Darius placed his folded arms behind his neck, and he whistled as he walked home. It would take until around nightfall before he got to the castle. He didn't mind. The day had been long, but it ended with Serena's smile, and that made the distance easier.
He smelt faintly of her; crushed pine needles clung to his cloak. A grin spread across his face at the memory of her rushing to give a side hug. That side hug, brief, a little awkward, definitely rushed, still had his heart doing somersaults. It had taken every shred of self-control not to reach out and pull her into a real embrace. But he'd take what he could get.
The path was quiet, and he got to the castle with no interruptions. He headed straight for his room and took off his clothes.
