Cindra’s POV
The castle loomed before us. The sight of it from the outside was so much different than I remembered, or maybe I was different. We paused just beyond the familiar grounds of the back courtyard where servants were hanging laundry and chatting. The crisp air whispered around us. Helio turned to me, his eyes filled with a mixture of eagerness and curiosity.
“You stopped.” He grinned at me. “What is this question?”
His playful tone warmed me, but it didn’t make me feel like he would give me the answer I wanted. He pulled me closer, rocking us slowly in a sort of waltz.
“Why are you so hesitant?” His eyes twinkled. “What weighs so heavily on your moonlit heart?”
I chuckled at that and hoped for the best. “My family,” I declared, the word rolling off my tongue with newfound co
