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Rose was in the kitchen when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.
It had been a long day. A tiring one. She’d been kidnapped and taken out to Gorgagne Mills, where she’d spent most of the last twenty four hours. Aymeric had come to her rescue only several bells before.
She was exhausted, but she couldn’t sleep.
The two of them had ended up spending the night in Falcon’s Nest, and after it was clear that the tossing and turning was not going to alleviate matters, Rose went downstairs for a coffee.
The pot was almost done brewing when she heard the steps on the stairs.
Though Rose hadn’t known Aymeric but a few moons, she felt like she’d known him all her life. His footsteps were distinct, and she could hear him turning the corner.
She expected him to greet her, to ask her why she was up this late.
Instead, two arms wrapped around her from behind.
Normally, Aymeric was more than a full head taller than her. Seated as she was on a stool, though, they were almost the same height. He rested his head on her shoulder, and she could feel his breath on her skin.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Rose said, desperately trying to hide the red tint to her face.
She waited for a response, but none came. A palpable silence hung between the two of them. It was quiet enough that Rose could hear Aymeric’s heartbeat.
“Aymeric?” She prodded, trying to keep her voice soft.
“I don’t understand,” when Aymeric spoke, Rose could smell the spirits still on his breath, “How can something so strong be so fragile?”
Her. He was talking about her .
“When it was just Estinien, it was easier. No harm could ever befall him. I could focus on my work without worrying if he was safe. But now he’s Nidhogg’s thrall, and I’m unlikely to ever see him again as he once was.”
Rose thought about interrupting him, about insisting that she would be able to save Estinien, but she stopped herself. There was no guarantee she would be able to make something work, and even if she did, there was no guarantee how much of Estinien would be left.
Besides, she’d never heard Aymeric so honest before. He was still eloquent, as always, but there was a blunt tone to his words. There was no one to win over, there were no politicians to contend with. He was simply a man trying to reason with his emotions.
When was the last time he’d done so?
“They delivered the note to my office today, and my heart almost stopped,” Aymeric was now gripping her tighter, “All the note said was that they had you. There was no mention of a ransom, nor did they make any demands. I feared they’d taken you to make an example out of you, and that I would be too late.”
Rose remembered the knife they held to her throat. If they’d wanted to kill her, they had more than enough opportunity to do so. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
“All my life, I’ve been ready to give my everything for Ishgard. To see its people hale and whole. I was under no illusions that I would be able to have a life for myself or that I would be able to follow my heart.”
Rose could feel the butterflies in her stomach. It was a stark contrast to her story—she’d never planned or intended to give up her personal happiness, even if her own desires had eventually fallen by the wayside. It was one of the things she loved about Aymeric.
“But you make it difficult, my love. Whenever I see you, I want to run and embrace you. I want to profess my feelings for you, so that all of Ishgard may hear. When you’re in danger,” Rose could swear Aymeric’s voice was beginning to crack, “I can feel my resolve faltering.”
“So please,” he held her close, “allow me to be selfish. Allow me to steal these moments with you. Please,” he paused again, the spirits still heavy on his breath, “Stay alive for me. Stay safe for me, so that when the day comes that I am no longer Ishgard’s protector, I have someone to come home to.”
Rose could feel her heart beating out of her chest as Aymeric relaxed his grip. She couldn’t see her own face, but it was hard to imagine it was anything but a deep red.
She expected Aymeric to turn and face her, to come around, but instead he dropped his grip quietly as he began to step out of the room.
His next words were soft, and if Rose wasn’t listening for him, she probably wouldn’t have heard them at all.
”I love you, Rose. You’re the brightest star in my sky.”