The next few days passed with a subtle shift. Evelyn and Aaron began meeting regularly—sometimes in the garden, sometimes by the edge of the woods. They spoke little at first, but their silences grew comfortable, filled with shared looks and mutual understanding.
One morning, as they sat near the river skipping stones, they were joined by two other children from the village. One was a red-haired boy named Tomlin, all elbows and laughter, and the other was a girl named Maren, older than Evelyn by a year and known for her cleverness.
Tomlin immediately tried to impress them by balancing on a log and pretending it was a horse. "One day I'll ride in the King's guard," he declared grandly, before slipping and falling into the water. Aaron laughed, and even Evelyn giggled—a soft, surprised sound she hadn't heard from herself in a long time.
Maren, on the other hand, observed quietly. She gave Evelyn a curious smile and asked, "Do you know how to climb trees?"
Evelyn blinked. "No."
"Good. I'll teach you," Maren said.
And just like that, the circle widened. Evelyn, once so alone, found herself part of something small but real. Aaron always remained her anchor, but with Tomlin's laughter and Maren's confident nudges, she began to bloom like the mint she'd helped him plant.
She was still quiet, still shy—but now there were voices that called her name, hands that reached out in play, and eyes that saw more than just the burden she had been treated as.
The days began to feel warmer. Even when they weren't.
The next few days were warmer, unusually so for the season, and the children took full advantage of it. The woods behind the cottages, with their tall trees and winding paths, became their little kingdom.
Aaron had taken it upon himself to show Evelyn all the secret places—where the wildflowers grew in quiet patches, where the stones in the river made a perfect crossing, and where you could lie on your back and see the stars even before the sun had fully set.
Evelyn listened more than she spoke, her eyes wide and quiet, her footsteps soft. But Aaron didn't seem to mind. He filled the silence with stories, with questions, and with occasional moments of unexpected thoughtfulness.
One afternoon, they wandered down to the edge of the river, where the stones were warm and smooth underfoot. Evelyn dipped her toes in the cool water and smiled faintly.
"You always know where the quiet places are," she said softly.
Aaron grinned. "Aldric says knights need to know how to be still as much as they know how to fight."
Evelyn glanced at him. "Are you going to be a knight?"
He nodded with conviction. "I'll protect the people of this Kingdom. "
She looked down again, her voice a whisper. "That's brave."
They sat in silence for a while, the sound of the river bubbling between them.
Then Aaron turned to her, studying the way the sunlight caught in her black hair and how the breeze played gently with the strands. Her eyes, deep and black like midnight, watched the water flow.
"Can I call you something?" he asked suddenly.
Evelyn blinked. "Like what?"
"Princesa," Aaron said with a shy smile.
Evelyn frowned slightly. "Why?"
"Because you always try to be good, even when no one thanks you for it," he said quietly. "And you walk like you don't want to bother the ground. Like you belong somewhere else. Somewhere... finer."
She hesitated. "Others will make fun of me if you call me that."
"Then I won't say it when they're around," Aaron promised. "Just between us."
Evelyn looked at him, uncertain, then finally gave a small nod. "Alright. But only when we are alone. "
Aaron's smile brightened. "Okay."
As they made their way back toward the village path, they came across two boys slightly older than them—Matty and Thom, who often liked to tease younger kids.
They saw Evelyn first and smirked.
"There goes the little servant girl," Thom said with a snort. "Heard she sleeps on the floor 'cause even her own cousin won't share a bed."
Matty joined in. "Probably because she talks weird and acts like she's scared of her own shadow. Isolade says she's always creeping around like a ghost."
Evelyn's face turned pale, and she instinctively stepped behind Aaron.
Aaron stepped forward, fists clenched. "Shut up, both of you."
Thom laughed. "What? We're just repeating what Isolade says. Isn't she your neighbor?"
"She doesn't know anything," Aaron snapped. "And you two are just cowards picking on someone who's better than you."
Matty opened his mouth to respond, but Aaron's glare silenced him.
"Go," Aaron said, voice hard. "Before I tell Aldric what you've been doing."
The boys hesitated, then walked off, grumbling.
Aaron turned back to Evelyn, who was still staring down at her feet.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded slowly. "Thank you."
"They're just dumb," Aaron said. "Don't listen to them."
She gave him a small smile. "I'm used to it."
"Well, you shouldn't have to be." He hesitated, then added, "Not when I'm around."
They walked the rest of the way in silence, side by side.
That evening, as Aaron climbed into bed, Aldric paused at the door.
"You seem lighter tonight," he said.
Aaron nodded, then smiled to himself. "I found a name for someone important."
Aldric raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Princesa."
Aldric didn't ask more. He only smiled faintly and closed the door behind him, leaving Aaron to dream of quiet woods, river stones, and a girl with eyes like night and a quiet strength he couldn't yet explain.