They ran until the palace lights faded behind them, replaced by the deep hush of the jungle.
Only the moon kept them company now, silver and watchful above the swaying canopy. The trees stretched into the sky like towering guardians, branches swaying as if to welcome them home.
Aren finally slowed, gasping for breath. He bent over, hands on his knees, then looked up at Amira with a crooked grin.
"Well... that was romantic. A moonlight waltz through palace halls, followed by a dive into flower beds. You sure know how to show a guy a good time."
Amira smacked his shoulder, but there was no anger left in her. Just relief and that small, hidden warmth she always tried to hide.
"You idiot," she said, though her voice softened at the edges. "If you had arrived any later..."
"But I didn't," he cut in, straightening up. "And now you owe me... hmm... at least ten dinners and one jungle dance."
She rolled her eyes, but a small laugh escaped her lips.
They moved deeper into the forest, their steps quieter now. Each rustle and distant howl reminded them they weren't alone, but at least here, the trees felt safer than palace walls.
They found a narrow stream winding between mossy rocks, its water gleaming like liquid moonlight. Amira dropped to her knees first, cupping the water in her hands. She drank greedily, then splashed her face, wiping away palace perfume and fear.
Aren watched her for a moment, his usual jokes caught behind his teeth. Finally, he joined her, scooping water into his mouth and then flicking a handful into her hair.
She gasped, whipping her head toward him. "You.."
Before she could finish, he had already darted away, laughing into the trees.
They spent the next hour gathering fruits, small orange globes that tasted sharp and sweet, wild nuts cracked between stones, and honey dripped carefully from a broken hive Aren nearly sat on by accident.
"Hey! Next time you can do the honey work," he said, wiping sticky hands on his cloak.
Amira laughed softly. "You would have been stung to death if I hadn't told you to smoke the hive first."
"Details, details," Aren muttered, but his smile was bright as ever.
When their bellies were finally full and the jungle sounds settled into a sleepy rhythm, they climbed up into a low, thick tree. From there, they could see the dark outline of Zhora's walls in the far distance, tiny and helpless against the ocean of leaves.
Amira pulled her knees to her chest, staring at the stars above. "It feels like the whole kingdom is breathing down our necks now," she said quietly.
Aren glanced at her, his face uncharacteristically serious. "They are. But they'll have to get through me first."
She looked at him sharply, searching his face for the joke. Instead, she found only that fierce, loyal light that had pulled her out of the ballroom.
A beat of silence passed. Then she reached out and pressed her forehead to his, just for a second.
"You're impossible," she whispered.
Aren's grin returned, soft but unstoppable. "And yet, you're still here."
The night carried on, cool and damp. Somewhere nearby, a monkey shrieked and then fell silent. In the distance, a deep roar reminded them that other dangers still waited.
But they didn't move.
In the morning, they would continue their search for the Core of Muri Khan, the relic that could turn all their running into a final victory.
Amira pulled out an old rune-inscribed shard she had hidden in her belt. She turned it over in her fingers, the symbols catching the moonlight.
"We're close," she murmured, more to herself than to him.
Aren leaned in, trying to read over her shoulder. "Close to what? Another swarm of bugs? Or more angry monkeys?"
She elbowed him gently. "To the core. The ancient texts say the real clues are hidden in the jungle heart. And now... we have a map no prince can understand."
Aren's eyes lit up, mischief and excitement battling in his mind. "Then tomorrow... we start a new chapter."
She nodded.
He glanced at her again, then laid back on the thick branch. "But tonight, we sleep under the stars. With no more princes, no guards, no forced fancy clothes."
She sighed and leaned beside him, her head resting lightly against his shoulder. "I could get used to this," she said, almost too softly to hear.
Aren closed his eyes, a smile dancing on his lips. "Yeah... me too."
The stars shone brighter that night, as if blessing their vow.
Tomorrow would bring danger and secrets. Tomorrow, they would dive deeper into the jungle and closer to the Core of Muri Khan.
But for tonight, they were just a wild warrior and a brave, gentle archer, safe in each other's laughter and the quiet promise of the leaves above.