Elena’s POV
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“What was it for?” Deacon was the first to recover from the trance and asked in a teasing voice as he bent slightly, looking at Rafael, who was a few feet away, still with a trace of sand on his hand from throwing a sand ball at us.
Rafael gave us a sheepish look as he slowly backed away from Deacon, who was approaching him slowly with a bent body.
Deacon’s eyes were fixed on Rafael, and the boy was frozen to where he was standing. He looked guilty, but he still ran as if he knew that Deacon wouldn’t let it slide.
But Rafael ran back to Deacon before things became complicated. He tugged his sleeve and asked, “Will you play too?” His eyes were bright and hopeful as he gestured to the wide sea and the flat stones he gathered.
“Play? I am…” Deacon didn’t continue what he was about to say when he saw the little boy’s eyes. He let out a sigh. “Fine. Show me what to do.” He said and picked up a stone.
I couldn’t help but laugh softly as the boy’s hand clasped around Deacon’s and he started to pull him along. I never thought that I would experience this moment again with my nephew.
“Now, I have to see this,” I whispered to myself as he went on and showed how to skip rocks.
The boy picked up a small stone and held it out proudly. “Here’s how you do it. You throw it as far as you can. Like this,” he drew back his arm and let the stone fly as high as he could, though it only landed a distance away from him.
Deacon crouched down like the little boy did with exaggerated care. “Like this?” he asked as he threw his own stone, which skidded across the ground.
Rafael burst out into laughter. “You are not very good at it at all!” he exclaimed.
Deacon smirked and shook his head. “Well, I am telling you, even the rocks mock me.”
“Well, not everyone can be good at everything, Your Highness,” I said with a smile.
His gaze diverted to me. It was playful and sharp. “Yes, somehow, you are good at commanding me.”
Heat rose in my cheeks, but I held my ground as I quickly averted my gaze and tried to be composed. “That’s not what I meant…”
Before I could finish what I was about to say, Rafael shouted loudly and cut through my words.
“Mine went further!” The boy shouted as he lifted his hands in the air, celebrating as if he had won a great victory.
There was a bit of pain in my heart. I suddenly imagined the hardship my nephew had experienced over the past couple of years when he was captured. He didn’t get the chance to enjoy his childhood.
I was glad that we finally found him. I thought I had lost everyone that day. There were mixed emotions inside my heart, but 1 tried to smile as I watched Deacon and Rafael.
I could be sad because I missed my family, but I was also happy to find my nephew.
Deacon was laughing so hard. He dropped to one knee beside my nephew. He knelt beside my nephew, and then he clapped his hand to celebrate his victory. “Then, you have to teach me how to throw. We are going to do it together this time.”
Rafael nodded. It was as if he was taking everything seriously in his heart, just what children often do when they were being taught. They both threw the stone, and then after that, Rafael collected more stones.
And there, I saw Deacon’s soft side.
I didn’t know what exactly to feel at that very moment.
Looking from afar, we could see a picture of a happy family. I wished this wouldn’t end. I wish I won’t be far from Rafael again. I
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Chapter 169
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couldn’t imagine the sufferings he had at the hands of the people who captured him.
I continued to watch them both. Something stirred in me. Something was tugging my chest. It was warm in my heart.
Maybe… maybe we could really be a family.
Rafael returned, and his little hands were three uneven stones. He handed one to me, one to Deacon and kept the smallest one for himself. “So, we’ll all throw the stones together,” he announced proudly.
I was surprised. I didn’t expect him to like me joining them.
Deacon looked at me with a smirk on his lips. “Are you ready, Elena? Think you can beat both of us?”
I shook my head as I couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t think I need to try too hard to beat you, guys!”
Deacon arched his brow. “Careful. I, maybe, am new to this game, but I don’t like the feeling of losing.”
I just laughed, and we took our positions side by side. Rafael was squeezed between us. His shoulders squared as if he were preparing for battle.
Rafael started to count down. “One, two, three!” We all threw our stones.
My stone skipped across the ground and rolled to stop a little farther from Rafael’s, while Deacon’s soared in a wide arc and landed almost twice the distance away from us.
Rafael’s jaw dropped. “You cheated!”
Deacon chuckled and brushed his hands together. “How could I cheat at throwing a stone?”
“You threw it too hard!” Rafael insisted and was on the verge of tears. He was clearly upset because he didn’t win.
“That’s the point of the game,” I reminded him gently, though my smile betrayed me.
Deacon cast a sideways look at me. His expression was smug. “I told you, I don’t like the feeling of losing.”
I rolled my eyes. For a moment, I forgot the tension in the palace, the burdens that we will eventually return to. Out here, we were happy. Rafael is a boy who laughs at simple things. Deacon was surprisingly patient, and I was caught in a fragile dream.
Rafael started to collect stones again.
“He doesn’t give up easily,” Deacon said as he stood up.
“No,” I agreed. “He doesn’t.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
