A quick kiss on the cheek, coffee, and then brief parting words.

In the eyes of the public, they were brother and sister. Nothing more, nothing else.

For two people who had shared the same fears, the same happiness, the same hope...for two people who went through the same war...they were casual with each other.

Too casual.


However, the nights were different.

He would murmur the same excuse to his companions - he was tired, and he would like to rest now.

She would leave the circle of her bodyguards and acquaintances with the same excuse as well - she needed to get some sleep and she wanted to make an early start for the next day.

He would go up first, never pausing to see if anyone would follow him. After all, everyone was used to his eccentricities.

She would give him a few minutes of a head start, then slowly she would climb up the stairs, checking now and then to see if there were unwanted passers-by who would suspect something. And then, the door would close behind her with a soft click.

As usual, he was standing by the window, waiting for her. The curtains were drawn close to hide them from prying eyes.

She would catch her breath, trying to calm herself down, and she looked up. Their eyes met.

There were no polite greetings, no warm welcome, nothing.

They were only granted an illicit freedom between the hours that separated the night from the day.

"He knows." She confessed her greatest fear between kisses.

His hold on her slackened. "What?"

"He knows." She repeated again in a whisper.

He kissed briefly, stroking her hair musingly. "Impossible. He couldn't---"

"He can. And he did."

The hands on the clock moved.

Their clothes were lying on the floor, disheveled and forgotten.

His arms were around her small waist, and he breathed the fragrance of her hair. He kissed her forehead. "We didn't do anything wrong."

She sighed. "I did. I...betrayed him."

He sighed as well and kissed her cheek. "Do you love him?"

She closed her eyes. "I can't answer that."

He held his breath, ignoring her reply. "Even more than me?"

She disengaged herself from his arms and covered his eyes, sobbing quietly in shame and confusion.

He exhaled sharply, rubbing his eyes tiredly and covering them both with the sheet. He kissed her nose. "Go to sleep now."


It was already morning.

He kisses her on the cheek quickly, and whispers parting words of comfort. She nods, smooths her clothes and they went to their separate rooms.


Then, the night time came.