Azriel and Vivienne had been walking around Velaris for an hour now, both enjoying the experience that felt like they were seeing the city for the first time.
They stopped at countless stalls selling everything from sweets and all sorts of delicious fruits of the world to swords, jewelry and paint.
"Lunch?" Vivienne looked up to her right to find Azriel already smiling back at her.
"Where would you like to go?" Despite the formality of the question, Azriel's tone was comfortable.
"Do you have a favourite place?" Vivienne asked, trying to make the best of their time together, wanting to learn as much about him as possible.
Azriel looked out at the sea stretching just behind the wall they were walking along. The light breeze that greeted them was a welcome touch after having walked in the sun for a while.
Suddenly Azriel turned around, effortlessly guiding Vivienne with him, "Let's go."
---
The cafe was small, but that only made it more attractive. Azriel'd promised her the walk would be worth it after she'd complained about the stairs. When she'd tried suggesting they fly up, he only shook his head and explained that they had to earn this by walking up.
And he had been absolutely right.
The cafe was on the roof of a tower, which was a part of the stone wall separating the city from the sea. It had a view of the waters extending to the horizon, the dark blue waves glistening under the sunlight and the faint smell of a sea breeze reached them.
But somehow the view wasn't even what Vivienne had been most impressed by.
As soon as they entered, a server greeted Azriel and lead them through a labyrinth of small, and fully occupied, tables until they reached another flight of stairs.
This time Vivienne didn't complain and Azriel climbed up with a satisfied smile. He was immensely pleased he'd chosen this place. It had been his refuge for years and no one else knew about it. He hadn't even shared it with Rhys or Cassian, because this was where he went when he needed complete peace. So much so that the owner had reserved a balcony just for him, ready whenever he'd come.
Azirel didn't fail to notice the impressed expression on Vivienne's face and couldn't help to smile proudly.
---
"Azriel, this is incredible," Vivienne's eyes still shone with admiration.
They sat down as the waiter returned with drinks and Vivienne hadn't even noticed that Azriel'd ordered them already.
The drink before her was a swivel of shades of peach, light pink and yellow with small green leaves floating inside. Azriel's, across the table, contained only a small amount of a dark brown liquid, and judging by the strong scent that burnt her throat just as she smelled it, told her it was strong.
Azriel's features, however, didn't falter for a second when he took a sip.
The colourful drink before Vivienne had her whole attention, but she hadn't tasted it yet.
"Just try it," Azirel beckoned, his hazel eyes golden in the sunlight.
Vivienne didn't break their stare as she lifted the glass to her lips and was delighted to notice Azirel's eyes flair as his attention focused on her lips.
A feeling of pure happiness overtook her as she tasted the drink. She could taste the hint of alcohol, but it was covered up with such sweetness she couldn't help but take another big sip.
When she looked up at Azriel with a surprised expression, he just smiled knowingly, "I'm glad you like it."
A moment later the waiter appeared again, his hands full of plates.
Once the array of plates was placed on their table, Vivienne couldn't help but gawk. She'd never seen such food. And had again not known when Azirel and ordered all this.
"Is this drink so strong that I'm already drunk or did I just not see you ordering this food?" she questioned.
"We don't order anything," Azriel explained, "they decide what to bring us."
---
And it turned out the chef really did know best. Every bite Vivienne took left her moaning. She had never known the rich taste of the vegetables and fruit in front of her. How the chef had known she didn't like meat was beyond her.
It wasn't so much that she couldn't stand seeing meat, she just simply didn't like the taste. The more she mulled it over, she realised the probable reason. Just the memory sent shivers up her body. And Azriel, being the skilled spy that he was immediately picked up on it.
"What's wrong?" he asked, pausing mid-bite of his steak.
Vivienne surprised herself when she hadn't automatically said 'nothing'. All the years of being put on the sidelines in the Camp had thought her to keep her worries to herself.
"I was just thinking," she said before her gaze wandered to the ocean stretching out before them.
"About what?" Azirel had finished his bite and focused all his attention on the uneasy-looking girl in front of him.
When Vivienne still didn't answer he said, "You don't have to share it with me, I just thought it'd be nice if we learnt something more about each other."
Vivienne noticed the slight fear in his voice and smiled at the carefulness of his approach.
"Oh, no it's nothing like that, I'm just trying to gather my thoughts before I tell you," she said as she met his eyes.
Giving her time, Azriel suddenly found the food before him immensely interesting.
It took Vivienne a few more moments of flying through her memories before she took a sip of her now favourite drink and began.
"I was thinking about how I don't particularly enjoy meat and suddenly a memory appeared in my mind and I think I finally understand why," Vivienne started, a bit scared she was about to share this with Azriel.
After another sip, she continued, "It's because of the Blood Rite."
She could feel Azriel stiffen from across the table. Clearly, his Blood Rite hadn't been pleasant either.
"I'd expected it to be challenging and cruel, but the fact that Phoenix wouldn't be there with me hit me just a day before. But it hadn't felt real until they bound my wings together. There was only one other girl, but of course, they split us apart and when the Blood Rite began I was just happy I hadn't made any enemies amongst them."
"The first week was bearable," Vivienne smiled to herself because that word was as general as it could be, "I ate the food in my cloth and I didn't run into anyone. Now that I think about it, it had been one of the most peaceful and enjoyable times in my life."
Azriel nodded, he'd felt the same before he, Rhys and Cassian had found each other.
"During the second week, I could barely walk and I kept running into more and more dead Illyrians, killed probably because of a petty fight." Vivienne swallowed, "It was at the end of that second week that I had to hunt for food for the first time. I'd tried to go without it for as long as possible, but I couldn't even walk anymore. So I waited. I climbed a tree and I waited for a hurt animal to come running by, and that's when I would strike. I'd fallen asleep when I suddenly heard the echoes of hooves running in my direction. From where I sat on the tree, I could see a white animal running away from a large, grey beast. I'd made a bow and arrows and knocked it as I found my footing on the ground."
Azriel's hand covered her ice-cold one and for once he was the one giving his warmth to her.
"I released my arrow and it went flying past the white deer and it hit the grey beast between its eyes. The white deer stopped abruptly in front of me. I was breathless," Vivienne put her hand across her heart, "it was like a sight out of a dream."
Suddenly, her face dropped and her gaze turned ice-cold.
"I'd calculated all my moves, but I hadn't paid attention to me back." A silent tear slid down her cheek and Azriel could barely keep himself seated.
"As the white deer bowed his head at me, an arrow flew out of nowhere." Vivienne's jaw clenched and Azriel's hand tightened on hers.
"I saw it in my chest," Vivienne's throat bobbed, "But the beautiful deer jumped in front of me and his white fur turned red. A second later a yell came from behind me and five Illyrians walked over to me. I believe you already know one of them," she added bitterly, "Mhark."
Any softness that had remained in Azriel's features disappeared. Just the name itself ran his blood cold with hatred. Mhark had been the one to reveal Vivienne's identity to her Camp. He had paid for it, of course, but Azriel wouldn't have minded if he were to vanish.
"I still curse myself for the naiveness I had when a sweet voice asked me if I were okay. When I asked him why he'd aimed at me, he brushed it off, and then said he'd wanted to protect me from the 'white beast' that'd been moments away from attacking me. In that moment I had just been happy I wasn't alone anymore, I'd still hoped princes on white horses existed. And I soon learnt they didn't the hard way."
Azriel cut in, "Vivi, you don't have to go on, I understand," his voice embodying utter gentleness.
"No," Vivienne shook her head, "I want to get this off my chest."
She took a deep breath, "Don't think I didn't give Mhark hell for killing- for making the deer sacrifice himself for me. After I did, Mhark apologised," at Azriel's disbelief, Vivienne assured him he had.
"I trusted the brief feeling of safety and I sure as hell didn't object to food when they'd offered it, but I was a fool to not have noticed the cruel joke they'd played on me. They hadn't buried the deer as they had promised me, but instead, they feasted on his meat and -" Vivienne's voice broke, "They'd made me eat the flesh of the same animal that'd saved my life."
Failing at an attempt to lighten the situation, Vivienne said, "Needless to say, I was throwing up the whole night when I found out."
Azriel didn't know what to say to help her forget this horrible memory. So he shared his own story of the Blood Rite. He told her about the efforts Devion, his Commander, had made to keep them apart, but they had found each other and reached the monolith first.
Vivienne's tears dried as laughter shook her body and even Azriel couldn't help himself when he told her about the things Cassian and Rhys had pulled.