Kingdom of Ash

She followed him down the battlements
and into the warmth of the castle, along the
various winding hallways, all the way to the
Great Hall, where a too-small evening meal
was being laid out. One of their last.
No one bothered to look up from their
plates as Evangeline and Darrow passed
between the long tables crammed with drained
and injured soldiers.
Darrow didn’t look at them, either, as he
went right up to the line of people waiting for
their food. Right up to Aedion and Lysandra,
their arms looped around each other while
they waited their turn. As it should have been
from the start—the two of them together.
Aedion, sensing Darrow’s approach,
turned. The general looked worn through.
He knew, then. That tomorrow or the day
after would be their last. Lysandra gave
Evangeline a small smile, and Evangeline