Sharing One Bed

After the long and bumpy carriage ride, Aeliana stepped into their room at the Velris Hearth Inn with a sigh of relief. "Finally, solid ground. I thought my bones were going to shake apart back there."

Lucian, following close behind, chuckled as he rubbed his shoulder. "You and me both. That road felt like it was designed by someone who hated travelers." He set their bags down and stretched, wincing. "Honestly, I think I've faced smoother terrain on battlefields."

" Though I think the carriage had a personal vendetta against you."

Lucian gave her a mock glare. "Don't tempt me to conjure up a new road next time we travel."

As Aeliana chuckled at his dramatics, the door creaked open, and Elyra, the newly appointed head maid, stepped in with a soft knock. She had a polite but mischievous smile on her face as she addressed Aeliana. "I hope the ride wasn't too unbearable, Lady Aeliana. The Queen sends her regards and wanted me to inform you that she's personally ensured your accommodations here meet her expectations."

Aeliana raised an eyebrow, sensing something was off. "Her expectations?"

Elyra nodded, her smile widening ever so slightly. "Yes, Lady Aeliana. Specifically, she has requested that you and Lord Lucian share a single room for the night."

Both Aeliana and Lucian froze. "A single room?" Aeliana repeated, her voice rising in disbelief.

Elyra nodded, her tone impossibly calm. "Yes. And one bed."

Lucian choked on the air, his usually calm demeanor cracking. "One bed?" he repeated, his crimson eyes wide.

"Her Majesty felt that sharing accommodations would reinforce the sincerity of your engagement," Elyra explained, clearly enjoying their reactions.

Aeliana's face turned bright red as she shot up from the bed. "This is outrageous! There must be some mistake!"

"I assure you, there's no mistake," Elyra said, her expression far too innocent. "The Queen made these arrangements herself. I was merely tasked with ensuring her wishes were carried out."

Lucian cleared his throat, his expression stuck somewhere between amusement and embarrassment. "Well, this is… unexpected."

"Unexpected?" Aeliana hissed, spinning to face him. "This is preposterous!"

He raised his hands defensively, though his smirk was impossible to hide. "Alright, calm down, Princess. "

Lucian tilted his head thoughtfully, his smirk growing. "Would it help if I promised to stay on my side?"

Elyra, clearly enjoying the scene, stepped toward the door with a polite bow. "I'll leave you two to settle in. Goodnight, Lady Aeliana. Lord Lucian."

"Well, Princess, it seems we've been royally—set up."

Aeliana groaned again, sitting back down on the edge of the bed.

" Look on the bright side, Sunshine."

She shot him a withering glare. "And what, exactly, is the bright side?"

He leaned back in with his hands, his smirk softening into something more genuine. "At least you're stuck with someone charming."

Her glare faltered as a reluctant laugh escaped her. "Charming? You're quite full-of-yourself, if that's what you think you are."

Lucian grinned as he playfully raised his eyebrows

"Alright, fine. But if you so much as disturb me, I'm kicking you out."

Lucian raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "I don't diddle-daddle, Princess. But if it makes you feel better, you can have the extra pillows as a barrier."

Aeliana rolled her eyes, but the tension in her shoulders eased slightly. "Deal."

 The faint rustling of the sheets and Lucian's steady breathing filled the silence, but her mind was far from calm.

 A demon lord, her fiancé, a man who wielded unimaginable power yet spoke to her with teasing warmth seeping through the bundled up cushion barrier between them.

She swallowed so hard as she didn't notice that her mouth inexplicably began to water. Get a grip, Aeliana. You're staring at him like he's some kind of eye-candy.

"You're burning a hole in my face with that longing gaze of yours, Princess," Lucian suddenly muttered, his voice laced with amusement, his eyes half-closed.

Aeliana gasped, startled. Her cheeks flared with heat, and she tore her gaze away, her pulse racing. "I wasn't—!" she stammered, but the lie faltered as he opened one eye and smirked lazily at her.

"No need to apologize," he said, his voice low and smooth as he shifted his position. He propped himself up slightly, his arm now resting against the soft mattress. His gaze held hers, unwavering and far too knowing. "But tell me, what exactly are you implying on doing now that you've woken me from my slumber?"

The teasing tone in his voice only made her blush harder. She fluffed the blanket near her face to hide her shameful self.

Lucian tilted his head, his smirk softening into something more curious. "Hmm," he mused, his eyes glinting mischievously. "And here I thought you might've been plotting something."

Her mouth dropped open in shock. "Whatever do you mean?!" she exclaimed, her voice squeaking. "Of course not!"

He chuckled, the deep, rich sound sending a shiver down her spine. "Relax, Princess. I'm just teasing. Though," he added, his tone turning playful again, "you're not making it easy when you blush like that. It's rather… cute."

Aeliana turned her face away, trying to compose herself.

"I wasn't staring at you," she finally muttered, though her voice lacked conviction and sincerity.

Lucian arched a brow, clearly unconvinced. "Oh? So if I asked what you were thinking about just now, would I get an innocent answer?"

Aeliana opened her mouth, but no words came out. What could she even say? That she'd been admiring the way the moonlight made him look devastatingly handsome? That she couldn't stop thinking about how close they were?

"I thought so," Lucian said, his smirk growing as he lay back down. "Well, whatever it was. I am too tired to mess with you any longer," he said as he yawns back to sleep.

She huffed, pulling the blanket over her head to hide her burning, beet-red face. "You're impossible."

Under the blanket, Aeliana smiled despite herself. Being one pillow away from him was nerve-wracking, but it was also… comforting. For all his teasing, Lucian made her feel something she hadn't expected: safe.