The first thing I felt was warmth — not the kind that came from sunlight, but from the steady pulse of another body pressed close to mine. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in Herick's arms. His grip was firm yet careful, as if one wrong move would shatter the fragile peace that had settled between us.
His chest rose and fell beneath my palm, the rhythm steady. Dawn had already breached the curtains, spilling soft gold across the tangled sheets. The air smelled faintly of sweat, candle wax, and something sweet — a trace of the night we shared.
Herick's tousled hair caught the morning light. For a moment, he didn't stir; his face looked strangely gentle in sleep, lacking the hardened command of the knight everyone feared — or admired by everyone. Yet, he—the knight commander was conquered by me completely. The contrast made me smile faintly. It seemed last night had stripped away more than armour.
