Chapter 76: Go Together.

Finally, it was over.

The air loosened.

The formations were dismissed, though Aamon kept the three princes behind for a private word. The captains and the rest of the knights were released with short, clipped instructions for tomorrow.

Ezra did not linger.

He slipped away before anyone could stop him. Before anyone could clap his shoulder or ask questions or attempt small talk about what had just happened.

Why?

Because he was tired.

Not the kind of tiredness that came from sparring.

Not even the kind that came from real battle.

This was heavier.

It pressed behind his eyes. It settled into his bones.

He had not felt this drained since the first time he realized he was pregnant. Since those long nine months of carrying Lior while pretending nothing was different.

Since the sleepless nights of the first year, when every cry felt like both a blessing and a terror.

Now, all he wanted—

Was his son.

His little Lior.

He wanted to hold him.

To feel small fingers grab at his collar. To bury his face in his child’s hair and remind himself that there was something softer in this world than steel and pride.

Tomorrow there will be a mission.

Tomorrow there will be blood.

Tonight, he just wanted something gentle.

’I could take Lior right now and we could just… run,’ he thought for a fleeting second.

The idea wasn’t entirely foolish.

Disappear.

Find somewhere quiet.

Raise his son without Dark Ones breathing down their necks.

Without the threat of Lior’s father remembering what happened that night.

Or perhaps realizing Lior was his son.

But the thought faded almost as quickly as it came.

The knight in him was not dead.

It never had been.

That was something he understood now.

He had worried about returning after five stagnant years. Worried that his instincts had dulled. That his edge had rusted.

But today—

Today proved otherwise.

As Aurien had said, he was a captain through and through.

That much had not changed.

“Praise Aurethys,” Ezra muttered under his breath, a faint smile touching his lips. “It was fun.”

Fun.

He almost laughed at himself.

To think he had enjoyed himself because of Prince Aurien.

To think his opinion of Aurien had shifted in a matter of hours.

Just hours.

The dynamic had changed without him noticing. Gone was the wide-eyed prince trailing behind him, hoping to be acknowledged, hoping to be trained.

Now—

Now it almost felt as if Aurien did not want anything from him except for him to enjoy himself.

It was… considerate.

Strangely so.

Even in his prime, Ezra had not allowed himself this kind of enjoyment. He had always been the serious one. The strategist. The one who held the line. The one others relied on.

’I forgot what it feels like to simply… play,’ he admitted inwardly.

’It is a nice break from the norm.’

The irony almost made him smile wider. His “norm” had been paused for five years. And yet today felt like a return.

’I know I meant to keep my distance from the princes,’ he thought, letting out a quiet breath. ’Even Helios.’

But—

’I am actually looking forward to that drink.’

The thought lingered, warm and faintly embarrassing.

And then—

A hand seized his wrist.

Hard.

Ezra did not think.

His body moved on instinct.

His free hand went to his sword. He drew it in one smooth motion, turning sharply as the blade flashed up—

“Helios?”

He stopped mid-swing.

Steel hovered inches from skin.

Ezra’s eyes widened as recognition slammed into him.

Helios stood there, his grip still tight around Ezra’s wrist, his gaze steady.

Concern lingered in his eyes.

But Ezra barely noticed it.

All he could think about was the fact that he had almost swung at Helios.

His blade was still raised.

His hand was still trembling slightly from the halted motion.

’Aurethys… I almost—’

“H-Helios, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine, Ezra—”

“I wasn’t paying attention. I thought you were a threat. I can’t believe I—”

“Ezra!”

Helios raised his voice, not harshly, but enough to cut through Ezra’s spiral. He released Ezra’s wrist and instead grabbed him firmly by the shoulder, grounding him.

Ezra blinked rapidly, breath uneven.

“Ezra, calm down,” Helios said, softer now. “It’s alright. It was my fault for not calling out to you.”

His thumb pressed lightly into Ezra’s shoulder as if to anchor him there.

“I should know by now your instincts are trained to react first. So stop. Take a breath.”

Ezra swallowed.

He did as he was told.

Inhale.

Slow.

Exhale.

His shoulders lowered slightly.

He nodded once.

“Alright… I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing,” Helios said, a faint chuckle slipping into his tone. “How distracted were you?”

Very.

Embarrassingly very.

Ezra gave a sheepish smile. “Quite a lot.”

Helios’ brows lifted slightly. “You must have been thinking about something complicated to be that lost in your head.”

’Complicated?’ Ezra almost laughed.

Not exactly.

The thoughts of Lior were complicated, yes. Heavy. Layered.

But the thoughts of Aurien—

Those were not complicated.

They were just… unsettling.

And for some reason, he did not want to share that.

“I want to ask what you were thinking about,” Helios said slowly. “However…”

He paused.

His gaze softened just a little.

“First, I want to ask… are you alright?”

Ezra blinked.

“Hm? Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Even with everything that had happened today, he did not feel shaken.

Tired, yes.

But not broken.

“Really?” Helios asked quietly.

“Yes. Why… do you ask?”

Helios held his gaze for a moment longer.

Then he released him fully and stepped back half a pace.

“You’re heading home,” Helios said casually.

“Yes?”

“Lior is at my palace. Remember?”

Ezra froze.

“Oh.”

He turned slightly, glancing around.

He had been walking in the direction of his house within the compound. On instinct. On habit. His mind already halfway to the image of Lior waiting for him.

But—

Lior was not there.

He was at Helios’ palace.

’Oh.’

The realization hit in layers.

’What is wrong with me?’

Ezra’s eyes widened faintly.

’How distracted was I?’

He let out a quiet breath, almost a laugh at himself.

“I… forgot,” he admitted.

Not about Lior.

Never about Lior.

But about where he was.

About something so simple.

“You are exhausted,” Helios said gently. Not accusing.

Ezra opened his mouth to deny it.

Then closed it.

He had no reason to lie.

“…Maybe a little.”

Perhaps that was the reason he forgot.

’This is what thinking too much does to you,’ he scolded himself.

Helios studied him carefully, and then his gaze softened further.

“Come,” he said. “Let’s go together.”

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