Mariah was lying on the bed when she sensed a presence in the room with her. She had sent the maids to their rest station after Athena left because she wanted to be alone. She sat up on the bed immediately; the candles in the room offered a dim light, but she could already tell who was in the room with her. She smiled and patted the bed beside her. “Come sit, I didn’t know I would see you again before the war.”
Alaric sighed and approached her, sitting beside her as she had wanted. His hair was up in a tight ponytail for the first time, and a golden metal-like hairband was used to hold it up. The hairstyle highlighted his face, making his features look sharp but handsome.
“I think you should always wear a full ponytail. I like the half style you usually wear, though, but this is a first
