The days after Runa's approval settled into a rhythm, soft and steady, like the beating of a heart. The fortress woke each morning to the grey northern light, and I woke beside Kaelen, his arm draped over my waist, his breath warm on my neck. The nightmares still came, sometimes, but less often now, and when they did, I was there to hold him, to remind him that he was safe, that I was alive, that we were together.
We took our meals in the enormous hall, side by side at the high table, our shoulders touching, our hands finding each other beneath the cloth. The warriors no longer stared; they smiled, nodded, and accepted us, as they had accepted the snow, the cold, and the endless war. Elara watched us with bright eyes, her schemes finally at rest. Runa offered gruff words of approval that meant more than any grand declaration.
And in the quiet moments, between the duties and the demands, we learned to be partners in peace.
