The garden was quieter now. Most of the guests had returned to the ballroom, where the next set of performances was beginning. Music played softly through the walls, blending with the rustling of leaves and the gentle burble of the fountain beside Ahcehera and Eros.
Moonlight bathed the garden in a silver hue, casting their shadows in long streaks across the trimmed grass and flowering hedges. Ahcehera sat calmly on the bench, the wine glass now resting beside her on the stone surface. Eros remained at her side, his presence familiar and steady.
There was a comforting ease between them, a silent understanding nurtured over time and hardships. Neither of them spoke for a while. The silence was not awkward. It was restful, shared, a space where both could breathe without expectation. Finally, after a moment of watching the stars, Eros broke the silence.
His voice was soft, hesitant, as if he had been waiting for the right moment. "How is your heart these days, Ahcehera?"
