'Since when did he refer to me like that?' Ezra wondered.
My captain.
It was not unusual. Princes often referred to their assigned captains that way. It implied duty. Loyalty. Structure.
But the way Helios had said it—
Warm.
Almost protective.
'I am overthinking,' Ezra told himself. 'It is a common phrase.'
Still, something in his chest had tightened.
Aurien, however, seemed entirely unbothered.
He smiled easily. "I had a great time. As expected, Captain Ezra is still the best and the most reliable when it comes to being a captain."
Ezra nearly choked again.
What.
He stared at Aurien for a second.
Aurien had his own captain.
And he had just declared that in front of his brother.
It was fortunate Zaide was not present yet. Even Ezra felt a strange twist at the thought of Helios praising another order's captain that way.
Praise like that was… personal.
"Of course," Helios replied without hesitation. "Even after five years of absence, he is still Ezra."
