Ren sat with his back against the cold stone wall. The only light to see by was the flickering light of the lantern hanging against the wall, sending the shadows around the room dancing.
The silence of Carthage was still out there, but this one was the one that came with preparations for war.
There were still patrols searching for them, but Ren didn't care.
All he cared about was that here, in the warmth of the abandoned boathouse, there was only him and Lilith.
She rested her head on his shoulder, her silver hair spilling across his chest like a soft veil. Her breathing was slow and steady, though her voice when it came was soft, almost dreamy.
"When our baby is born…" she began, her tone carrying that fragile mixture of wonder and fear that Ren had rarely heard from her before. "We'll build a house. A proper one. With a patio where we can enjoy the view, a roof that doesn't leak, and a garden out front where the flowers will always bloom."
