He was still looking at her, his gaze sharp and calculating, that cunning, perceptive stare that always seed capable of piercing straight through her defenses and into the deepest recesses of her thoughts.
Even though all she wanted was to continue on her way and avoid any further interaction, she found herself pausing despite her better judgnt. Drawing in a breath, she cleared her throat.
"I never got the chance to say this earlier, but I am truly sorry about what happened to your father," she said gently.
"You know," Azul replied, expelling another slow plu of smoke into the cool night air, "you’re the eleventh person to say that to today." His lips curled faintly, though there was no real amusent in it. "He isn’t even dead yet, and everyone is already acting as though he is."
Elka could hear the bitterness laced beneath his words.
"I only ant to offer so comfort," she rushed to say. "I apologize if I offended you."
He waved her concern away with a lazy flick of his hand.
"No need to apologize, you didn’t offend ." He leaned back slightly. "I haven’t had a full night’s rest since my father collapsed in front of us. And whenever I do manage to sleep, it’s restless." His gaze shifted toward her again. "I imagine the sa is true for you, considering you’re out here at this hour."
He didn’t miss the flicker of surprise that crossed her face.
Most people knew Azul as the most unpredictable mber of the royal family. He was self-serving, and very indifferent to others. It unsettled her, in a way she could not quite explain, to see him speak so openly about sothing so personal and to her, of all people.
"I only stepped out for a brief walk," she explained. "You might consider trying it as well. It can be quite calming, it may even help with your sleep."
A low chuckle rumbled deep in his throat. He lifted his half-finished cigar slightly, as though presenting evidence.
"I’ve found that this serves just fine," he said, a glint of sothing unreadable flickering in his eyes. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "Sit with ."
"Your Highness, I’m afraid I cannot," she replied, her posture stiffening. "Your brother would not be pleased if he found here with you."
That alone was reason enough for her to be cautious. She was still navigating her place within the palace, still balancing on uncertain ground, and the last thing she needed was to draw more of Hairan’s suspicion, or worse, his ire.
A faint frown ford on Azul’s face.
"Which brother are you referring to?" he asked dryly. "I have three of them, perhaps even more, if we consider my father’s lechery. There could be dozens of bastards scattered across Lamora, and I wouldn’t know. You’ll have to be more specific."
"Prince Hairan," she said. "He does not like it when I speak to you."
"Is that so?" Azul tilted his head slightly, as though genuinely considering it. "I don’t see why he should care. Though, to be fair, my brother has always been full of contradictions." His gaze lingered on her again, intent. "Still, I insist that you sit with , even if only for a short while."
Elka hesitated.
For a mont, she considered refusing again. But in the end, she relented with a quiet exhale. There was sothing about the sight of him sitting there alone, that stirred a reluctant sense of sympathy within her.
Just a few minutes, she told herself. Nothing more.
Slowly, she lowered herself onto the bench beside him, careful to maintain a respectable distance. Her eyes remained fixed ahead, deliberately avoiding his. The scent of tobacco that clung to him was made all the more noticeable by their proximity.
"I heard you’ve been having so trouble of late," she said after a mont, her hands resting neatly in her lap.
"If you’re referring to the fact that I can barely step outside the gates without being harassed," Azul replied, "then yes, you heard correctly."
"You should not have killed Lord Tomar’s son the way you did," she still wasn’t looking at him. "It was wrong and you know it."
A slow, almost amused smile unfurled across his face at her words.
"Then tell ," he said, turning slightly toward her to study her reaction, "how, exactly, should I have killed him? Should I have torn open his chest and scooped out his heart? Perhaps you would have preferred it if I had slipped poison into his cup of wine while he was unaware, just like what was done to my father?
"He committed treason," Azul continued. "And I gave him a punishnt befitting his cri. No one is above the law. Not long ago, my brother Ragnar was accused of the sa. He stood trial before the court, just like any other man. Had he been found guilty, he would have been executed as well." He gave a faint shrug. "Who are we to decide when justice should, or should not, be served? Jayran said the sa thing you did. Claid I had no right. You remind of him sotis."
"I don’t see how we can share any similarities," she replied, frowning slightly. "I’ve barely spoken more than a few words to him."
"Then you’ll simply have to take my word for it," Azul said.
He lifted his hand slowly, pausing just before reaching her, his gaze searching her face with an unspoken question.
A loose strand of her hair had fallen forward, brushing lightly against her cheek.
"May I?"
She paused for only a mont before giving a small, almost imperceptible nod.
The next second, his fingers moved with surprising gentleness as he tucked the stray lock behind her ear.
"My brother and I were very close, hardly a rare thing for twins. But with us, it was different. We were practically inseparable," he continued, his voice carrying a nostalgic amusent.
His hand still lingered near her face, hovering without purpose now, yet refusing to withdraw. "We shared everything. Toys, chambers, weapons, horses. And on several occasions, even won."
His finger brushed lightly against her cheek.
Elka recoiled at once, batting his hand away from her. The contact alone made her skin crawl, and the ease with which he had done it only deepened her disgust.
Azul’s smile widened at her reaction, like he had expected nothing less.
Her face twisted in distaste. "Is that so?" she shot back coldly. "Do you stare at your brother salaciously as well, or is that particular privilege reserved just for ?"
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