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“Are you going to stare at me all afternoon, Neera?” Zavian asked.

Neera brought herself to the present, and instead of looking away bashfully, she smiled up at him.

“You have a really handsome face. Has anyone ever told you that?” She asked instead. Zavian was taken aback by her words. This was new.

“Why does someone need to tell me what I already know?”

“Your Majesty, where is your humility?”

“I forgot where I left it ever since I became King,” he smiled, closing the gap between them.

Neera threw her head back and laughed with careless abandon. It must be the outdoors. Something had unlocked in her the minute she was out the gates and this inhibited version of her, this other side of her whole, Zavian loved it.

She quietened down by putting a hand over her mouth. Zavian smiled and kissed her forehead before he held her hand and led her into the diner.

.....

The smell of baked goods and spices welcomed them when they entered through the doors. The cook, cheeks smeared with flour, smiled at the duo as they stepped in. She came forward to greet them, and gave them the table with the best view of the city.

“I am so glad to see you two again”, the cook said. “And allow me to interest you in today’s special. The best venison you have ever tasted, mark my words.”

“Thank you, we are looking forward to it,” Zavian said.

The cook hurried to the kitchen to get to work. Zavian looked up at Neera, and her gaze was focused outside the window. It was a quiet part of town, so all she could see were a few people passing, horses dragging carts, and hearing the few chimes of the doorbells as people entered and exited the stores.

“I love the simplicity of all this,” she said, without looking at Zavian. “Something you demons cannot relate to. ”

“I don’t think so.”, Zavian countered. Neera looked at him then, her purple eyes glinting under the white light overhead. “Even if it is a little, I think humans and demons alike crave the same thing.”

She didn’t say anything to that for some time and only turned her head to look outside the window.

“You are right,” she said at last. “Because lately, I have been craving an illusion I know I cannot have.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

Neera smiled at him and shook her head. “No, it will only make things more complicated. I love every bit of this illusion so much that some days when I lay at night, I get greedy, and I don’t want it to end, but I know it will, and it is so hard to accept that.”

Zavian wanted to hold her hand so badly and see the memories that were playing in her mind at the moment, but somehow, he was certain; it was the memories they had both created. There was a wistful smile as she looked on outside, and only when the steaming hot platter of venison in the middle of simmering hot potatoes settled in their front did that smile of hers turn into excitement.

“This looks so delicious!” Neera squealed. The cook looked pleased. “Thank you.”

The cook did the honors of dishing out their meals for them and excused herself. Zavian was about to take a bite, but when he saw Neera waiting, he put down the fork.

“Don’t wait for me to take the first bite”, he said. He wanted the barriers between their positions demolished whenever they were together. “I want to see your expression when you eat it. Go on.”

Neera looked uncomfortable, but arguing would get her nowhere, so she did as she was told. The minute it touched her mouth, it set her taste buds so alive; she gasped.

Zavian laughed at that. “It must be so good, then.”

“It is heaven”, Neera said as she took the second bite.

They ate mostly in silence, mainly because Neera was enjoying the meal so much that pausing to talk was not an option. Zavian, on purpose, claimed he was full to let her have the rest, and Neera ate to her heart’s content.

The cook returned, and was glad to see the plate emptied out.

“I take you liked it?” She asked, and a server was by her side to clear the table.

“We loved it”, Neera said, holding in a belch. She pressed a hand to her belly. It was taut in fullness.

“Please wrap up another. I would like to take it back to the castle”, Zavian told the cook.

The cook, even more pleased, went to get that done. Zavian could not help but smile at a really happy Neera. The outing was going so well so far.

They left the restaurant after the cook had wrapped up another one to go. Neera walked on with slow steps towards the horse, hoping the little exercise would relieve her full stomach. She spotted a flower shop and looked longingly at the hydrangeas’ petals calling out to her.

“You want that?” Zavian asked. She didn’t know he was looking.

“It would look great in the garden,” she said. “Next to the roses.”

“How many would be enough for the garden?” He asked.

“I don’t know. The roses are quite a lot. The other half of the garden could use something different, and I just thought... never mind.” She smiled at him. “It looks fine the way it is.”

Zavian shrugged lightly but said nothing.

Neera took the wrapped food from him, and with hands around her waist, he helped her mount the horse. Neera swallowed in as much of the view as possible as they rode back to the castle, for she didn’t know when next they would ever come out together again.