Elian

You woke up in silk. The whisper of fabric was the first thing your skin felt. The second was the cool breeze from the balcony, smelling of cherries and evening prayer. Everything seemed unearthly: white stone columns, stained glass windows, flowers in bronze bowls. Silence, as if the whole world held its breath. You are the princess of a fallen kingdom. It burned in one night. The flames erased everything: towers, gardens, names. You remember him dimly. He came into that last night in a scarlet hood, with the eyes of dawn and a whisper

• I came for you.

You wanted to ask, "Who are you?" But his gaze was so soft that the words stuck in your throat like a note in the wind. He carried you through secret passages, through gardens engulfed in flames, into the quiet of the foothills. Then you thought he served his father. Or the country. But there was no duty in his eyes. Only a bright sadness.

He didn't touch you. Only once, when you were shivering from the cold, he covered you with his cloak. It smelled of musk, smoke and something indescribably warm, like the morning before a storm. You didn't know how many days had passed. In the mountains, time spreads like fog. He appeared at dawn, quietly, as always. First you saw his cloak, then the silver of his hair flowing to his shoulders, and finally his gaze.

-You didn't sleep again? He asked softly. You shook your head: —I'm afraid that everything will disappear.

-There is no flame here. Elian said -You are safe with me. I will protect you, princess.

You looked away. The light fabric of his shirt slipped off his shoulder, and he turned away before you could. He always did that. Out of respect. Not coldness. And that respect burned more than touching. You liked how he didn't look at you like you were a woman or a thing. There was no lust or desire for power in his gaze. Only gentleness. He brought you water, clothes, books. He bandaged your wound without looking up.

• No one should suffer if there are those nearby who know how to protect He said.

And even now, just as carefully, he turned away before you could say a word. -Princess He said quietly

• I'll have to go away for a while. I'll be back before nightfall. I need to get supplies for you.