The next morning, Leia woke to find Kieran's side of the bed empty. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, just as the muted rush of running water echoed from the bathroom.
Yawning, she swung her legs over the edge of the mattress. She crossed the room and drew back the heavy curtains, pushing the windows open to let the morning air flood inside.
A second later, a flash of yellow fluttered through the opening, landing atop her head.
Leia gasped, startled as she tried to glance upward toward her crown. As she reached up to brush her fingers against her hair, the canary took flight once more, soaring out into the open sky.
A small smile tugged at her lips. "It seems today is going to be a good day," she murmured, turning back to quickly straighten the bedsheets.
As she turned away from the bed, the bathroom door swung open, and Kieran stepped out, fresh from the shower. A towel was hitched low on his hips, and he was using another to dry his damp hair.
