Chapter 120: Our Unshared Past
>>Aelin
Draegon’s expression softened at my question. Not with pity though but with a steady sort of warmth. Like embers that had been quietly glowing this whole time, now gently fanning into flame.
He reached for my hand, his touch light, deliberate. His voice was quieter than before, as if he didn’t want to break the moment. "Aelin," he said, "nothing in my heart or mind has changed because of that."
!!!
The words settled over me like a balm I hadn’t known I needed.
A soft breeze floated in from the open window behind us, rustling the curtains, lifting the strands of hair that had fallen around my face. I didn’t move, only looked at him, like he was the only man in the world. His face bathed in morning light, his jewel purple eyes catching the sun, like something out of a dream I never thought I deserved.
Our gazes held. No pressure. No force. Just something shared in silence.
"But..." I found myself saying, almost breathless, "doesn’t it... doesn’t it make me seem small? That you—married the unwanted daughter?"
He chuckled softly, and the sound wrapped around me like the sun’s warmth. His smile—quiet, genuine—crinkled the corners of his eyes. "And what is there to worry about in that?" he asked, still holding my hand. "You know, Aelin, I’m not exactly the crown jewel of my family either."
I blinked at him, unsure what he meant.
He went on, his voice still that same warm, steady rhythm. "Maybe no one here says it aloud anymore, but everyone in this kingdom knows the former Queen didn’t care much for me." He glanced out the window briefly, like he was watching ghosts dance in the wind. "Didn’t want a son from a concubine her husband had an affair with."