Kaelen's POV
The first light crept in gently, brushing across the linens tangled around them. Nernia's leg was still draped over his waist, her hand resting against his bare chest, rising and falling with every breath he took. Her hair was wild against the pillow, her lips slightly parted from the soft weight of sleep.
Kaelen had barely slept. He'd spent most of the night memorizing every inch of her — not just her body, but the curve of her laughter, the way her fingertips trembled right before surrender, and how her eyes had looked right before he made her his.
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her temple.
It should have ended there. He should've let her rest.
But the moment he slid out of bed, reaching for the soft black fabric of his tunic, she stirred.
"Where are you going?" Her voice was low, still husky from sleep, and something more.
He glanced back and smiled gently. "The council awaits. We'll be late."
Her fingers curled into the sheet before she sat up, the covers slipping off her bare chest, and Kaelen's breath caught.
"Let them wait," she whispered.
Before he could respond, she reached for him. Pulled him back into bed. Into her arms. Into everything.
And just like that… the day was no longer Kaelen's to command.
Nernia's lips found his shoulder, then his throat, and her hands slid beneath his half-worn tunic, dragging it off him completely. Her touch wasn't soft anymore — it was hungry, desperate, familiar.
Kaelen let out a sharp breath as her mouth moved lower, every kiss an unspoken declaration: you're mine and I remember everything.
She rolled over him, her thighs straddling his waist. The sunlight spilled over her skin like golden silk, and for a moment, Kaelen swore she wasn't human — she was the divine flame he was born to worship.
"Nernia," he breathed, cupping her face. "If we keep going…"
"We won't stop," she finished, eyes burning into his. "I don't want to."
What followed was not just passion. It was aching. Soulful. Desperate.
They made love slowly at first — bodies moving in sync, lips locked, hands exploring what they had once lost. But as the morning bled into noon, restraint faded. The room echoed with soft gasps and deep groans, the bed creaking under the rhythm of their desire. Her name was a prayer on his lips; his was a song moaned from hers.
They didn't leave the bed. Not when the sun moved high above. Not when hunger teased at their bellies. Not even when the wind outside began to whisper the oncoming storm.
Again and again, they found each other — in new ways, in old ways, in ways that only lovers who'd been broken apart could. Kaelen kissed down her spine, worshiped her until she trembled, and held her so tightly it felt like he was sewing their souls back together.
And she gave him everything. Again. Again. Again.
When evening finally arrived and the last glow of the sun filtered in, their bodies were tangled in sweaty sheets, hearts pounding in tandem.
Nernia curled into his chest, breath still unsteady, lips brushing his skin.
"We lost time," she whispered, "but now… I'll make sure we don't lose another moment."
Kaelen kissed her forehead, his voice raw. "Then stay. Stay forever."
"I already have," she replied. "Even when I forgot, I still loved you."
They didn't need the stars that night.
They had each other — and for the first time in a long time, that was more than enough.