Blooming Relations

The alley beside the inn reeked of rotting scraps and stale ale, the midday sun doing little to soften the grim atmosphere. Aeri stood rigid, her sky-blue eyes blazing with a fierceness that could cut through steel. Caelumis faced her, his golden gaze steady. "What do you mean, Miss Aeri?" he began, his voice cautious. "Why would we—"

"I saw it," Aeri cut him off, her words sharp as a blade. "The dead bodies you buried among the trees near the coast."

Caelumis's eyes widened, a flicker of crimson dancing in their depths before fading back to gold. He realised that she'd pieced it together, her sharp mind unraveling the threads he'd thought hidden.

He let out a slow breath, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "One thing's for sure, miss Aeri, neither I nor my nanny ever acted. We hid some things, and we'll keep hiding them, for personal reasons. But we never intended to harm you."

Aeri's heart eased, a sliver of relief breaking through her guarded exterior, but her face remained a mask of defiance. "Why go to such lengths for us?" she pressed, her voice low and edged with suspicion. "I thought it was strange we weren't tracked, despite them knowing I'm hurt. Seems you lied about not being traceable."

Caelumis's smile faded, his expression softening but unyielding. "I understand your suspicions, but that's all I can say for now."

Aeri's eyes flickered, the fierceness giving way to a shadow of fear. "I need to trust you," she said, her voice trembling despite her effort to steady it. "I need to know you had no other intentions when you suggested taking Vol and Borun to the Academy. We're almost at the capital."

Caelumis's gaze softened, reading the fear beneath her words. So that's it, he thought. She thinks my offer to bring Vol and Borun is part of some hidden scheme.

He sighed, the sound heavy with unspoken burdens. "It's true we have no obligation to protect you or hide that we're shielding Lord Borun and young Lord Vol," he said, his voice deliberate, each word chosen with care. "But rest assured, we support Lord Cedric's faction, just like you. I meant it when I said I'm not your enemy."

Aeri's breath caught. He knew...about her, about her brothers, about their ties to Cedric's cause. The realization sank in: he could have ended them during the two days she lay unconscious, helpless in his home. Yet here they were, alive, fed, cared for.

Her suspicions wavered, the weight of his actions clashing with the secrets he still guarded. Why hide his motives? She opened her mouth to press further, but his insistence on silence told her it was futile. For now.

Caelumis scratched the back of his head, his golden eyes sheepish. "Umm… if that's all, I'm starving, haha." As if on cue, his stomach let out a loud, plaintive groan, echoing in the quiet alley like a beast roused from slumber.

Aeri tried to hold back her laughter, her lips pressed tight, but the absurdity of the sound cracked her guard. A smirk escaped, bright and unguarded, cutting through the tension like sunlight through storm clouds.

Caelumis grinned, his awkwardness disarming, and the specter of betrayal retreated, leaving only the hum of the capital and the promise of a meal waiting inside.

The alley's grim stench faded as Aeri's gaze softened, her fierce demeanor melting into something almost maternal as she looked at Caelumis. "Let's head inside then," she said, a smile tugging at her lips, her voice lighter, as if speaking to a younger sibling caught in a harmless fib.

Caelumis nodded, his golden eyes glinting with relief. "Thanks for trusting us, even though we haven't shared much. I truly appreciate it."

Aeri raised an index finger, her smile turning sly. "I didn't say I trust you. But if you're an ally, that's the best-case scenario."

"Of course," Caelumis said, his grin sheepish but genuine, and they turned back toward the inn, the tension between them easing like a knot slowly untying.

Inside, the inn buzzed with the clatter of tankards and the low hum of conversation. Borun and Vol sat at a worn wooden table, their legs swinging impatiently as they beat their small fists on the surface.

The driver, a grizzled man with a weathered cap, sighed heavily. The boys' faces lit up as Aeri and Caelumis entered. "Where've you two been?" Borun demanded, his voice bright with mock indignation. "We're starving!" Vol joined in, thumping the table for emphasis.

The driver rolled his eyes. "You already ordered. Food takes time to prepare."

"We know that, old man!" Borun shot back, puffing out his chest. "Do you think I'm a kid?"

Aeri's voice cut through, sharp and maternal. "Borun."

He dropped his gaze, mumbling, "Sorry…"

The driver glanced at Caelumis, who shrugged with a helpless gesture that said, Kids alright..

Aeri and Caelumis ordered their meals—pottage thick with barley and root vegetables, rye bread with a slab of salted butter, and a shared platter of roasted mutton, the inn's simple but hearty fare typical of a medieval roadside stop.

The food arrived steaming, its savory aroma cutting through the inn's smoky air, and they dug in, the boys' chatter filling the table with life.

Back in the carriage, the mood shifted. Aeri no longer stared out the window, her guard lowered just enough to join the lively atmosphere sparked by Borun and Vol's relentless banter.

They roped Caelumis into their nonsense, asking him if he'd ever fought a dragon or if he could outrun a horse.

His answers came awkwardly, his golden eyes darting as he fumbled for words. Aeri watched, amused, then leaned forward, her tone teasing. "You know, if you're this awkward, making friends at the Academy's gonna be tough."

Caelumis flushed, scratching his neck. "I'm trying, okay?"

"Trying, are you?" Aeri grinned, leaning closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Haa? What's that, a half-hearted mumble? You call that effort?"

"Hey, I'm really trying!" Caelumis protested, his voice rising with mock indignation, his cheeks reddening as he waved his hands defensively.

"Oh, sure," Aeri teased, her grin widening. "you are just scared of talking to anyone who doesn't swing a sword."

Caelumis groaned, slumping back in his seat. "Cut it out! It's not my fault I had to talk to a girl this cute!"

The carriage fell silent, the air suddenly thick. Aeri froze, her eyes wide, her face blooming crimson. Caelumis's own face, after a second, matched hers, his golden eyes darting to the window as if escape lay beyond the glass. Vol tilted his head, confused, his small brows furrowing at the frozen adults.

Aeri cleared her throat, her voice unsteady but trying for nonchalance. "Well… you'd better get used to it. There'll be plenty of classmates like that at the Academy."

Caelumis nodded, still flustered, his voice barely above a mumble. "True."

Aeri's lip twitched, her eyes narrowing playfully. "True? Did you just say true? Implying there are tons of cuter people?"

Caelumis stiffened, his hands flailing. "No, no, I just said that casually!" he stammered, his voice cracking under her teasing assault.

Borun, ever the hero, leaped to his feet, his red scarf fluttering like a cape in an imaginary breeze. "You said my sister's not cute?" he declared, pointing at Caelumis like a judge delivering a verdict. "This sinner needs to be punished!"

Vol joined in, his small fists swinging as he and Borun launched a clumsy attack on Caelumis, who laughed despite himself, fending off their blows with exaggerated care. "Hey, that hurts!" he chuckled, dodging a particularly enthusiastic punch from Vol.

Aeri sighed, her smile soft as she leaned back, her gaze drifting to the window. The green fields outside had given way to the capital's towering buildings, their stone facades rising like sentinels under the late afternoon sun.

They'd made it. The carriage rolled to a stop three kilometers from the Academy, the driver calling out, "This is the closest inn with rooms available. Any nearer, and you'd be sleeping in the street."

Aeri and Caelumis nodded, thanking the driver as he tipped his cap and drove off.

They entered the inn, its common room bustling with travelers and the scent of ale and stew. Caelumis approached the innkeeper, requesting three rooms, but Aeri cut in, her voice firm. "Two is enough. Borun and Vol can't sleep alone."

Caelumis glanced at her, then nodded, securing two rooms. The innkeeper handed over the keys, and they turned in for the night, the weight of the Academy's entrance test looming like a storm on the horizon.

Aeri lay in her bed, Borun and Vol's soft breaths beside her, but sleep eluded her. The memory of Caelumis's crimson eyes and the buried bodies lingered, a whisper of secrets that kept her heart racing in the dark.