—Alexia—
I get out of bed, slip on my slippers, and walk toward the door. Just as I get to the door, the bathroom door opens, and Kaia walks out, still in her pajamas.
"You're out of bed," Kaia says. "How are you feeling?"
"No idea," I say truthfully.
I open the door, knowing full well that Finn and his entourage are the ones knocking. "Hey guys."
I walk back to my bed and lean up on my pillows. The boys file in, and Soren, last, shuts the door. Finn has two cups of coffee in his hands.
"I hope one of those is for me," I say, patting the bed next to me.
Finn's smile stretches wide as he comes over and sits beside me. He hands me the cup, then leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead.
"Couldn't let you start the day without it," he says, voice warm.
I take a sip, letting the heat seep into the ache in my bones, grounding me.
Kaia glances around, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I should grab breakfast for everyone—and another coffee for myself."
Jasper grins, stretching. "I'll come. You're going to need help carrying all that."
Soren lets out a quiet sigh but nods. "I'll come too. Otherwise, you'll forget half the order."
Kaia rolls her eyes, but there's a small, grateful smile she tries to hide as she heads for the door. Jasper winks at me, and Soren gives Finn a look before following them out, shutting the door softly behind him.
The room falls quiet, warm with the lingering laughter, but heavy with the spaces they leave behind. Finn's knee bumps mine, but he doesn't pull away. "Finally," he says under his breath, trying for a grin.
I set my coffee on the nightstand, turning to face him. "You okay?"
He huffs a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I should be asking you that."
"I'm… here," I say, shrugging, even though the weight of everything is still there under my skin.
His eyes soften, glacier-blue and clear, and he leans forward, elbows on his knees. "Lex, about yesterday… I wanted to say—"
I tense, bracing, but he just shakes his head, a small smile pulling at his lips.
"I'm proud of you."
I blink, caught off guard. "What?"
He looks at me, really looks, like he's trying to burn this moment into his memory. "The way you handled the council. The way you didn't let them push you around, even when you were still hurting. I've seen royals with decades of training who would've cracked under that pressure."
My chest tightens, something warm and sharp moving through me. "I didn't feel brave."
"Doesn't matter," he says softly. "You were."
I glance down, twisting my fingers in the blanket, fighting the prickle behind my eyes. "I didn't do it alone."
"No," he agrees, and when I look up, he's closer, his knee pressing into mine, his hand finding mine. "But it was you they were trying to break. And you didn't let them."
His thumb brushes across my knuckles, slow, steady. The silence between us feels different now, full of everything we're not saying.
"Finn…" I swallow, the words catching. "I don't know what this is between us."
His jaw works, and he nods, eyes dropping to our joined hands. "Yeah. I know."
"But I don't want it to stop," I whisper.
His head snaps up, eyes wide, and for a breath, there's nothing but him and me and the soft hum of our magic pulsing in the air.
"Me neither," he breathes, a crooked smile breaking across his face.
We sit there, the words we're not ready to say hanging between us, bright and sharp and alive.
"I'm close, Lex," he says, voice low, almost a promise. "So close to saying it."
I close my eyes, letting his presence anchor me. "Me too."
His forehead drops to mine, breath warm, and his fingers tighten around mine. And for now, that's enough.
A soft knock breaks the quiet, and Finn pulls back just enough for me to see the smile still lingering on his lips. His thumb gives my hand one last squeeze before he lets go, standing to open the door.
Kaia walks in first, balancing a cardboard tray of coffees with focused determination. Jasper follows, arms loaded with paper bags that smell like cinnamon and fresh bread, and Soren trails in last, holding a small box of pastries and looking mildly put out by the chaos.
"Breakfast brigade reporting for duty," Jasper announces, dropping the bags on the small table near the window with a dramatic sigh.
Kaia rolls her eyes at him, setting the coffee tray down with exaggerated care. "We didn't spill a single drop. You're welcome."
"Miracle," Soren mutters, but he's already pulling lids off cups to pass them out, his practiced movements hiding the faint amusement in his eyes. The smell of warm cinnamon and sweet frosting makes my stomach growl, loud enough that Kaia laughs.
"I'm taking that as a good sign," she says, handing me a cup with a pink scribble on the lid. "Extra cream, two sugars, just how you like it."
"Thanks," I say, and I mean it. For the coffee. For letting me have a moment with Finn. For not treating me like I'm fragile.
Jasper tears into a bag, pulling out warm, flaky pastries and holding one out toward me with a grin. "Eat. Doctor's orders."
"I don't think you're a doctor," I say, but I take it anyway, the warmth seeping into my fingers.
"Don't encourage him," Soren says, but there's no real bite in it.
Finn sits back down beside me, his coffee in hand, and for a moment, it's almost normal. Almost easy. Kaia perches on the arm of the chair across from us, sipping her coffee and glancing around the room like she's checking for cracks in the silence. Jasper plops down on the floor, cross-legged, unwrapping his pastry with the enthusiasm of someone who skipped dinner the night before, and Soren claims the chair near the window, leaning back with his long legs stretched out. We eat in companionable quiet for a moment, the rustle of paper bags and the soft sip of coffee filling the room.
It's Jasper who breaks the quiet, wiping frosting from the corner of his mouth with a grin. "So, what's the plan for today, fearless leader?"
I pause, halfway through a bite, and blink at him. "Fearless leader?"
Kaia snorts into her coffee, and even Soren's lips twitch.
"You faced down the council like a queen yesterday," Jasper says, shrugging. "Pretty sure that earns you the title."
Heat creeps into my cheeks, and I glance down at the pastry in my hands. "I don't feel like a queen."
"You don't have to," Finn says quietly beside me, his knee brushing against mine. "You just have to keep being you."
The warmth in his voice sends something soft curling in my chest, and I glance at him, finding that same steady look in his eyes.
Kaia hums, nodding. "We've got your back. Whatever today brings."
I take a breath, letting it settle in and letting them settle around me.
"Okay," I say, lifting my coffee in a quiet toast. "Then let's get through today."
Jasper raises his cup with a grin. "To survive today."
Kaia clinks her cup against mine. "And tomorrow."
Soren just lifts his cup slightly, but his gaze is steady, a quiet promise in the small gesture.
Finn's cup bumps softly against mine last, his eyes never leaving mine.
"To you," he says.
And for now, with them here, it's enough.