51: "WHEN DID YOU STOP BEING MY CAPTOR?"

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The air was thick with the scent of evening jasmine, the gardens bathed in a soft silver glow beneath the moonlight. The palace grounds, once a place of cold detachment and whispered resentment, had become a sanctuary of something a lot softer for Zara, something she never thought she would find here. 

She walked beside Alaric, her fingers lightly tracing the delicate embroidery of her gown as the cool night breeze swept through the trees. The stillness of the evening wrapped around them like a cocoon, isolating them from the rest of the world. For once, there was no weight of war, betrayal, or pain pressing down on her. Just this moment. Just him. 

Alaric, ever watchful, walked with his hands loosely clasped behind his back. His steps were slow, deliberate, as if savoring the quiet as much as she was. 

He broke the silence first. "You're smiling again." 

Zara turned her head to glance at him, arching a brow. "Am I?"