There was also a hand-written letter. Noticeably, Helio's.
It was tucked into the front sleeve, reading:
"Seraphina used her pages to record the past and keep her secrets safe. These pages are for you to write your own future—on your own terms, at your own pace. No duties, no expectations. Just whatever you want to remember."
She opened her mouth, then shut it again. It felt... Relieving.
Aefia traced the engravings along the pen—the fox tail, the ice crystal, the clock hand twined with petals, and her own flame-winged butterfly.
"Felix..." Her voice caught slightly. "Did you..."
"Helio came up with the idea," Felix said, leaning back against the watchtower railing. "I just made sure the craftsman didn't mess up the details. Nada spent half an hour describing the ice crystal, and your dad nearly froze the jeweler's clock over the flower."
Aefia let out a quiet laugh. "No. Really?"
"What else? You think I would make that up?"
She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye.
"So? How do you like it?" Felix asked.
"A lot..." She stood up, wrapping her good arm around him. "Thank you both."
Felix stood frozen for a second before hugging her back with a bright grin. "Easy there, Sovereign. If I knew a notebook would break down your walls this easily, I would have gotten one months ago."
She swatted his hand away with a faint chuckle. "Don't push it. The hug was a limited-time offer."
"Taking it as a win anyway," Felix laughed, backing toward the stairs. "You two have a week off. Don't check in with anyone." He waved and headed down into the evening breeze.
Silence settled over the tower again.
"So..." Helio whispered, catching her wrist and pulling her back down onto the blanket. "A lot, really?"
"Shut up," she murmured, settling beside him. The red butterfly earrings swayed in the lantern light.
Helio smirked. "I've seen you fight rogue magic users without blinking, but a pen almost brought you to tears."
"It was the whole combination," she grumbled, her lips twitching upward. "And my father threatening a jeweler."
"Oh, he was terrifying," Helio chuckled, resting his arm along the back of the bench.
Aefia looked down at the letter in her lap, then at the blank journal.
Helio reached over, slipping his fingers through hers. "You know? I was planning giving you something better. But it seems you are already full. Then I am preserving it for the next year."
"What?"
"I am just stating facts you know..."
She stared at him for a quiet moment, then leaned her head against his shoulder with a long, peaceful breath.
"You are weird. And honestly, I still don't know why I like you for it."
"I know right... Maybe because your stressful mind needs something strange to keep it from collapsing."
"Still weird..."
He rolled his eyes. "At least we match each other's freak... Remember when we first came here? On the third day... You tossed the entire cafeteria around."
She smiled. "Well... Yeah... You are right about that."
"And you used to call me sunny guy because of my name and hair."
"Because you were as annoying as the morning sun."
"Then you tried to kick me out of my room..."
"...That was for a reason." She looked up at him.
He chuckled. "Still... You ended up with me."
"True though..."
"And that means I get to keep you by my side for seven while days."
"Fine. I suppose I can accept seven days off like that," she muttered. "But if you make me do paperwork, I am throwing you off this tower."
"Noted," Helio laughed, resting his chin on her head. "No paperwork."
She looked up at his face, suspiciously.
"What?"
"You said no paperwork..."
"So?"
"Were you planning to?"
"What—no! I am just stating facts!"
"... Alright I guess. I will see if you do."
He let out a deep sigh. For a few long moments... She stayed silent. While he raised her hand and played with it.
Then.
"Helio."
"Hm?"
"My ring finger feels light..."
***
You could say eight months was a long time...
But it was just full of nothing important to take note of.
Maybe one small event though.
Aefia stepped out of the portal near the fountain, her hands inside her hoodie pockets and her sneakers white against the cobblestones. She wore a black flock underneath the zipper hoodie.
The choice was hers this time.
Behind her, Helio followed after. He too was wearing just casual clothes.
"You look like you are about to rob a convenience store... Has the third Aethalgard suddenly started to pick up side missions all of a sudden?" He reached out his elbow for her to take.
"You can shut up now," she scoffed, pulling her hand out of her pocket and hooking it around his arm. A silver band with a garnet stone sat on the ring finger of her left hand. It was simple, sleek... and it was all that she asked for.
"So where are we getting food?" she asked, stepping onto the streets outside the park, as the streetlamps bloomed to life. "Because if you say another high-end place, I am heading straight to the street stalls without you."
"Street stalls it is," Helio laughed, squeezing her hand as they walked into the warm, bustling noise of the city. "Your call."
Aefia glanced down at their joined hands.
Her thumb brushed absentmindedly over the silver band around her finger.
"You know..." she began.
"Hm?"
"I still can't believe you actually did it."
"Did what?"
"This."
She lifted her hand slightly, letting the garnet catch the streetlight.
Helio smiled.
"You were there."
"I know. I was just hoping you would forget."
"Forget proposing to you?"
"Forget the embarrassing part."
He laughed. "Absolutely not."
Aefia groaned. "Please."
"You threatened to end my whole lineage if they didn't accept you. Then you said your father is going to throw me off the cliff."
"I was just... Being sarcastic."
"You also stared at the ring for approximately thirty seconds without saying anything."
"I was thinking."
"You were buffering."
She stopped walking. Helio took another step before realizing she wasn't beside him anymore. So he turned.
And... She was glaring at him.
"...Buffering?"
"Yes."
"I hate you."
"No, you don't."
She narrowed her eyes. "Unfortunately."
He grinned and held his arm out again. "Come on, fiancée."
She stared at his hand. Then at him.
"Don't call me that in public."
"Why?"
"Because you sound smug."
"I am smug."
"Helio."
"Yes, fiancée?"
She groaned, but still hooked her arm around his again. "You are impossible."
"I have been told."
They continued down the street. For once, neither of them had anywhere they needed to be.
Just the two of them walking through a city that didn't need anything from them.
Aefia slowed when they reached the street market. The smell of freshly baked bread drifted through the air. She glanced sideways, which Helio noticed immediately.
"Want one?"
"No."
Her eyes remained fixed on the stall.
"You are staring."
"I am observing."
"You are observing the bread?"
"Very carefully."
He laughed. "Stay here."
"I can buy my own food."
"I know."
He stepped toward the stall anyway. Aefia watched him go, shaking her head. A few minutes later, he returned with two warm pastries.
He handed one to her. Aefia stared at it again. Then at him.
"You remembered."
"Remembered what?"
"The filling."
He shrugged. "You always pick that one."
Aefia looked down at the pastry.
Something about that tiny detail made her smile.
"You are surprisingly observant."
"Only when it concerns you."
She immediately looked away. "Don't start."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were about to."
"I was going to say you have crumbs on your sleeve."
She looked down. There were, in fact, crumbs on her sleeve. "...Oh."
Helio smiled. "See? I am useful."
"Debatable."
They sat on a low stone wall overlooking the fountain, eating quietly. After a while, Aefia leaned back and looked toward the sky. "You know what?"
"Hm?"
"I think I like this."
"The pastry?"
"The day."
He looked at her. She continued watching the fountain.
"We ran away in the middle of my work... and still, nothing happened."
Helio smiled softly. "That's good."
"Usually, nothing happening feels boring." She glanced at him. "But right now..."
She rested her head lightly against his shoulder. "I think nothing happening is exactly what I needed."
Helio didn't tease her this time. He simply adjusted his arm so she could sit more comfortably.
"Then we will have more days like this."
Aefia smiled. "Promise?"
"Promise."
She held up her pinky.vHe stared at it.
"...Seriously?"
"Don't ruin it."
"Fine." He hooked his pinky around hers.
They sat there for another few minutes.
Then Aefia suddenly spoke, again. "Helio."
"Yeah?"
"Where are we going tomorrow?"
He smiled. "Anywhere you want."
She thought about it. "...The library."
He looked horrified. "That's your idea of a day off?"
"I like books."
"I knew I should have hidden your glasses."
She laughed. And for the first time in a long while, the future didn't feel like something she had to fight her way toward.
"Just kidding..." She smiled, standing up. "Anyways... My birthday is in four months..."
"Again?" He asked, smirking.
"What? Your soon-to-be-wife has a right to say things, you know..." She folded her arms.
He flushed. Coughing into his fist. "Yeah about that..."
"Are you going to say you don't know?" She tapped her feet on the ground.
Helio stared at her for a moment.Then his expression softened into that familiar, mischievous smile.
"I was going to say that I have four months to prepare for it."
She narrowed her eyes. "That sounds suspicious."
"Everything sounds suspicious to you."
"Because you are suspicious."
"I am your fiancé."
"That doesn't make you less suspicious."
He laughed, shaking his head as they continued down the street. They had barely made it another few steps when an elderly woman sitting beside a flower stall looked up at them.
Her eyes moved from Aefia to Helio. Then to their joined hands. Then back to Aefia.
"Oh my," she muttered.
Aefia slowed. "May I help you?"
The woman frowned slightly. "Young lady, shouldn't you be with your family?"
Aefia blinked. "My family?"
"Yes. Wandering around at this hour with a young man..." The elderly woman looked toward Helio. "You shouldn't be encouraging her to run away."
Aefia's expression went blank. Helio stopped walking.
"...Excuse me?"
The woman shook her head. "I have seen young girls do this before. They think they know everything. Then they leave home with some boy and—"
"She's not running away." His voice was calm.
Too calm.
The woman looked surprised. Helio stepped slightly in front of Aefia.
"We are engaged." Aefia's eyebrows rose.
"And her father already knows we are here."
The elderly woman hesitated. "He does?"
"Yes."
Helio gestured toward Aefia. "Her father personally cleared our trip. He knows where we are, how long we are staying, and why we are here."
The woman looked embarrassed. "I only assumed—"
"And that's the problem."
Aefia's eyes widened slightly.
Helio continued regardless, his voice firm. "You saw a young woman walking with a guy similar to her age and decided she must have run away from home. You don't know her circumstances. You don't know her family. You don't know anything about us."
The woman looked down. "I... suppose you are right."
"Besides, you don't know where here stands are," Helio added. "If she wanted to disappear, she wouldn't be standing in the middle of a public street with me."
Aefia slowly covered her face with one hand. Oh no.
The woman finally gave a small nod. "Then I apologize."
Helio nodded. "Thank you."
The woman turned back toward her flowers, clearly deciding the conversation was over. Helio gently took Aefia's hand again.
"Come on."
They walked.
For several seconds, Aefia said nothing.
Then—
"Helio."
"Hm?"
"You were harsh."
He glanced at her. "I was?"
"Yes."
"I was defending you."
"I know."
"Then why are you scolding me?"
"Because you didn't have to practically give her a lecture."
He sighed. "She was judging you."
"I know."
"And she was wrong."
"I know."
"So?"
"So you could have just said, 'We are engaged, and her father knows.'"
He looked at her. "...That would have been shorter."
"Much shorter."
They continued walking.
Helio eventually slowed, looking down at her.
"You are right."
Aefia blinked. "Wait. You actually admit it?"
"Don't get used to it."
She smiled.
He continued, quieter this time. "But sometimes you have to shut down assumptions before they become something worse."
Aefia's smile faded slightly. "What do you mean?"
"People see what they expect to see." He looked ahead. "And you have spent years being someone people expected things from."
Aefia's fingers tightened slightly around his.
"You were an imperial princess. Then a Guardian. Then a Sovereign. People already have an image of you in their heads."
He glanced at her. "Sometimes, letting people assume whatever they want is harmless."
"And sometimes?"
"Sometimes it isn't."
Aefia was quiet. Helio continued.
"If someone thinks you were running away, that's one thing. If they start spreading that story, suddenly you are irresponsible. Then someone decides you are being reckless. Then someone else decides your father has lost control over you."
He shrugged. "And before you know it, a stupid assumption becomes a rumor."
Aefia stared ahead. "...You really thought that far?"
"Unfortunately."
She nudged his shoulder. "I guess I can easily say... you aren't that dumb either. But stil... Overthinking idiot."
"Protective idiot."
She smiled. "Fine."
They walked a little farther.
Then Helio suddenly stopped. Aefia looked at him. "What?"
"I will be right back."
"Where are you going?"
He pointed toward a flower shop across the street. "I saw something."
She looked at the shop. "Flowers?"
"Maybe."
"For who?"
He smiled. "You will find out."
Aefia narrowed her eyes. "Helio."
"Stay here."
"Why?"
"Because if you follow me, it will ruin the surprise."
"You are getting suspicious again."
"I will be in two minutes."
He crossed the street before she could argue. She watched him disappear into the flower shop, sighed, then folded her arms.
"Fiancé," she muttered to herself. Then she glanced at the glowing shop window. "...What are you planning now?"
As she did, something clamped onto her wrist. Before she could react, a hand covered her mouth and pulled her away.
Out in the busy streets... Aefia was gone.