Veil of Ashes :Claimed by them

Later that night…

Kael stood in his small room, pacing.

He'd worked all day mechanically—hands moving, thoughts drifting. He was used to the blur of palace life. But tonight something felt off.

Aera still hadn't returned.

He kept checking the corridor. Listening with quite some concentration for Aera's among other maids. Unbeknownst to kael himself he was more worried for aera's safety than he ever was for his own.

Some of the maids had already come back, gossiping about music and nerves and laughing behind hands. But Aera wasn't among them.

He went to the door again, cracked it open. Footsteps—two servants passed. Not her.

The worry pooled heavier in his chest.

What if they'd punished her? What if she said something wrong?

He sat. Stood again. Then sat again.

Where was she?

His fingers curled tightly around the fabric of his uniform.

If she didn't come back soon…

Knock knock.

Kael nearly tripped over his own feet scrambling to the door. His heart thudded. He threw it open, breath caught in his throat.

"Aera—!" he blurted, then cleared his throat, schooling his face into something calm. "Oh. What are you doing here?"

Aera blinked at him, then without a word, slid in sideways and wrapped her arms around him in a limp, tired hug, her face squished against his shoulder.

"I'm so exhausted," she whined, voice muffled. "You have no idea, Kael. I stood there all day! All. Day. My number was last. My legs feel like boiled noodles. And I didn't even get to eat! My stomach was crying. Literally weeping."

Kael stiffened. She was practically leaning her whole body weight on him—soft, warm, feminine body weight. His arms hovered in midair, unsure whether to return the hug or push her off. He was very aware of the bindings around his chest. If she pressed even slightly—

"Alright, alright—" he said quickly, pushing her up by the shoulders and trying to act casual. "You forget your gender again? Girls shouldn't go around hugging people in the middle of the night."

Aera just rolled her eyes, brushed past him, and flopped onto his bed like she owned it. "Yeah, yeah. You're such a grandma, Kael."

She folded her legs under her ungracefully, grabbed the jug of water from his table and took a long gulp. Water dribbled down her chin and she wiped it with her sleeve.

"Arghhhh! If I had known we all would stand in a place all day without food and water I would have drank a whole jug before going there... ", Aera said while hugging the jug of water as something precious.

Kael closed the door and stared at her. "You could at least act a little more...ladylike."

She ignored him completely, stretching her arms with a groan.

He sighed and brought over a small plate of bread and the apple he'd saved from dinner. "Here."

Aera's eyes sparkled. "Oh thank the stars! You're my favorite human being."

She devoured the bread like a starving wolf, then crunched into the apple with abandon.

Kael sat nearby, watching her. "You... really had to sing?"

"Mmhmm," she said between bites. "Can you believe it? Prince Vaelor—the Vaelor—made every maid sing. Is the palace running out of musicians or what?"

Kael blinked. "Vaelor? Why would he do that?"

"No clue," she said, gulping water again. "It was terrifying though. Even without using their powers, just being in their presence felt like standing in front of thunder. My ears felt like they were going to ring off. And don't get me started on that icy guard with eyes like stone. Ughhh! I couldn't even look up the whole time because of that ice guard. "

Kael tilted his head, frowning slightly, "Umm, so you didn't even see anyone's face?"

"I'm not exactly the daring type," Aera said between bites, "but you know how people say the princes of Velmoria are the epitome of beauty? That if you live your whole life here and never catch a glimpse of them, you've basically wasted it?"

She glanced at Kael, eyes wide with mischief. "So… risking my life a little, I stole a quick peek."

Kael raised a brow, intrigued. "And? Was it worth it?"

Aera let out a dreamy sigh, then quickly shook her head. "I mean, I didn't see their faces properly—they were too far, and the light was weird—but still, the way they carry themselves…" She trailed off, shivering dramatically. "It was like… beauty wrapped in something dangerous. Their presence alone was overwhelming. I looked for barely a second before I had to lower my head. It was like my body just knew not to stare too long."

"Like..." Aera leaned back, patting her stomach. "How do the women in the harem even do it? I mean, have sex with those men? I swear I couldn't even look up without feeling like my soul might run out of my body."

Kael choked. "W-What?!"

"What?" she asked innocently. "It's a valid question. They're like... demigods or something."

Kael didn't respond. He just stared at the floor.

(They do take the princes quite well, don't they...)

He shook his head violently. Nope. Not going there.

"And guess what?" Aera rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a jingling pouch. "I got this! For singing the most ridiculous children's song ever created by mankind!"

Kael raised a brow. "What did you sing?"

She grinned. "I panicked and sang Fluffy Feet and Jelly Toes."

Kael blinked. "...You didn't."

"I did! And guess what? One of the princes—Zairen, I think—laughed so hard I thought he was dying. Then they gave me this." She shook the pouch. "Gold, baby. At the cost of my dignity, but who cares? No one's going to remember me after tonight. Except you. You better not laugh."

Kael smiled faintly, despite himself. "I'm not promising anything."

"I'll smack you," she said cheerfully, leaning back against the pillow.

She trailed off into another long stretch and yawned.

"I swear I won't survive another day like this—"

Silence.

Kael turned his head.

Aera had slumped sideways, breathing soft, eyes already shut.

He sighed, rising to pull a thin blanket over her. She didn't stir.

He looked at her face—peaceful for once. Mouth slightly parted. The tension from her eyes gone.

A strange warmth bubbled in his chest.

Then he grabbed his mat and unrolled it on the cold floor.

He laid down, staring at the ceiling.

The mat was hard. Uneven. His back would regret this tomorrow.

But he didn't care.

It had been a long time since he'd slept near someone else.