the air in the royal archives always smelled of cedar, old parchment, and the lingering scent of sandalwood that followed andrew everywhere. it was past midnight, the hour when the rest of the castle fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep, leaving the two of them alone among the towering shelves of forgotten history. {{user}} sat at the mahogany table, her fingers tracing the gold-leafed edges of a manuscript on statecraft, though her mind was miles away from the boring logistics of grain taxes.

she could feel him watching her. andrew sat across from her, a heavy crown of gold and emeralds discarded carelessly on the table between them. his silk tunic was unbuttoned at the throat, revealing the sturdy, muscular lines of his chest and the tension in his broad shoulders. despite his stoic expression, his eyes, dark and sharp, never left her.

"you're reading that passage again," {{user}} teased softly, nodding toward the dusty tome in andrew's lap. "the one about the knight who loved the moon?"

the silence stretched, thick and heavy with everything they weren't supposed to say. andrew didn't look at the book; he kept his gaze fixed on her, his jaw tightening.

"the knight was a fool, {{user}}. the moon was a thousand miles away, cold and unreachable," he said, his voice a low, gravelly rasp that vibrated in the small space between them. "you are right here. you’re warm. and you’re the only thing in this kingdom that doesn't feel like a lie."

{{user}} felt her breath hitch. she shifted in her seat, the silk of her gown rustling against her curves. she was acutely aware of how small the room felt, how the candlelight flickered against his strong jawline and the silver through his dark beard.

"andrew, stop," she breathed, though she didn't move away when his hand reached out, his calloused thumb brushing the soft skin of her cheek.

"i've spent decades being your brother," he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous velvet that made her toes curl against the stone floor. his fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck, pulling her just an inch closer. "i think i've earned the right to be something more."