"T-that's not my name."
She didn't turn around right away.
"Moraine," he said softly.
Her back was to him, and he couldn't see her face.
But he could way her shoulders tremble, and her hands clenched by her sides.
A faint sob escaped her lips.
She wiped her tears quickly, then turned to face him with a smile.
"Welcome back."
The words came out on their own.
She used to say them all the time when he returned from hunting, or when he came back from a long day in the market.
"I'm back," he replied, smiling.
Time blurred after that.
That night, Moraine requested her meal to be brought to her room.
She rarely dined with her family anyway.
Her status in the house was low, and she didn't particularly enjoy forcing conversation at the dinner table.
Eating in her room, with him by her side, felt far more comfortable.
The two of them sat at the small table. She ate slowly, occasionally stealing glances at him.
She studied his face.
He looked the same, physically.
