~.✧ Austora ✧.~ [COMPLETE]

~.✧ five ✧.~

It seemed with each passing day, I was waking up in the night more and more. The night of the tea party, I awoke just an hour after I'd fallen asleep with a sense of unease. From what, I was unsure. It could have been from anything really. But for whatever the reason, I tossed and turned and couldn't get my eyes to rest once again.

So, like I'd done on previous nights, I tiptoed my way downstairs and to the kitchen. The plate of sweets that Tehrsi had left out this time were called fedlaces, which were little squares of cookie, fluffy cream, and a filling of some sort in between. This batch had been hazelnut syrup filled and with one bite, I felt every muscle in my body relax.

After finishing one off, I couldn't resist the temptation to take one for the road to wherever I was off to next. As I was about to leave, though, I paused, staring at the plate. An idea popped into my head and started to circulate and, with a small smile, I grabbed another square.

Holding the deserts close, I rounded each corner and slipped down each hall quietly until I made it to the front of the castle. I exited ever so slowly as to not disturb anyone and then padded down the courtyard steps. Around the fountain and then down the path and I neared the gate that led to and from the castle grounds.

I lurked in the shadows for a moment, trying to see if my speculation was correct. Then, to the left side of the gate, I saw a form outlined in the darkness. I hesitated before I risked a whisper. "Larklind?"

The form shifted to face in my general direction. They were quiet for a moment before his airy soft voice filtered over to me. "Princess? Is that you?"

I smiled to myself and walked closer. My eyes were starting to adjust and now I could tell it was him from his build to the casual way he held himself. I could tell that as I got closer, he was able to recognize me better as well.

"What are you doing here?" he asked gently when we were close enough to make out each other's features. His dark eyes caught on a distant light and gleamed like two of the many stars in the sky above us.

I slowly held out the dessert. "I brought you a snack."

He glanced down at it and then chuckled. "What is it?" he asked as he took it from me.

"It's a fedlace."

"Mmm, I love these." He held it up to his nose. "What flavor?"

"Hazelnut. I was crossing my fingers that you weren't allergic to nuts."

His eyes met mine again and he beamed. "I'm not. This looks amazing. Thank you for thinking of me, your Highness."

"Saidy," I corrected in a whisper, hugging my robe closer to me a little self consciously.

"Right. Saidy. Because we're friends." Before I realized what he was doing, he gently bumped his shoulder into mine. I stared at him for a second, perplexed, until I realized that he was just messing around with me like friends did. Warmth pervaded my chest and my smile was a little wider than what the simple event called for. But I was starting to realize I liked having friends besides my siblings. My siblings were great, but this dynamic was all so new but thrilling.