Niva layed on a tree branch, watching as Luna ran around the garden, at a steady pace, round after round.
His gaze watched over her, a patient gaze, down the gravel path by the red roses. She ran out the path and around the lake, and back onto the straight path. After passing the doors out of the garden, she began another round of running.
Agh, my neck. It still feels weird when I have to turn it so far. As Niva thought that, he placed his neck back to its original place. And as he did, the doors to the garden slowly cracked open. As he glanced there, Aria walked out with a smile and a blush on her face.
Niva kept looking at her and, with a breath out, he froze the space around himself, making himself invisible.
Aria was looking around as if she was searching for someone, but in a second she stopped. She smiled from ear to ear, and as she did, her eyes dropped in a warming way; she had noticed Luna.
She took off walking steadily up the small hill to the old oak, where she sat down on the chair by the table and watched as Luna ran around, training till exhaustion.
For her, It was a peaceful day, like no other. Aria loved to just come out to the garden at this exact hour. It was the hour that Luna trained her endurance. Over the ten days that she had been coming out to observe her, she had built an undeniable routine that she found necessary.
As wind blew on her simple sage-green dress and slate grey, sloppy-brimmed hat, it glided alongside it. Her gaze was placed on Luna, like a hug she gave her every day.
With a warm smile on her face and a butterfly feeling in her stomach that always accompanied her while she spent time with her, it was truly a blessing.
With that, time passed rather fast as Aria enjoyed herself and Luna exhausted herself. Every so often, she glanced at Aria, who from far away watched.
A day of training was fulfilling, worth every single second in such an environment.
Worth indeed.
…
Each step Nyx took, the sound of it bounced off the walls of the silent corridor, walking towards the gate to the garden, where he was about to meet Luna. There he stopped in front of those gates, reaching out with both hands, he grabbed the handles and pushed forward.
The hinges groaned as they opened half wide, and so he stepped out pushing them to close as he stepped into the garden.
Light spilled into his eyes, blinding him for a second, but as soon as he adjusted he saw Luna, lying down onto the small grassy hill under the oak, just beside the table where Aria sat, chuckling to herself.
Another set of clothes you bought huh?, and you complain that I buy a lot of swords… Nyx thought
With that thought passed after a few seconds of looking at them, he stepped forward up the path to them.
…
"Haha, Luna, you're really exhausted, aren't you?" Aria said, laughing cheerfully while covering her mouth with her left hand.
Luna, who lay face down on the grass, mustered up all her strength and tilted her head towards Aria, shooting her a glance of annoyance that disappeared right after she saw her face, full of warmth.
"Sigh, I'm dying… Everything aches," Luna said.
Groaning from pain, she unknowingly made Aria laugh even more. Aria squeezed her stomach and leaned into her chair, her face facing the leaves above; she burst into laughter while adding, "Hahaha! It's rigorous training, sister! I'll prepare something nice for you later! To make up for the lost energy today!"
As she finished her words, Nyx walked onto the hill, looking at both of them. He exhaled and looked at Luna, who lay dead exhausted on the shiny green grass. "Stand up, Luna. I have something to show you."
Aria jumped in her chair as she shot a look at Nyx. "You startled me!" she shook her head, adding, "a ghost made flesh…"
"Haha! Serves you right," Nyx said, laughing.
Just as he did, Aria looked dead into his eyes, glaring at him as if she wanted to kill him.
Luna pushed herself off the ground as she groaned in pain. "Are you sure? Now? I mean, okay."
Standing upright, she dusted the dirt off her training clothes and walked up to Nyx, who, with the uneasiness that washed over him from Aria's glaring gaze, said, "Then… then let's go, Luna!"
"Let's—ah, yes, let's leave Aria to her peace. We should give her some alone time for now." As he said that, he jolted down the hill while Luna barely kept up after him, her legs trembling. "Ah, wait for me, brother!"
Aria followed Nyx with a vengeful gaze just as he ran down the hill. Her face then calmed down, replacing that emotion with a smile and warmth. Her last look was on Luna, who waved at her while grinning from ear to ear, shouting from afar, "Have a pleasant time, sister!" before running into the palace after Nyx.
Those words shook Aria. Those butterflies that she had in her stomach—the pleasant feeling became unpleasant as it overwhelmed her. She squeezed her stomach and laid her head onto the table.
She murmured, "Why am I feeling this way?"
Her face was covered by her hat, but still, the beet-red face was eminent through everything.
She squeezed her stomach even more before letting one word out: "Luna."