His enormous, unbridled smile was a cruel shock to her system, for it shattered the armor he wore, rendering him glorious in the aftermath. He appeared at once younger and lighter having set down his shields; and his shining eyes and soft expression were so unaffected that she could see how he might’ve laughed all the time in another life. Alizeh was mesmerized by this discovery. She’d never seen him experience a moment of true happiness, and the longer he smiled, the harder her heart broke. Always, she seemed to be the only one thusly affected.
