"What stuff?"
"Like, the gods and whatnot? In your books? Or do you believe in like...the one god?"
"I don't believe in anything," he said. And the look in his eyes made her next question die in her throat.
She thought about what he said over the next hour or so as they sat there, reading their books in the dim room. How can he not believe in anything? She wasn't exactly sure what her beliefs were, not anymore. But there had to be something, right? There was a purpose, wasn't there?
Eventually, her thoughts turned dark. She thought about all the people she had hurt in her life. And how even if there was somewhere else to go, people like her wouldn't be going there. She climbed into bed a while later and desperately tried to think of something else, anything else.
The only other thought that stuck with her was that she was running out of time. They'd be leaving the day after tomorrow. And she had convinced herself that she had to tell him and that this time alone was the best time to do it.
She gathered her courage. She opened her mouth to say something. And she almost did. Almost.
She couldn't remember when she’d fallen asleep last night, but now the sunlight was streaming through the little window in the cottage.
And Lex Mills, the king, had his arm around her waist.
They'd slept in the same bed for quite a few nights. She couldn't remember how many days had actually passed since they'd gotten married. But since that first night, he'd stuck to his side and his side only. Just as she had.
But when she woke, the first thing she registered was the heavy arm draped around her middle. The second thing she noted was the warmth of his body, pressed up against hers.
And he must've been the one who reached out, who came closer. Because she was still in the same position, she'd fallen asleep in, on her side, facing the wall.
She paused for a few seconds, trying to even her breathing. She could feel a tiny gust of warm air tickling the top of her head as he exhaled.
What should she do? She didn't feel like getting up. But what if he woke up? She could only imagine how awkward that situation would be. But if she tried to move, he might wake up anyway?
She tried to relax, hoping that he was still asleep. Hoping that the fact that she suddenly went rigid and tense didn't wake him.
Eventually, she relaxed. He was still asleep. She decided to stay put and pretend that she was sleeping too, hoping that he'd wake and realize what he'd done.
She hadn't been so physically close to anyone in a long time. She'd forgotten how nice it was. And it wasn't just the warmth. There was something safe, something peaceful about being held like that. She hadn't been held like that in a long, long time.
A little while later, she felt him wake. She knew it, based on the way that his muscles went rigid. He moved his arm, pulling it away gently, probably hoping that she didn't notice.
But she couldn't help herself. The moment was just too good to pass up.
"Well, well, well. What do you know? The big scary king is a cuddler," she said, feeling him tense even more so than before. She fought the urge to laugh, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling.
He sighed.
She turned to face him. "What will all of his subjects say?"
"Shut up," he said, turning his head the other way. And she couldn't believe her eyes when she looked over and saw a little pink blush on his cheeks.
"Oh my god! You're blushing!"
"No," he said, his voice stern. "I'm not."
She couldn't stop herself from laughing now. Really laughing. "The king is a cuddler! I can't wait to tell everyone!"
"I was not cuddling you. I-I was...it was for warmth."
She laughed even harder.
He got up, shaking his head.
"Aw, have I embarrassed you," she asked. She was really enjoying it, teasing him.
"I don't get embarrassed, Aria. And I definitely don't cuddle."
"Why? Do you guys have another term for it here?"
"Shut up."
"You cuddled me. The king cuddled me," she said, laughing.
He shook his head and walked away, going into the bathroom.
Aria turned on her side, smiling to herself. She waited for him to come back, not ready to let it go.
"Why are you so embarrassed," she asked. She knew why it was embarrassing for her, but him? She'd never really even seen him look uncomfortable. And definitely not embarrassed.
"I'm not," he said, not looking at her. "And like I said, it was for warmth. So don't get any ideas."
"What? No...I-I'm just teasing," she said, now embarrassed herself. And a small part of her felt a little hurt by what he said. She wasn't even sure why. She didn't have anything to say after that.
They made their way down to the kitchen. He made them some tea, and she took the mug he offered her with a quiet 'thanks.'
"So, what do you want to do today," he asked after sitting in silence for a while.
"I don't know," she said. She didn't really feel like doing much of anything, still thinking about what Lex said. Don't get any ideas. It wasn't like she had. Part of her had figured it was for warmth. So why did she feel so upset now?
"What? No more cuddling jokes," he asked; his tone was playful. But Aria didn't find it so funny anymore.
She just shrugged.
Eventually, they took the blanket and spread it down on the ground near the mountain, like they did the first day.
Lex read his book, and Aria wrote. And then, for some reason, she decided to try drawing. She wasn’t very good, but she wanted to try drawing her mother. She chalked it up to the fact that she missed her. But part of her knew it was because her mother's appearance was still fresh in her mind. In a
