the days slipped by quietly.
athanasia's lessons at the apothecary had become a routine - mornings filled with soft laughter, crushed herbs, and elias bossing around anyone who dared to question his knowledge.
old maerin, pleased with the princess's quick mind, had started assigning her small tasks. the imperial guards grew used to suncrest's slow pace. even claude, though he never said a word about it, seemed less sharp-edged lately.
but evie... evie was restless.
suncrest's nights were different from the capital. no golden lanterns lining the streets. no endless echo of footsteps on marble. just thick forests, soft wind, and stars that seemed so close you could reach out and grab them.
and the fireflies.
she remembered the fireflies from her first year here - tiny specks of light, swarming the lake just past the woods like stars had fallen into the water.
tonight, she couldn't resist.
the estate had fallen into its usual hush. maids asleep, guards on lazy patrols, felix snoring somewhere down the hall. she slipped on her boots, tugged a worn cloak over her shoulders, and eased the door open without a sound.
the air was crisp, the scent of pine and damp moss wrapping around her. evie pulled the hood lower over her face and set off at an easy jog toward the tree line.
what she didn't know was that she had an audience.
claude leaned against the balcony rail above, shadows hiding him from sight.
he watched her - quick, light-footed, too familiar with sneaking away.
it wasn't the first time he had seen her restless.
and something about the way she moved, like she had done this a hundred times before, tugged at the edge of his patience.
without a sound, he followed.
evie didn't notice. she was too focused on the path ahead, on the way the trees parted to reveal the lake - a black mirror stretched out under the stars. and there, just like she remembered, the fireflies danced.
she slowed, heart skipping, breath misting in the cold air.
they flickered across the surface of the water, tiny floating lights. she kicked off her boots, letting her bare feet sink into the cool, muddy shore, and waded in just enough to watch them up close.
she laughed, soft and breathless.
not loud - just a small, broken sound, like she hadn't laughed properly in a long time.
from the trees, claude watched.
his arms crossed over his chest, expression unreadable.
he should have dragged her back. he should have reprimanded her for wandering alone, for slipping past the guards, for being reckless.
but he didn't.
he just stood there, half in the shadows, and watched her tilt her head back to stare at the sky, the fireflies swarming around her like a living constellation.
it was strange, seeing her like this - open, unguarded.
no sharp words. no sarcastic smirks. no quick, defensive glances.
just evienne eldore, barefoot at the lake's edge, smiling at a sky full of stars.
after a while, she knelt in the shallows and cupped her hands. a firefly floated into them, blinking slowly. she watched it for a moment before letting it drift away again.
"i know you're there," she said suddenly, without turning around.
claude's brows lifted slightly.
evie stood, brushing water from her hands, and faced the tree line.
YOU ARE READING
accidentally yours | claude de alger obelia
Fantasyone, she fell from the sky and into his arms-bloodied, burning, and already halfway gone. he's been chasing the smoke ever since. two, a monster hunter with too much magic. an emperor with too much power. they were never supposed to find each other...
