The journey to the capital was quiet.As everything was with Aria.
Snow didn’t accompany them. “The capital has too much light,” she said, vanishing as always. Aria didn’t ask any further. She simply accepted it.And so, only the two of them remained: the former princess of Asura and the deadly ash flower.
Elena expected a tense trip. Awkward, even. But to her surprise, Aria wasn’t an impenetrable wall. She was... calm. She walked without hurry. Sometimes she whistled tuneless songs. Or handed her an apple without saying more than, “Here.”
Halfway through, they stopped to rest. Aria spread a bnket over the grass and pulled a box of sweets from her bag.
“Want one? I bought them in a vilge we visited st week. Raspberry, I think. I like sweets.”
Elena looked at her incredulously.“You... bought sweets?”
“What kind of monster do you think I am?”
“One with magic threads and hidden knives.”
Aria smiled. Just barely. A faint curve, but a genuine one.
“I can be that... and this too.”
The Capital: Royal Domain
The capital’s castle looked nothing like the paces of Asura. It was more modest, more welcoming. There were gardens where children pyed with tiny golems, and merchants in the halls selling books or magical toys. Soldiers chatted with each other like brothers, and no one was in a rush, even though everything worked.
And at the center of that harmonious chaos... stood Maple.
The queen wore no crown. No armor either. Just a simple dress with her signature brooch. Her smile was radiant, and when she saw Aria approaching, she opened her arms as if greeting an old friend.
“Aria! So good to see you! What miracle brought you here?”
Aria bowed her head in a slight nod.“I came to introduce someone. And to ask you for something.”
Maple tilted her head, curious.“You, asking for things? That’s new. Go on.”
Aria pointed at Elena, who stepped forward with the grace of a fallen princess.
“I am Elena of Asura, former heir to a throne that no longer calls me. I am here by Aria’s grace, and I seek a pce in your kingdom. Not as a noble, but... as an ordinary citizen.”
Maple didn’t need much more. She looked at Elena, then at Aria. Then back at both of them and nodded with a smile.
“Anyone Aria brings in peace is welcome here. If your intention is to live in harmony, this nd is yours as much as it is mine.”
Elena bowed. Aria... did not.
“Thank you, Queen,” Aria said. And no one saw it as disrespect. Because it was Aria, and her respect wasn’t measured by protocol.
Reflected Light
That night, while resting in an elegant inn near the castle, Elena looked out the window. The city shimmered under the moonlight, and for the first time since her escape... she felt no fear.
“Do you always talk to Maple like that?” she asked.
“Yes. She treats me as I am. Not how I seem.”
“You... aren’t what you seem. Not entirely.”
“Neither are you.”
Elena looked at her. Aria handed her a warm cup, wordlessly.
“You noticed me from the beginning, didn’t you?” Elena asked in a low voice.
“I saw you. Not with suspicion. With... attention. There was something in you that reminded me of myself. And something else I didn’t have, but needed nearby.”
“And what is that?”
“Hope.”
Elena lowered her gaze, feeling something melt inside her chest. Maybe fear. Maybe sorrow.Maybe just... the ice.
Aria sat beside her. She didn’t touch her, didn’t hug her. But she left a small item next to her: a metallic flower brooch, carved in the shape of a rose.
“I found it in a border vilge. Thought you’d like it.”
“Why?”
“Because you seem strong, but you’re made of delicate yers. Like an iron flower.”
Elena looked at her. And for the first time since meeting her, she didn’t see just a lethal assassin, a living legend, or an unstoppable shadow.She saw a person.A woman who brought her sweets, who listened in silence, and who, despite all her powers, had never stopped seeing the humanity in others.
And in that moment, Elena realized something she hadn’t wanted to admit:
She needed someone to see her that way too.
