Bound by Shadows

If there was one thing I could always count on, it was Aline finding me whenever I most needed her. Whether I wanted her or not was another matter entirely.

"Aspin!" she called, her voice breaking through the quiet murmur of the library.

Torin and I had just returned from the garden after yet another walk in which I learned, to my dismay, that Torin had the patience of a saint. I was beginning to suspect that no amount of sarcasm could truly rattle him—an infuriating realization.

I looked up from the ledger I'd been pretending to read. Aline entered, her dark curls bouncing with every step, carrying a basket that I knew from experience would be full of sweets or bread. Likely both.

"Your Highness," she said with a teasing bow, setting the basket on the table in front of me. "I've brought sustenance to prevent your untimely death by boredom."

"You're too kind," I said dryly. "Though if I die, I won't have to listen to him anymore." I nodded toward Torin, who, as always, was standing near the door.

"Careful," Aline said, grinning as she glanced at him. "I think he might actually enjoy your sarcasm."

"That's because he's a glutton for punishment," I said, crossing my arms.

"Or," Torin interjected, his tone maddeningly even, "I just know when not to take you seriously."

Aline burst out laughing, and I glared at her. "Whose side are you on?"

"Hers, of course," Torin said before Aline could answer.

She grinned at him. "See, Aspin? He's not so bad."

I rolled my eyes. "Remind me why I keep you around?"

"Because you can't live without me," she said easily, pulling out a chair and sitting across from me.

I couldn't argue with that, though I'd never admit it aloud.

Aline leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. "You know, you've been cooped up in this palace too long. When's the last time we had an adventure?"

I smirked. "The last time I snuck out and nearly got myself killed."

"Ah, yes," she said with a laugh. "Good times."

Torin cleared his throat. "I'm starting to see why you needed a personal guard."

"I didn't need a personal guard," I said quickly. "I need better friends."

"Rude," Aline said, though she didn't look offended. Instead, she reached for a pastry from her basket, handing one to me.

As I took it, a memory surfaced, unbidden but vivid.

"I still remember the first time we met," I said, surprising myself.

Aline grinned. "Oh, you mean when you tried to boss me around, and I threw flour in your face?"

"I was five," I said defensively.

"And I was four, and already smarter than you," she teased.

I couldn't help but laugh. "You were supposed to help me bake cookies for the Harvest Festival, not start a food fight."

"You called me 'common,'" she said, wagging her finger at me.

I winced. "I didn't mean it like that."

"You were five," she said, shrugging. "You didn't know any better. But I did."

"I'm surprised you forgave me," I admitted.

"You cried when I didn't share my cookies with you," she said with a smirk. "How could I not forgive you?"

The memory warmed something in my chest. Aline had been my constant companion since that day, a voice of reason when I was being stubborn and a partner in crime when I wasn't.

"You two are trouble," Torin said, though his tone lacked the usual edge.

Aline raised an eyebrow. "We've managed just fine without your judgment, thank you very much."

"For now," he said, leaning casually against the wall.

"Don't you have something better to do?" I asked him.

"No."

Of course, he didn't.

Aline leaned closer, lowering her voice as if Torin couldn't hear her. "So, what do you think of him?"

I nearly choked on my pastry. "Excuse me?"

She grinned. "You know what I mean. He's handsome, isn't he?"

I glared at her, my cheeks warming. "That's completely irrelevant."

"It's not irrelevant if you're thinking about it," she said, her tone sing-song.

"I'm not."

"You are."

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Why do I tell you anything?"

"Because I'm your best friend," she said smugly.

I peeked through my fingers to see Torin watching us, a faint smile on his lips. The sight annoyed me more than it should have.

"You're both impossible," I said, standing abruptly.

"And you love us for it," Aline said, her laughter following me as I left the room.

Torin fell into step beside me, his presence as steady and irritating as ever.

"You and Aline seem close," he said after a moment.

"We've been through a lot together," I said, my tone softer than I intended.

"That's obvious," he said, and for once, there was no teasing in his voice.

I glanced at him, surprised by the sincerity in his expression. For a moment, the tension between us eased, replaced by something I couldn't quite name.

But then he smirked, and the moment was gone.

"So," he said, "do you really think I'm handsome?"

I groaned. "I hate you."

"No, you don't," he said, his smirk widening.

He was right, of course. And that only made me hate him more.