Chapter 11 Theoden
THEODEN
One minute, Theoden is regaling a story of his youth. The next, he feels her near. Like the planet he orbits, Theo can always sense Aerin Tolvare.
Trying to hide the massive grin that adorns his face, he takes a sip of his drink, eyes automatically scanning the room for her.
Theo is often forced to watch her from afar, as if behind a pane of glass, never quite able to reach out and touch her.
Today, when he lays eyes on her, she’s dressed in his house colors, closing the distance between them. His heart pounds against his ribcage.
Aerin stops her approach close enough to touch for the first time in years.
Her golden eyes glow, framed by thick, dark lashes.
The curse of being as long lived as they are, is that eight years felt both impossibly long and like the blink of an eye.
Every moment they’ve ever shared floods into his head.
Theo has known a thousand versions of her. Has loved every one.
Swallowing, Theo swears his heart is going to pound right out of his chest, fall onto the floor and flop around like a fish. He has led armies and fought against deep sea creatures, yet one Princess is enough to bring him to his knees.
Aerin opens her gorgeous mouth, only slightly, and Theo holds his breath. The noise around him fades until there is nothing, no one, but Aerin.
“Hello, Theo.”
Her voice melts him.
They stare at each other, shocked. Theo can’t be certain this isn’t some kind of trick. As if Aerin’s thinking the same thing, she speaks the words again.
“Hello, Theo.”
The wine glass in his hand falls through his fingers and shatters on the floor, pieces skittering everywhere. The sound is overshadowed by Theo’s laugh. He’s laughing, if only not to cry.
They crash together. Theo has both arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground in an instant. He buries his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. She smells a bit like fall and entirely like home. He never wants to let her go.
Setting Aerin back on her feet, he pulls away to see her face. She’s smiling, and it lights her up so brightly she shines. However, it only takes a second for the smile to fall. Pain passes over her features briefly before she shuts everything down again.
The world around them comes crashing back in, like a hammer to an anvil. Creatures are whispering. Cameras are flashing.
Theo doesn’t care; he would claim Aerin for the entire continent to see. He’d carve out his own heart only to lay it at her feet.
But then, Aerin knows that.
She takes a step back. Something inside Theo cracks, but he keeps a smile plastered over his features.
Aerin clears her throat.
“As I was saying…” She’s loud enough for those around them to overhear. “It’s not done yet. But soon. Perhaps a few months, at the most?”
She is asking something of him, a pleading look in her golden eyes.
Theo doesn’t let his disappointment show. A few months is nothing compared to what they’ve been through. A few months is nothing compared to the time they will get to have together when things are right again.
Theo nods.
“A few months.”
Relief floods through her features, but Aerin locks it away quickly. She nods before she walks away from him. Again.