sorry." Alaric held her gaze. "I should have."

"I didn’t think he would go that far," he added quietly. "And when he did... I was too busy trying not to make it worse."

Aire studied him. "You don’t seem like someone who holds back." She said, pressing on how hurt him keeping silent had hurt her.

A faint breath left him. "I don’t," he admitted. "Not usually." His gaze softened. "But you’re not something I want to handle... roughly."

That made something shift in her expression. The shift was barely there, but it was there.

Aire looked down again. Her fingers moved slightly against her gown. "He said it like it was... truth," she whispered. "I don’t know my mother, but I believe she wasn’t just a whore. She might have shared something with my dad."

Alaric stepped closer. He lowered himself in front of her slowly. He did not kneel, but he was close enough to meet her where she was.

His gaze lifted to her face. "It’s not true."

Aire didn’t look convinced.

"It felt like it," she said quietly.

His hand moved. He didn’t grab hers. He simply... placed his hand over hers, and tangled his other hand into her soft locks of silver hair.

Aire stilled. The contact was soft. The spark came again, gentle and familiar. Warmth spread through her fingers, up her arm, into her chest.

Her breath hitched slightly. The spark tickled her. Unabled to act unbothered, she ended up laughing.

Her laugh came out soft and surprised.

Alaric blinked, then smiled. His smile was unrestrained. "There it is," he murmured.

Aire shook her head faintly, still smiling. "That keeps happening. It’s ticklish now." She said between her smiles.

"I’m not complaining."

"Neither am I."

Her fingers shifted slightly beneath his. She adjusted the hold, and intertwined their fingers together.

The warmth lingered.

Alaric ruffled her hair with a smile. "You’re so perfect," he admitted before he would stop the words from leaving his lips.

Aire swallowed. She lifted her hand, and used her finger to trace his sharp jawline. Aire’s fingers lingered against his jaw a moment longer than she intended.

The warmth beneath her touch was steady.

Her thumb brushed lightly against the edge of his jaw, almost absentmindedly, as if she needed to remind herself he was actually there.

Alaric didn’t move. He didn’t lean into it either. He simply let her.

His eyes stayed on her face, softer now, and watching every small shift in her expression. It mattered more than anything else in the room.

Aire’s breathing steadied.

"You shouldn’t say things like that," she murmured after a moment, her voice quieter now, but no longer as fragile as before.

Alaric tilted his head slightly. "Like what?"

Her fingers paused, still resting against him. "That I’m perfect."

A faint breath left him. "Why not?"

Aire’s lips pressed together slightly. Her gaze dropped to where their hands were still intertwined.

"I’m not," she said simply. She said it lie it was a simple fact.

Alaric watched her. Then, very gently, he shifted his grip on her hand, tightening it just slightly.

"You are," he said firmly.

Aire shook her head faintly. "You don’t know me enough to say that."

"I know enough," he replied.

Her eyes lifted to his again.

He held her gaze, unwavering.

"I know how you look at people who are afraid," he continued quietly. "I know how you speak when you think no one is listening. I’ll be lying if I say I don’t pay attention to you."

His thumb brushed lightly against the back of her hand.

"I know you didn’t deserve a single word he said."

Aire inhaled slowly. "You didn’t stop him," she said again, but this time, not like an accusation.

She was simply still trying to understand.

Alaric didn’t look away. "I wanted to," he admitted, searching her eyes. "The moment he opened his mouth."

His jaw tightened slightly at the memory.

"But Nate was already moving," he added. "And if I had stepped in too... it wouldn’t have ended with words."

Aire studied him quietly.

"You would have fought him," she said.

"No. I would have had his tongue for that." The answer came without hesitation.

Her brows pulled together slightly. "In front of everyone?" she knew he meant what he had just said.

"Yes."

Aire exhaled softly, almost like she didn’t know what to do with that answer. "You’re reckless," she murmured.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Only when it matters."

Aire huffed softly, a quiet sound that almost resembled a laugh.

Her fingers shifted slightly in his again, adjusting, like she was getting comfortable with the contact instead of questioning it.

"I didn’t know it would hurt like that," she said after a while.

Alaric didn’t interrupt.

"They’ve said things before," she continued quietly. "Whispers." Her gaze drifted slightly, unfocused. "But today..." her fingers tightened slightly around his, "it felt like he wanted me to hear it."

Alaric’s expression hardened just slightly.

"He did."

Aire nodded faintly. "I think that’s what made it worse," she admitted.

Her voice didn’t break.

Alaric’s hand lifted from hers slowly. For a second, she thought he was letting go. But instead, his fingers moved to her chin, gently guiding her face back toward him.

"Look at me," he said softly.

Aire did.

His gaze held hers, steady and certain.

"You are not what he called you," Alaric said.

Aire swallowed.

Her eyes searched his. "And what am I?" she asked quietly. She didn’t know how much she needed that validation until this second.

Alaric didn’t answer immediately. His thumb brushed lightly against her chin before his hand dropped back down.

"You’re Aire," he added, quieter now, "you’re exactly what this place needs... and they hate that it didn’t come from them."

That made her pause. Her eyes searched his again, deeper this time.

"You really believe that," she said softly.

"I do."

The certainty in his voice didn’t waver.

Aire looked down again. Her fingers loosened slightly in his before tightening again, like she had decided something without saying it out loud.

"You’re strange," she murmured.

Alaric let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "I’ve been told."

Aire’s lips curved faintly.

Then, after a moment, she shifted slightly on the bed, making space beside her.

Alaric noticed. He moved, and sat beside her. He didn’t sit too close, or too far.

Aire exhaled softly.

The silence returned again. Her shoulder brushed lightly against his. The contact was small, and accidental.

The spark came again, stronger this time.

Aire let out a quiet laugh, surprised again. "There it is."

Alaric smiled, glancing at her. "You’re getting used to it."

"Not really," she said, shaking her head faintly. "It just... surprises me less."

"That’s progress."

Aire hummed softly in agreement. Her head tilted slightly. Without overthinking it, she leaned into him. She rested slightly against his shoulder.

Alaric stilled for a fraction of a second, then relaxed into it. His shoulder adjusted just enough to make it more comfortable for her.

"I need something," she said. "I need some maids to bring some books from the library into my chamber if that’s okay by you."

Alaric fingers twisted to hold hers, but he didn’t. "You didn’t need to ask that. It’s all yours."

Aire smiled. Her breathing evened out slowly. The tightness in her chest eased, piece by piece, and the noise in her head quieted.

Alaric’s hand moved again, slower this time.

He didn’t take hers again. He simply let his fingers rest lightly against the back of her hand where it lay beside her.

Aire let her fingers shift slightly, then rest against his. The contact was light yet intentional.