Epilogue
A bell is rung as a vessel docks at the harbor, tradesmen loud as they hawk their wares. Nets are brought ashore, the smell of spoiled fish strong here.
I continue toward the center of town, the walls surrounding the stalls and households far off, my own private home farther still. My sword sits at my left, the metal never far from my grasp if I can help it.
Children run in the space between merchants, minders attempting to corral them. A few mutter apologies my way, but I simply nod and continue on. It’s no bother to me.
I’m nearly to the shoemaker when I see a new stall set up, a man I’ve never met before standing behind a table. His hair is golden, shining in the sun, his skin tanned and his muscle lean. I move his way.
He spots me approaching, his eyes running quickly from my face to my sword. I’m not in full armor, but he recognizes me for what I am.
“Greetings,” I say, stopping before his stall. There are small cakes set out, dainty morsels I daresay I’d finish in two bites .
“Welcome.”
“Are you selling these?”
He makes a short sound. “You do not want those.”
“Do I not?”
“No.” He lifts a lid from beside him, pulling a slim rectangle of bright yellow out. “Here.”
“Will it cost?”
His lips quirk. “Of course.”
Taking his wrist in my hand, I bring the offering close. The merchant’s eyes widen when I snag the food from between his fingertips, my lips brushing his skin. My own eyes widen as I register the taste on my tongue.
He clears his throat, reclaiming his hand. “Honeycomb.”
“It is delicious. You have a hive?”
“Yes.”
“And the cakes?”
“Baked myself.”
I hum, licking honey from my bottom lip, a move he follows with his gaze. “Do you have more for me?”
His lips press into a smile, even as he busies himself with straightening his stall. “Perhaps tomorrow.”
“And what if I do not wish to leave as of yet?”
His eyes meet mine, startlingly blue, far more beautiful than the waters off our shore. “I hardly believe I could force you.”
He pointedly eyes my sword, and I huff a laugh.
“I think you doubt your power,” I tell him. “Where are you from?”
“Not far.”
“But you are staying?”
“I am.”
“Good,” I mutter, nodding to myself. “What is your name?”
He raises an eyebrow. “That will cost you, as well. ”
“Will it? How much?”
He seems to weigh this. “For the honeycomb, you come back tomorrow.”
“For another treat? That hardly seems like payment.”
“And for my name…” He pauses, eyes running over my face for a moment, seeming to come to some conclusion. “For that, a proper meal.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.”
I hold out my hand. “I accept your terms. Although I must warn you, they weigh heavily in my favor.”
“Then it seems our goals are aligned.” His palm clasps mine, his eyes seeming to twinkle in the sunlight. I feel it like a blow to my sternum. Not even glancing, no. Piercing and beautifully sharp.
“I am Leandros,” I offer, not yet letting go. “Your name?”
He nods his head shortly. “Aster, my good warrior.”
“Aster? Your parents named you for the stars?”
His shrug is slight.
“Fitting,” I say, bringing his hand up. “You have stars in your eyes with the way they shine.”
He pulls in a soft breath when I bow my head, my lips brushing his skin.
“It is my absolute honor, Aster, to have met you in this life.”
He watches me closely as I release him, my palm cold without his to warm it. “You will return tomorrow?”
I place my hand over my heart. “It is my solemn vow. After all, I am in your debt.”
“Then I shall see you again.”
“Quite swiftly. Perhaps another for the road?”
Lips in a smile, Aster retrieves a second piece of honeycomb. He snaps his hand back when I reach for him, instead waving me forward. I lean his way and open my mouth, and he sets the delicacy on my tongue.
I savor every bite as the honey drips down my throat.
“Soon, my star.”
Aster purses his lips at such familiarity, but his eyes tell me he’s pleased to hear it. He nods his head once more. “My warrior.”
There’s a grin on my face as I walk through the merchants’ stalls.
When I glance back, Aster’s face is set in much the same.
The sun glitters overhead, the clank of the shoemaker’s tools drawing my gaze forward once more.
If I listen hard enough, I can hear the water still lapping at the shore.
An inhale draws salt-tinged air into my lungs.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow is a new day.
I cannot say for certain what it will hold, but I feel in the deepest parts of me that from now forward my life has branched on a new path, one of many possible outcomes. My tomorrow is not the same as it might have otherwise been had I missed Aster. A single encounter, and hope sits in my heart.
Whatever the next day brings, and the one after that, my future has certainly been changed.
Irrevocably.
Miraculously.
Forevermore.
The End