Aiwin settled onto the edge of the mattress, giving you room. He did not know how to comfort you while you grieved your brother. His mother had never even hugged him, what was he meant to do for you? Your relationship with Xior was lost to him. He had no siblings, and he'd lost both his parents years ago and accepted their deaths on his own.

"Kelas is well," he decided to say. "The healer believes he'll be taller than Ailea and Xirin."

Your children might bring you some happiness, he thought. Kelas had been born a week prior to Xior's death. Aiwin was not aware if you wrote to Xior about the children. Xior had never met any of them, and you had not met his. For the past six years you'd remained in Vesta, away from Odara, for the sake of peace between elves and humans.

Xior was not only your younger brother, but the King of Odara. His wife, Evanthe, the queen, was acting as ruler until their son, Lonan, was old enough to become king. The boy was only six winters old, Ailea was close to him in age. He was healthy though, unlike his sickly father. Xior had been taken by his illness only twenty-six years into life. Aiwin may not have known the man well, but he knew he had heart.

Aiwin took a glance at you. "I thought, perhaps, we might bathe together." Six years of marriage and he felt as though he was talking to a stranger. What sort of useless husband was he?

You were unlike any other person—elf or human—in his life. Aiwin loved you, truly and deeply, regardless of how you felt. He would never expect you to return his feelings. Your marriage to him only existed to bring peace between the kingdoms. He had never fooled himself into believing he'd marry for love. But he had loved you since Ailea was born, for better or for worse. He had never uttered the words, however, not even to his children.

"Or we could share a meal," he suggested. He felt helpless. Aiwin was so used to being king, he did not know how to be a husband, or a friend, or someone you needed.