Lumina sat in front of the mirror, still as a statue, while Stella’s nimble fingers worked to fasten the last clasps of her gown.
Her reflection looked like it belonged to someone else. Her mind had been restless since she woke, the nightmare lingering in her head, no matter how hard she tried to push those memories of the nightmare she still couldn’t.
It felt like her entire day had been ruined before it even began, and no amount of deep breaths seemed to settle her racing thoughts.
Her nightmares usually faded quickly, but this one had clung to her. Broken pieces of it haunted her. The screams echoed severely in her head.
She was still so lost in thought until Stella’s worried voice rang through her thoughts.
"My lady... are you sure you are doing alright? You have been so quiet since I started dressing you this morning."
There was no answer from her, instead, Lumina’s fingers were laced tightly on her lap, knuckles white, her mind a thousand leagues away.
"My lady," Stella tried again, this time stepping into her view.
Lumina still didn’t respond, but her eyes glowed faintly. This was a sign she was lost in a deep, inward thought.
Stella was concerned now and moved closer, crouching slightly so she could look directly into Lumina’s face.
"My lady!" she called, a bit louder this time.
Lumina jolted as if waking from a trance. She blinked rapidly, realizing Stella had been calling her.
"Are you sure you are doing okay?" Stella asked again softly.
Lumina shut her eyes and exhaled sharply, as if shaking off the weight pressing on her chest. "Yes, I am fine. How are you doing?" she asked, a little too quickly.
"I am fine, but you don’t look like you are," Stella answered.
"I have been calling you for a while now still I am still not getting a single response from you."
"Are you done dressing me up?" Lumina asked instead and Stella turned mute.
Before either of them could move, the door opened.
Stella instantly recognized the sound of footsteps and bowed slightly before quietly stepping aside, leaving the couple alone.
Lumina also didn’t hear a word recognizing him. A moment later she felt the soft brush of his aura, her heart thumped once, hard.
He didn’t miss the way her shoulders had been tense since morning. He had noticed her silence when she woke, the faint crease in her brow right now could tell she was in a few thoughts.
He had wanted to ask her about her nightmare, but he feared pushing too soon.
Standing beside her, his arms slid gently around her shoulders, pulling her into an embrace.
"My lady," his deep voice murmured near her ear, "you don’t seem to be in a good mood."
She leaned back into him, closing her eyes as if simply breathing the same air as him could calm her storm.
"My lady, do you feel like going out today?" he asked after a moment. "If you don’t, I could reach out to Lord Drex and tell him you won’t be able to attend the physician’s session today."
She quickly shook her head, not trusting her voice.
He sighed quietly, his worry only growing. He wasn’t used to seeing her this way.
"What do you want me to do," he asked gently, "to cheer you up?"
She hesitated, then reached for his hands, slowly pulling them away from her shoulders.
He let her go, confused for a moment until she turned around, spread her arms toward him, and gave him the tiniest pout.
Ashen blinked in surprise, his usual stoic expression softening. For some strange reason, she wanted to be spoiled. She wanted that embrace hoping it would calm her from her disturbing mind.
Without another word, he stepped forward and gathered her into his arms, holding her closer this time.
"Carry me... I am too exhausted to walk." he smiled at this.
"You haven’t used your blindfold," he murmured after a while.
"Oh," she said, suddenly remembering. She reached out toward the table, found where she had placed it, and handed it to him.
He took it, moved around her, and carefully tied it around her head.
When he finished, he froze for a second, struck by the way she looked.
The way her lips curved in a faint smile, her glow brighter despite her earlier gloom.
He bent down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, brief but enough to make her heart skip.
Before she could gather her thoughts, she felt her body being lifted from the chair.
She gasped softly, but he held her as though it was the most natural thing to do.
As he walked them out of the room, she rested her head against his shoulder.
Every time she was with him, this sense of peace washed over her. It’s weird because it is a feeling she hardly remembered having in her entire life.
"Ashen..." she whispered.
He glanced down at her. "Yes?"
"I don’t want to eat breakfast."
His brows furrowed. "Why?"
She pressed her lips together, slightly embarrassed. "Nothing..." but he didn’t buy it. "You should eat. You need to keep your strength." He let out giving her no room for argument.
"I just..." she hesitated before whispering with courage, "I just want to be with you for a while."
He stopped mid-step, staring down at her with a rare expression of surprise.
He had always thought of himself as a burden to everyone. If his brother hadn’t forced this marriage, he doubted he would have ever agreed to it. He never believed he could take care of a wife, or even ever think of having a partner.
But hearing Lumina say she wanted to stay with him... it was enough to make something deep in his chest loosen.
"So..." he said slowly, "should I have breakfast with you?"
"If you’re going to feed me," she mumbled, cheeks burning.
He chuckled softly at this thought, he had to understand that she really hates eating by herself.
"Fine," he agreed. "I will feed you and take you to the royal physician’s chamber myself, if that will make you happy."