Lena leaned back on the soft hillside, Ashikai still curled comfortably in her lap, tail twitching every so often in dreams. She had finished the last bite of her burrito, crumbs dotting her fingers, and a light breeze carried the scent of wildflowers around them.
Kairo remained standing a few paces away, hands clasped behind his back, watching her with an unreadable expression.
"You really like it here," he said quietly.
"I do," Lena replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's… simple. No guards, no nobles, no rules—just me, him, and some flowers." She tapped Ashikai gently. "Right, Ashi?"
Exactly, he answered in her mind, ears flicking. No one telling me to sit still or be polite.
Kairo stepped closer, careful to avoid crushing the daisies. "I never thought a place like this existed within the kingdom," he said. "I… forget sometimes. Everything else is… complicated."
Lena raised an eyebrow. "Complicated how? The whole kingdom? Or just your life?"
He smirked faintly. "Both."
She laughed softly. "I'd say both. But you can't hide behind your crown here. Not from daisies, anyway."
He chuckled, and the sound was lighter than she had ever heard from him. It didn't carry the weight of command. "You're… surprisingly blunt."
"I call it being honest," she said, shrugging. "Sometimes it's easier than pretending I'm impressed by crowns and walls."
Kairo paused, studying her. "You're not like the others," he said slowly, almost thoughtfully. "Most people I meet… they're cautious, calculating. You… you just exist. Without pretension."
Lena smirked. "Flattery? You're trying to get me to share my burrito?"
He shook his head, smirk deepening. "I'm a king. I have no interest in burritos."
"Good," she said, nudging Ashikai gently. "More for me then."
For a moment, they watched the daisies together in silence. The flowers swayed in the breeze, white petals shaking like tiny bells. Lena noticed that some of them seemed to lean subtly toward her, almost as if sensing her presence.
"Do… you ever feel like things respond to you?" she asked suddenly.
Kairo tilted his head, frowning slightly. "Respond? How?"
"I don't know," she admitted, shrugging. "Like… you do something small, and somehow the world notices. Even animals. Even plants." She glanced down at Ashikai, whose ears twitched. "I don't know why it happens. But it does."
Kairo studied her closely, dark eyes narrowing. "You… you're not exaggerating, are you?"
"Nope," she said, smiling faintly. "Not even a little."
A flicker of something—curiosity, caution, maybe both—passed over his face. "Interesting," he said quietly. "Most people don't notice things like that."
"Most people aren't me," Lena replied with a playful grin.
He allowed himself a small laugh, leaning casually against a tree nearby. "True. Most people don't stare danger in the face and call it annoying. Or… whatever you call it."
"I call it life," she said. "And sometimes, survival."
Ashikai stirred on her lap, stretching luxuriously, claws lightly brushing her legs. "Don't ignore me," he grumbled telepathically.
"I'm not ignoring you, Ashi," Lena said, scratching behind his ears. "See? I'm multitasking—talking to a king and paying attention to my favorite fox."
Kairo's lips quirked. "Your fox is… remarkable," he said, stepping slightly closer. "And you seem… connected to him in ways I don't understand."
Lena tilted her head, considering. "We've been through a lot together. He's not just a pet, he's… my partner."
"Partner," Kairo repeated thoughtfully, as if tasting the word. "I see."
A moment of silence fell between them, broken only by the breeze and the soft rustling of daisies. Lena took another bite of her burrito, smirking when she noticed Kairo watching her more intently than the flowers.
"You've got a curious expression," she said. "What are you thinking?"
"About you," he admitted quietly. "And the way the world seems… to notice you. That's unusual."
Lena raised an eyebrow, her playful smirk returning. "Unusual enough to make a king curious?"
He chuckled softly. "Unusual enough to make me pause. That's… rare."
She laughed lightly, leaning back on her hands again, feeling the sun warm her face. "Well, consider your curiosity satisfied. The world notices me, yes, but usually only the dangerous parts."
Ashikai purred against her lap, tail flicking lazily. Dangerous parts, he muttered. That's one way to put it.
Kairo leaned back, watching the fox and Lena, and then back at the hill covered in daisies. "I didn't expect to spend time like this… talking about flowers, or foxes, or life outside the palace."
"Neither did I," Lena admitted. "But sometimes, the world gives you moments like this. Little corners of peace." She brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes. "Even kings deserve those corners, apparently."
He smirked faintly. "Even kings."
They sat together, the sun dipping toward the horizon, casting long golden shadows over the hill. Daisies swayed gently in the breeze, and for a brief moment, the chaos of crowns, thrones, and hidden marks felt impossibly far away.
Lena sighed softly, glancing at Ashikai. "I could stay here forever," she said.
He purred in agreement. Forever sounds nice.
Kairo's voice broke the comfortable silence. "Perhaps… you should come up here more often."
Lena tilted her head, smirking. "Maybe I will. If only to remind a king that not all things can be controlled."
He smiled faintly, a rare, unguarded expression that made her wonder if the daisies themselves were blushing.
And for a moment, amidst burritos, foxes, and hillsides covered in blossoms, Lena felt something that had been missing for far too long: quiet, warm, simple… belonging.
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