Page 106 of Court of Aether and Shadows

The events of the night before sent a flush of heat through my body — memories of passion and power intertwined, of shadows and starlight dancing together in perfect harmony.

Peering slightly at Aetheron allowed me to admire him as he slept. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, and I felt his shadows pulse gently in time with his breathing, still wrapped around us both like a protective cocoon.

When I shifted slightly, his arms tightened.

"Stay," he murmured, his voice rough with sleep. "Just a little longer."

The shadows responded to his words, caressing my skin with gentle touches that made me shiver. I couldn’t help but smile because if only he knew how much I wished to remain here.

I want to make this unknown place a sanctuary from the chaos I’ve been dreaming of running away from for as long as I can remember.

"Tell me about her," I said softly, turning in his embrace to face him. "About your life together, about ruling this realm. I want to understand the past. Your past with your Starlight Queen."

His molten-gold eyes opened slowly, focusing on me with an intensity that made my heart skip. He raised a hand to trace my cheek, studying my face as if memorizing every detail.

"Our reign began in an age of chaos," he said, his voice taking on a distant quality as ancient memories surfaced. The shadows around us shifted, seeming to reflect the images in his mind. "The courts were at war, reality itself threatened to unravel. Liarel..." His voice softened on the name, filled with reverence. "She came like a storm, like the first light breaking through eternal darkness."

Liarel.

I could finally take the moment to grasp her identity in my mind and label it with the various memories and emotions I’ve endured even before arriving here.

Lord Aetheron’s hand continued its gentle exploration of my face; comparing, remembering that past he obviously held dear.

"She had your fire, you know. That same indomitable spirit. When she walked into a room, everyone felt it. Not just her power, but her presence. She could silence a room of quarreling courtiers with a single look, or inspire armies with just a few words."

The shadows around us began to form shapes, creating ghostly images of a grand throne room. I could almost see it — crystalline spires reaching toward an impossible sky, beings of shadow and starlight gathered in elegant disarray.

"We ruled from the Twilight Throne," he continued, his fingers now tracing patterns on my bare shoulder that felt like spells. "Side by side, shadow and light in perfect balance. She wore a crown of captured starlight, and her laugh..." He smiled, the expression softening his otherworldly features. "Her laugh could make flowers bloom in the darkest corners of our realm."

His power surged slightly with the memories, making the air thick with emotion and ancient magic.

"We would dance in the heart of our Court, our powers intertwining until reality itself bent around us.” I can see how intense his love for her is, especially with how it shows in his molten eyes. “She taught me that strength could be found in gentleness. That true power came from balance rather than dominance."

So different from the life I had to live. I can only wonder how she came to power and how the two of them met to fall so passionately in love with one another.

"What was your favorite moment together?" I asked, reaching up to trace the silver markings on his chest that pulsedbeneath my touch. His skin was warm, almost feverish, as if the memories themselves raised his temperature. It was far different from when we made love and his body was so frigid, as if to tame the blazing heat leaving me with every thrusting movement.

A soft smile played on his lips as he caught my exploring hand in his.

"There were so many," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my palm. "But perhaps... yes. It was during the Festival of Falling Stars. Liarel had convinced me to abandon the formal celebrations."

“Convinced, huh?” I say with speculation that held a hint of mischief to it. I felt like that could be something I’d yearn to do rather than the old-school ways of throwing a party in this world.

The shadows around us shifted again, becoming more defined. I could almost see it — a night sky filled with impossible constellations, stars falling like diamond rain.

"We snuck away to the Mirror Lakes," he continued, his voice rich with remembered joy. "Places where the barrier between realms is so thin you can see other worlds reflected in the water. She wore a gown that seemed to be made of liquid moonlight. How she danced on the surface of the lake itself, each step creating ripples that spread across a thousand realities."

His free hand tangled in my hair, comparing its texture to ancient memories.

"She always did love to break protocol," he chuckled. "Rather like someone else I know."

“Hmph,” I huff, feeling both acknowledged and a little surprised he knew so much of my traits. That had to mean he kept a close eye on me once he began to appear in my dreams. He didn’t have to.

Heck, was it even allowed?

I felt a sense of thanks that he was some sort of guardian angel who sought to relieve me with something I didn’t allow myself to enjoy in real life.

To be vulnerable and intimate with these men who would only see me as an object of pleasure and never their equal. Not even on a stronger scale than them.

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