Alaric's smile softened as he took Amaris' hand in his, his touch gentle yet steady. His thumb traced slow circles over her knuckles, as if reassuring himself that she was truly there beside him.
"I have missed you dearly..." he began, his voice low and filled with a quiet intensity that sent a shiver through her. "When I gripped my sword during the battle, all I thought about was when I'd be able to hold your hand again. Every strike, every breath—I counted the moments until I could return to you."
"And when the nights grew cold, when I lay alone beneath the stars... I'd close my eyes and imagine your warmth beside me, the way you'd curl close, as if you'd shield me from the world itself." His fingers tightened slightly around hers, and Amaris could feel the strength of his longing in t
