The night was quiet, but Lola's heart was anything but.
Sleep eluded her as she sat near the window in her chamber, her eyes fixed on the moonlight that spilled across the floor. Her mind raced with questions she dared not voice aloud. Was he avoiding her? Had she misunderstood the connection they once shared?
She had hoped, no, longed for his presence that evening. Just one moment of closeness, one night where she didn't have to pretend she was not falling apart inside. But the door remained unopened. Hours passed. Her eyes grew heavy, and though she tried to resist, her body betrayed her, and she drifted into a quiet slumber on the chaise.
In another wing of the palace, Emperor Xander paced the length of his office like a man trapped in his own thoughts. Every time he sat, he stood again. Every time he tried to reason with himself, emotion overcame logic.
"Fool," he muttered under his breath. "You've complicated everything."
He moved toward the window and stared into the night. Twenty minutes passed in restless silence before he finally left the office, walking the familiar path to his chambers. When he reached the door, he hesitated only a moment before turning the knob.
He opened it gently.
To his confusion, the bed was empty.
"Lola?" he whispered, tension curling in his chest.
Then, he saw her, curled on the chaise, one arm flung carelessly over the side, her cheek resting against the cushion, her breath soft and even.
He exhaled in relief, a smile playing at the edge of his lips. He knelt beside her, brushing a loose strand of hair from her brow.
"Were you waiting for me?" he murmured, his voice low, more confession than question.
His fingertips traced her cheek with quiet reverence before he gathered her gently into his arms and carried her to the bed. He laid her down with care, tucked the covers over her…
And then turned to leave.
But her hand caught his.
"Please... stay," she whispered, eyes still closed, her voice heavy with sleep.
He hesitated only a second before moving around to the other side and slipping under the covers beside her. His arm found her waist, drawing her close, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I'm here," he breathed.
Sleep came swiftly to them both, but beneath the stillness of their embrace, the tides of change were rising and the morning would not wait for their hearts to decide.