Chapter 86 Hidden

Chapter 86 Hidden
~Lyra~  
The ride back to the settlement was unusually quiet. Normally, Ryker would point out something amusing along the road or ask me about the places Ariel and I had visited. Sometimes we rode in complete silence simply because the silence itself was comfortable.
Today was different. Neither of us spoke because neither of us knew where to begin. The events of the afternoon continued replaying inside my head, each revelation somehow more unbelievable than the one before it.
The steady rhythm of our horses' hooves echoed along the dirt road until Ryker finally broke the silence.
"This is a bigger puzzle than we all thought." His voice carried the same disbelief I felt.
I let out a slow breath and nodded. "It is."
For a moment, I searched for the right words before looking toward him. "You were right all along about her." He glanced at me. "You always believed there was something extraordinary about Elira."
Ryker chuckled softly before shaking his head. "I wasn't thinking to the point of her being the reincarnation of someone who lived two thousand years ago."
He laughed once, though there was no amusement in it. "That part..." he sighed. "That part is still difficult to accept."
I couldn't help smiling faintly. "I suppose it is."
He stared ahead again.
"I knew she was different and she possessed unusual abilities." He shook his head once more. "But this? This is something else entirely."
Neither of us spoke for several moments. The breeze carried the scent of pine through the trees surrounding the path while birds sang somewhere overhead.
Eventually Ryker sighed again. "That's a frightening amount of responsibility for one person." He looked toward the horizon. “I imagine it scares her."
I thought back to the way Elira had stood in front of us, the uncertainty in her eyes and the determination she kept forcing herself to wear.
"Maybe it does," I admitted. "But she hides it well." Ryker looked at me.
"I think she was made for this. I know she's afraid and overwhelmed. But every time something impossible is thrown at her..." I smiled softly. "...she somehow finds a way to keep moving. I think she'll get used to carrying everyone's expectations. I just hope she doesn't have to carry them alone."
Ryker nodded in agreement. "So do I."
Silence settled between us once again. Before long, the wooden walls surrounding the settlement appeared in the distance. Smoke curled peacefully from dozens of chimneys while familiar voices drifted beyond the gates.
‘Home.’ For the first time all day, I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders. 
Then Ryker spoke again. "How is your friend?"
I looked over at him in surprise. 
"Ariel." He added, making my heart skip.
"She's well."
He smiled. "It's been a while since you've talked about her."
I looked away almost immediately. "That's because we've had more pressing matters to discuss."
I hoped my answer sounded casual. Inside, however, my pulse had quickened.
Ryker accepted the explanation with a nod. "I suppose you're right."
Another brief silence passed before he smiled to himself. "I hope she doesn't feel neglected."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"We've spent nearly every day together recently." He shrugged. "Running after mysteries, meeting kings and speaking with scholars. I'd hate for her to think you've forgotten about her."
His words struck somewhere deeper than he intended. I tightened my grip on the reins.
‘Forgotten? Never.’ 
Every spare moment of every day belonged to Ariel, whether I was beside her or not. Still...
I hadn't told anyone about us. I wasn't ashamed of loving Ariel. I was afraid of what everyone else would do once they found out.
Instead of answering his concern directly, I turned the conversation around.
"And Nira?"
He blinked. "What about her?"
"Don't you think she may feel exactly the same way?"
He frowned slightly and I continued. "She's carrying your child. You leave before sunrise most mornings and return after sunset. You've barely spent any real time with her these past weeks."
He remained quiet. I looked ahead toward the settlement gates as they slowly opened for us.
"We don't want history repeating itself." My words came out more gently than I expected. "She needs you. Now more than ever."
Ryker didn't answer immediately. By the time we rode beneath the gate, I wondered whether I had said too much.
Then, quietly, he nodded. "You're right." There was no defensiveness, only quiet acceptance. "I'll do better."
Relief settled inside me. "I know you will."
The guards greeted us as we passed. Ryker returned every greeting with his usual warmth while I simply smiled politely. Life inside the settlement continued as though the world hadn't shifted beneath our feet today.
Children chased one another between the houses, hunters sorted fresh game and women laughed together while preparing the evening meal.
It almost felt strange. How could everything look so normal after everything we had learned?
We dismounted outside Ryker's home. As we began walking, movement near the garden caught my attention.
It was Nira. She stood beside a small basket filled with freshly harvested vegetables, carefully brushing dirt from their roots. The moment she noticed us, her entire face brightened.
Ryker smiled just as widely.
Her stomach had grown noticeably larger since the last time I truly looked at it.
I smiled to myself. ‘The baby will be here soon.’ I told myself. 
Without another word, I quietly left them together. Some reunions deserved privacy. My own feet carried me toward the small house Ryker had prepared for Ariel and me.
The moment I stepped inside, a familiar melody drifted from the bedroom. It was unmistakably Ariel. She was humming to herself.
The sound alone made every exhausting conversation from today seem farther away. A smile spread across my face before I even realized it.
I quietly crossed the room before pushing the bedroom door open. Ariel looked up immediately. The moment our eyes met, her face lit up.
"You're back!"
She hurried toward me without hesitation, arms already opening for an embrace.
My heart leaped and then my eyes drifted past her shoulder. The window was wide open. Anyone walking outside could look straight inside.
Instinct took over before thought. Instead of stepping into her embrace, I moved past her and hurried toward the window.
My fingers grabbed the curtains, pulling them together until they completely blocked the view from outside.
Only after I tied them shut did I finally breathe. When I turned around, Ariel was still standing exactly where she had stopped.
Her arms had slowly fallen back to her sides.The excitement that had filled her face moments ago was gone.
In its place was hurt. A deep, quiet hurt.
My chest tightened immediately. "I'm sorry," I said softly. "I just wanted to make sure no one could see."
She let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "I can't believe you just avoided my hug."
"Ariel..."
"You dodged me." Her voice cracked ever so slightly. "Because you're afraid someone might discover who we really are."
She turned away before I could answer. I closed the distance between us slowly.
"I'm sorry." She didn't respond. "You know I haven't told anyone." Still nothing from her. "I don't want them finding out like that."
I reached for her hand carefully. "If people are going to know they should hear it from us."
Not because they happened to look through an open window. After a long silence, she finally turned to face me.
"And when is that supposed to happen?" There were tears threatening to form in her eyes now. "When will the perfect moment arrive?"
I had no answer. Only hope.
"Soon," I whispered. "I promise. As soon as the time is right."
She searched my face for several seconds. I gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'll tell them. I won't hide you forever."
Her expression softened only slightly. "I missed you." The words came out barely louder than a whisper.
A smile finally returned to my lips. "I missed you too. So much."
This time, there was no hesitation.
No open window to worry about and no one was watching. I stepped closer, slipped my arms around her waist, and gently pulled her against me.
Then I kissed her slowly and tenderly. 
It wasn't a kiss born from urgency, but from relief. Relief that after everything the world had thrown at us today, I could still come back to the one place that felt like home.
When we finally pulled apart, our foreheads rested together.
“Now tell me everything.” Ariel said with a chuckle.