Aster’s tongue is a lump of clay in her mouth. She swallows. “I-I’m visiting,” she finally manages to get out.

Florian’s initial shock has abated, hardening into that familiar frost. “Let me guess, sightseeing?” He sneers.

Warmth shoots through Aster’s cheeks. Suddenly, the floor feels a lot easier to look at compared to Florian’s flinty gaze.

“If she’s sightseeing, then we’re more than happy to have her,” Han chirps, seemingly unaffected by the tension in the air. “It’s so nice to have a new face around this tower; having to see only both of your boring old mugs day after day gets awfully droll after a while.”

“You think I’m not tired of seeing your face?” Says Damien. “I had to watch you drool in your sleeping bag for the past month.”

“And I had to withstand your endless thrashing and sleep talking,” Han quips. “That aside,” he declares, clapping his hands together. “I think it’s time we give Aster a well-deserved tour of this esteemed tower. Flynn would you be a dear and give Damien a hand? You’re around so often that you’re practically one of us.”

“Yeah.” Damien nods. “Join us Flynn, it’ll be fun.”

No, no it will not be very fun.

Aster suppresses a flinch as the weight of Florian’s gaze seems to press extra heavily upon her, before finally shifting away.

“Thanks,” says Florian tonelessly. “But I’ll pass. Maybe I’ll come by later; seems like I chose the wrong time to visit.” He turns away, footfall heavy on the stairway as he descends from the room.

Even once he’s gone, no one speaks; as if no one quite knows what to do with the silence.

“Well,” Han says finally, the first to break the quiet. “That was interesting.”

Aster draws in a breath, finally able to breathe. With the chill of Florian’s presence now gone, warmth begins to prickle up her neck, red hot with shame. It’s one thing for her to divulge the details of her failing engagement to Damien herself, wrapped in the safety of her room and Damien’s easy company. But to have Florian prove it in the flesh- not only in front of Damien, but Han too? When she’d only just met him? Aster doesn’t know what face she should make.

“Hey.” Damien’s voice breaks her out of her stupor. “Are you okay?”

Aster nods dumbly. “Yeah. Yeah, I-“ Her throat feels scratchy all of a sudden, and she has to cough. “-I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Damien looks unconvinced. But he doesn’t try to push it any further.

Wood scrapes against the tiles as Han pulls out a seat from one of the tables. He gestures for Aster to take it.

“Thank you,” she says sheepishly. “And… I’m sorry.”

Han seems surprised. “Whatever for?”

“For making you witness all… that. With Florian earlier.”

For a second, every sharp edge on Han’s face seems to soften. “Clearly, I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, and I won’t pry. But for what it’s worth, you have nothing to be sorry for, Aster.” He smiles then, a glimmer of that sparkling mischief. “But if I may say as much, it’s the first time I’ve seen Flynn act out like that. Rather refreshing, I have to admit. It just goes to show that prince or not, boys will be brats wherever you go.”

Aster musters a small smile. “Maybe so.”

“Maybe so?  Oh no, it’s definitely so. Here I present, exhibit B!” Han thrusts a finger in Damien’s direction.

Damien quirks an unamused eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You agree, don’t you Aster?” Says Han, as Aster smothers a laugh.

“Well…”

“Et tu, princess?”

Aster laughs properly. “Okay, I don’t know about now, but if we’re talking about when we were kids…”

Han gasps in delight. “What’s this? Tales from Damien’s troubled past?”

“Hold it right there-“

“Should I tell you about the early days, when Damien first started living with us?” Says Aster. “He gave the staff so much trouble.”

“I did not.”

“Did too.”

“Damien said you didn’t get along at first,” says Han, eyes practically glowing with mirth. “Is that true?”

“It is.” As Aster recounts fonder days over the sound of Damien’s constant protests and Han’s musical laughter, she finds herself warm once more. The ice in her veins lingers no longer, thawed in the sunlight that floods the room.