03/01- Mal's a Therapist.

Lucian exhaled deeply, his fingers running through his dark hair as he stared at the horizon. Mal's question lingered in the air, pressing into him in a way that forced him to acknowledge emotions he had spent so long trying to bury.

"I feel loved," Lucian admitted, his voice quieter than usual. "And… comfortable." The words felt strange on his tongue, almost too vulnerable, but they were true. Aeliana made him feel at ease, something he rarely experienced. With her, he didn't have to be the perfect prince or the hardened warrior. He could just be Lucian.

Mal nodded, watching him carefully. "That's not something you find easily," he pointed out. "Nor is it something you should take lightly."