Chapter Nineteen
For several moments, neither of them spoke.
The lake lay perfectly still beneath the afternoon sun, its clear surface reflecting the blue sky so perfectly that it almost looked endless.
Kael slowly moved toward the water's edge.
His enormous tail glided silently over the grass until the first row of scales slipped beneath the surface of the lake.
The instant the water touched him, Aiden felt something change.
The forest seemed quieter.
Not silent.
Respectful.
Kael closed his eyes.
His shoulders relaxed, and the usual confidence that he wore like a crown gave way to something reverent.
Aiden had never seen him look like this before.
"You know," Aiden said quietly, "I don't think I've ever seen you nervous."
Kael opened his eyes without looking back.
"I am not nervous."
"You sound nervous."
"I have not seen her in several centuries."
Aiden smiled gently.
"I guess that would make anyone a little nervous."
Kael did not answer.
He simply lowered both hands into the water.
The surface rippled gently beneath his fingers.
His forked tongue slipped briefly between his lips as he took a slow breath.
When he finally spoke, the language that left his mouth was unlike anything Aiden had ever heard.
The words flowed with soft hisses and gentle, melodic sounds that seemed to blend with the movement of the water itself.
Although Aiden understood none of it, he could not look away.
The language felt ancient.
Beautiful.
Alive.
Kael spoke slowly, almost as though every word carried centuries of meaning.
The water responded with widening circles that spread across the lake before disappearing into the distance.
When he finished, he bowed his head.
Then, in the common tongue, he spoke one final sentence.
"Arith..."
His voice was softer than Aiden had ever heard it.
"If you still walk beneath these skies, I ask that you hear an old friend."
Silence answered him.
The lake remained perfectly still.
Nothing happened.
Aiden waited.
One minute passed.
Then another.
He looked around the clearing before glancing back at Kael.
The prince had not moved.
He remained exactly where he was, his golden eyes fixed on the centre of the lake.
Aiden quietly shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"Do you think—"
Kael turned his head just enough to send him a single look.
It was not angry.
It was simply a clear warning that this was not the time to interrupt.
Aiden immediately closed his mouth.
He gave an apologetic nod and folded his arms, deciding that silence was probably the safest option.
Another minute slipped by.
The breeze disappeared.
The leaves overhead became perfectly still.
Birdsong faded until the entire forest seemed to hold its breath.
Aiden frowned.
He had grown up surrounded by nature, and he had never heard a forest become this quiet.
Then the lake moved.
Not with ripples.
The entire surface seemed to shiver.
Tiny circles of light appeared beneath the water, glowing softly like stars trapped beneath glass.
Fish emerged from the depths in silent schools, swimming toward the shore without fear.
Water lilies rose from beneath the surface one after another, opening into brilliant white blossoms although they had not been there moments before.
The air filled with the scent of fresh rain.
Aiden stared in amazement.
"What is happening?" he whispered.
Kael's eyes never left the water.
"She heard."
A soft laugh drifted across the lake.
It was warm.
Playful.
Familiar.
It echoed from every direction at once, making it impossible to tell where it had come from.
"So..."
The woman's voice danced across the water like music.
"The stubborn prince finally remembered that he owes me a visit."
A slow smile spread across Kael's face.
"I wasss wondering how long you would keep me waiting."
"I considered another century."
"I would have found that rude."
"I know."
The laughter came again.
It was bright enough to make Aiden smile even though he had never heard it before.
"I cannot believe you are still as impatient as you were when we first met."
"And I cannot believe you are sssstill late."
"I am a goddess, Kael. Arriving fashionably late is one of my privileges."
Aiden looked around the clearing, completely unable to find the speaker.
"I can hear her," he said quietly, "but I can't see her."
"You will."
The centre of the lake began to glow.
At first it was nothing more than a pale blue light beneath the surface.
Then it slowly rose upward.
The water lifted with it, twisting gracefully into the shape of a woman.
She appeared almost transparent at first.
Her long hair floated around her like flowing water, moving without any wind to carry it.
Her gown seemed to be woven from the lake itself, shifting gently with every ripple beneath her feet.
Tiny droplets of water circled around her like sparkling jewels, catching the sunlight as they danced through the air.
She drifted across the surface of the lake without disturbing it.
With every step she took, her form became clearer.
More solid.
The pale blue glow gradually faded until warm bronze skin replaced translucent light.
Her silver-blue hair settled over her shoulders in soft waves, and her bright turquoise eyes sparkled with unmistakable mischief.
By the time she reached the shore, she looked completely human.
Almost.
Only the faint shimmer beneath her skin and the tiny streams of water that continued to circle lazily around her revealed that she was anything but ordinary.
She stopped a few steps away from them.
Her bright turquoise eyes rested on Kael first.
The playful smile on her face softened.
For just a heartbeat, genuine emotion flickered across her features.
"My prince," she said quietly. "It has been far too long."
Kael smiled in return.
"It hasss."
Without another word, Arith walked toward him and pulled him into a gentle embrace.
Kael stiffened in her arms for the briefest moment.
Then, as though something inside him finally gave way, he visibly relaxed. He slowly wrapped one arm around her smaller frame and closed his eyes.
"I've missed you, my friend," the goddess whispered.
Aiden stood silently at the edge of the lake.
He had never seen Kael look so... human.
The proud prince who rarely allowed anyone close was quietly holding on to someone he had believed he might never see again.
For reasons he could not explain, Aiden found himself smiling.
The reunion felt like the beginning of something much bigger than either of them had expected.