Chapter 389. Love Isn’t Divided, It Fills the Spaces Between Us

The golden haze of morning eventually began to curdle into something more contemplative as the sun climbed higher, its heat pressing through the windows with an insistent reality.

The tender, lazy exploration of each other’s bodies slowed, giving way to a charged stillness. Lia shifted, the silk sheets whispering against her skin as she propped herself up on one elbow.

Her hair fell across one shoulder like a curtain of dark silk, but her eyes usually glowing with affection had taken on a sharp, penetrating focus. The vulnerability from moments before hadn’t vanished; it had simply crystallized into something purposeful.

"Can I talk to you about something?" she asked, her voice dropping to a register that commanded attention. "Before the day forces us to become other people."

William turned his head toward her, his own expression sobering. He could read the shift in her posture instantly, the way her shoulders squared slightly, the way her gaze locked onto his with unblinking clarity.

"Of course."

"It’s about Kaela," Lia said.

She chose each word with deliberate precision, as if weighing them on a scale before letting them slip past her lips. "I want you to help her... Properly."

"Not just as an instructor or a tactician, but the way you helped me... The way you helped Catherine as well."

William studied her, feeling a profound swell of emotion at the request. It wasn’t just concern; it was a benediction.

"I intend to, Lia... I haven’t forgotten."

"I know you intend to," she countered gently, reaching out to trace the line of his collarbone with a single finger. "But I want to be more specific."

"I’ve been watching her these past few weeks, Instructor Wade."

"I see the armor she wears, the loudness, the bravado, and the way she demands space as if she’s trying to fill a void."

"But underneath that? I see someone carrying a weight that could crush a lesser person."

"It’s the same kind of darkness Catherine and I carried, maybe even worse." Her voice wavered for half a heartbeat before hardening again. "Because Catherine and I had the luxury of drowning in our pain in private."

"Kaela is drowning in front of an entire kingdom..."

William let out a slow exhale, his jaw tightening. "I’ve noticed."

"Every time she laughs too loud, I see the crack in it."

"I’ve been trying to give her space to navigate it on her own terms."

"I know you have, and I trust you implicitly," Lia said, shifting closer until her breath warmed his cheek. "I’m not questioning your methods."

"I’m telling you that I give you my blessing to do whatever is necessary."

"Whatever she needs from you." A small, unexpected spark of mischief flickered in her eyes, softening the gravity of her words. "Including, if it comes to that... the kind of support Catherine and I have both been fortunate enough to receive."

William blinked, the sudden directness catching him off guard. "Lia—"

She laughed softly at his flustered expression, the sound rich and knowing. "I mean it, Instructor Wade."

"Don’t give me that look... I’ve watched the two of you."

"I’ve seen the way her eyes linger on you when she thinks she’s being subtle. And I’ve seen how carefully you’ve been holding yourself back, playing the part of the disciplined protector."

"I respect that propriety, I really do, but you don’t need to perform restraint on my account."

"That is... significantly more perceptive than I anticipated this conversation becoming," William admitted, feeling a genuine heat rise to his cheeks.

Lia grinned, a knowing, almost predatory tilt to her lips. "I’ve learned from the best."

"There’s a lot more beneath the surface than people realize."

William couldn’t help it; he let out a surprised, genuine laugh that broke the tension. "You’ve all taken it upon yourselves to become impossible to read, haven’t you?"

"It’s not about being impossible to read; it’s about having layers," Lia said, her expression turning solemn again as she moved closer, pressing her forehead against his. "Catherine felt this same way when it came to us."

"And I’ve learned something important from watching how we all exist together: love isn’t a finite resource, Instructor Wade."

"It’s not something that gets divided and diminished."

"When it’s real, when it’s built on this kind of honesty, it grows... It fills the spaces between us rather than creating gaps."

William reached up, taking her hand in both of his, squeezing gently. The maturity and terrifying generosity in her words moved him more than any physical act could.

"Thank you, Lia... for trusting me with this... and for trusting us."

Lia leaned in, pressing one final, soft kiss to his lips before pulling back just enough to meet his eyes.

"Just take care of her, Instructor Wade," she whispered. "Whatever that ends up looking like."

The lazy intimacy of the morning began to fracture as the sun climbed higher, its relentless light spilling across the floorboards like a reminder of the duties waiting beyond their door.

The quiet sanctuary of the bedchamber slowly gave way to the practical necessities of survival and strategy. As they dressed, the rustle of fabric replacing the soft sounds of breathing, the unspoken tension of the coming days began to settle between them like dust.

They moved to the small dining area for breakfast, but the food tasted hollow. The simple meal felt like a temporary truce in a war that was steadily approaching their doorstep.

Lia picked at her food, her usual vibrance muted by a shadow of something complicated.

Finally, she set her fork down with a soft clatter that seemed too loud in the morning quiet.

"I won’t be able to accompany you back to the capital again this time," she said.

Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed her; there was a flicker of apology there, a genuine reluctance that she couldn’t quite mask.

William paused mid-motion, his hand hovering over his cup. "Something to do with Commander Ardyn again?"

"Yup... Commander Ardyn is finalizing the last of the details regarding my formal induction into the Corps," Lia explained, looking down at the table as if the wood held the answers. " She has specifically requested my presence for the entire coming week."

"It’s... it’s a significant opportunity, Instructor Wade."

"One I can’t afford to jeopardize." She looked up at him then, her gaze searching his. "I wish I could be there for Kaela... directly."

"I hate the thought of leaving her to face whatever storm is brewing with Delmore without having you both right beside her."

William reached across the table, covering her hand with his. His grip was firm, grounding.

"You don’t need to apologize for that, Lia. Not even once."

"This is your future, your hard-won position... Kaela would understand she’s stronger than she lets on, and so do I."

"I know you do," Lia said, though the regret still clung to her like a second skin. "But sometimes I wish I could simply split myself in two."

’One version of me handling the Corps, the politics, the obligations... and the other standing beside you and Kaela, holding the line when things inevitably turn bloody. "She gave a bitter laugh. "I want to be there when the steel starts clashing, not just when the paperwork is signed."

William watched her, seeing the fire beneath her concern. "You’ve already done more for her than you probably realize."

His voice took on a more serious, measured tone. "The sparring sessions, the way you pushed her to find her footing, that weeks-long rivalry that eventually bled into something real, something deeper."

"That foundation doesn’t crumble just because you’re not physically present for this next stretch."

"You’ve given her a blueprint for how to survive."

Lia’s expression softened at his words, the tension in her jaw relaxing. A genuine, warm smile touched her lips, one that reached her eyes for the first time since they had woken.

"That’s a kind thing to say, Instructor Wade."

William met her gaze with unblinking honesty. "It’s an accurate thing to say."