Elara woke to an empty bed, the silken sheets cool where Kaelos should have slept.
She turned on her side, staring at the faint gold embroidery along the pillows—symbols of Aldovia's royal house.
Symbols that now belonged to her, too. And yet, the space beside her remained untouched.
It was her wedding night, and she spent it alone. Her husband had not even looked at her. Let alone touch her.
She remembered everything. The look he gave her at the altar.
The way he dropped her hand during the dance.
How he walked away when she went after him. How could he be so —
Her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knock on the door.
And then, the door creaked open, and a petite girl stepped inside with a quiet grace.
"Good morning, Your Grace," she said, curtsying. "I am Hallel, your lady-in-waiting. And I am at your service."
Elara sat up, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Hallel's voice was soft, and her posture was perfect.
Her hazel eyes met Elara's with an unspoken understanding. She was cleaner than most servants Elara had seen, with cropped brown hair and a striking, quiet beauty that was hard to ignore.
"Good morning, Hallel. How are you doing?" Elara asked.
"I am well, my lady. And I believe her Grace is equally the same." She said, smiling.
Elara didn't say anything; she only nodded.
"Should I run you a bath, Your Highness?" Hallel asked.
"Yes," Elara said, her voice low.
The girl nodded and moved with practised elegance.
Soon, the room filled with the scent of lavender and steam.
Elara undressed slowly and stepped into the bathtub, allowing herself to sink into the warm water, letting her thoughts float away—at least for a while.
When she got out, Hallel helped her dress - a teal green gown laced tightly at the waist with a corset that lifted her chest, the sleeves embroidered with tiny silver leaves.
Hallel twisted Elara's honey-brown hair into a loose bun, leaving soft waves to frame her face. She tucked in delicate white flowers, simple but elegant.
"You look radiant, my lady," Hallel said gently, stepping back to view her mistress.
"Thank you," Elara murmured, watching Hallel through the mirror. "I indeed look radiant"
Hallel's eyes flickered briefly. "Yes, Your Highness. Of course."
A knock came again, this time more brisk.
"Lady Elara, Queen Alaina awaits your presence in the royal garden," the voice behind the door said.
Elara turned to look at Hallel, confused.
Hallel stepped back and offered a reassuring smile. "Don't fret. The Queen is kind. You have nothing to fear."
Elara nodded, running her hand down her dress. "Alright then, thank you." She said with a nod. And with that, she was gone.
______
Kaelos awoke to the sting of sunlight slashing through the curtains and the bitter taste of regret still clinging to the back of his throat.
He groaned, dragging a hand through his hair as he sat up. His head pounded, a slow, rhythmic throb that echoed the blur of last night—wine, laughter, music, the scent of exotic perfumes and soft hands trailing his arms.
He remembered thinking he could take one of them home. He even tried. But when the moment came, he couldn't go through with it.
His body had craved a distraction. But his heart—traitorous and stubborn—remained tangled in thoughts of Athena.
With another sigh, he forced himself to his feet. The room spun. He steadied himself, planting his palms on the carved wooden dresser in front of the mirror.
The man who stared back at him looked like a prince and a wreck—shadows under his eyes, collar wrinkled, skin dull with drink and disappointment.
And there it was: the gold wedding band glinting on his right hand.
"So it wasn't a dream," he muttered.
A bitter smile tugged at his lips, and he shook his head. He hadn't returned to his wife. His bride. He hadn't even glanced her way after the ceremony.
Some husband he was turning out to be.
"Leo!" he called, his voice hoarse.
The chamber door swung open almost instantly. Leopold, his long-suffering manservant, entered with the briskness of someone who had heard this tone many times before.
He was tall, lanky, and with hair that never seemed to stay down, no matter how often he smoothed it.
His uniform was always crisp, though there was something perpetually ruffled about him, like he'd just come out of a gust of wind and hadn't quite recovered.
"You bellowed, Your Highness?" He said with a smirk.
Kaelos squinted at him. "Do you wait by the door for me to wake up just so you can be smug?"
Leopold gave a small shrug. "I prefer 'attentive.' Also, you're predictable. Headache, existential dread, guilt—must be morning."
Kaelos snorted. "You forgot sarcasm."
"That comes after your bath."
Kaelos chuckled under his breath and dropped back onto the edge of the bed. "Prepare me. Let's get this farce of a day started."
Leopold moved with practised grace, laying out Kaelos's tunic, boots, and belt. "So," he said casually, "what does it feel like? Being a married man?"
Kaelos ran a hand down his face. "Feels like I walked into a cage and slammed the door shut myself."
"That bad?" Leo asked, amused.
Kaelos paused, then sighed. "No. Worse part is—she's kind. Quiet. Beautiful, obviously."
"Very obviously."
Kaelos glanced over with a raised brow.
"What?" Leopold said innocently. "I'm a servant, not blind."
Kaelos huffed a laugh. "Don't let her catch you looking."
"She wouldn't. She barely looks at anyone." Leo handed him the water basin and a cloth. "She's hard to read, that one."
Kaelos wiped his face in silence, then muttered, "She doesn't deserve this. Being married to a man in love with someone else."
Leo didn't respond at first. He just helped him slip into his tunic.
Finally, he said, "Elara's not a fool. But neither are you. Maybe love's not the point right now."
Kaelos met his eyes in the mirror. "What is?"
"Duty. Peace. Survival." Leo shrugged. "And maybe… learning how to make the best of things. Then love could come later."
Kaelos let out a dry laugh. "Spoken like someone who's never been in love."
"I've survived love, thank you very much."
The prince smiled faintly and turned away from the mirror. "I didn't even say goodnight to her."
"You didn't say goodnight to me either," Leopold said mock-offended. "And I thought we had something special."
Kaelos laughed, truly this time. "Shut up, Leo."
"Wouldn't dream of it, Your Highness."
As Kaelos sat to pull on his boots, he hesitated again, just for a breath, his fingers brushing the gold band.
He didn't know if this was the life he wanted.
But it was the life he had been given, and there was no turning back.
_______
Elara found Queen Alaina among the rosebushes, a small basket on her arm as she clipped the last of the spring blooms.
The morning sun gilded the queen's silver-streaked hair, her features warm and composed.
"Your Majesty," Elara said, curtsying.
Alaina looked up and smiled. "Ah, Elara. Come. Walk with me."
They strolled through the gardens in silence at first, the distant trickle of a fountain mingling with birdsong. Alaina finally spoke.
"How are you, my dear?"
"I'm well," Elara replied, keeping her voice steady.
"And how are you finding the palace so far?" Alaina tilted her head.
"Well, your highness. I'm still getting used to the serenity."
"Do not trouble yourself, in a few months, you will be walking the ins and outs of Aldovia." She smiled.
Elara chuckled slightly. But Queen Alaina could tell there was something more.
"You must miss your mother." She said.
"I do." Elara nodded. "I now wake up knowing I no longer breathe the same air as Alderidge."
Alaina turned to her gently. "Please know that you can speak to me. I may be your queen, but I am also your mother now. You do not have to suffer in silence."
Elara swallowed and nodded.
"Good. So…was it done?" Alaina asked.
Elara's eyes flickered. "Your Majesty?"
"The marriage. Was it consummated?"
Elara hesitated. "We… were tired."
The Queen's gaze remained steady. "Elara."
"Kaelos did not—" before Elara could say another word, footsteps approached.
Prince Kaelos walked with so much confidence and pride, he made heads turn.
"Mother," he said, bowing his head and placing a kiss on her cheek. "Good morning."
Alaina smiled. "Kaelos. Welcome."
Kaelos turned to look at Elara, the flowers in her hair brought out a warmth in her eyes he couldn't deny.
"Elara." He said, nodding slightly.
"Good morning, my lord." She bowed.
"Kaelos," Alaina started. "I was just speaking to Elara, and I wanted to know why you hadn't—"
"Queen Alaina. The king seeks your presence at the table." An official said.
Alaina turned to face them. "I'll leave you two to it— when you're done, kindly meet us at the breakfast table."
She turned and took her leave.
Elara and Kaelos stared at one another for a moment too long.
"So." Kaelos started. What did my mom want to know?"
"She wanted to know why we hadn't consummated our marriage," Elara said bluntly.
"And what did you say?"
"I told her the truth - you walked away from me and you didn't come back last night." She said walking.
"How dare you?" Kaelos paused in his steps.
"Do you realise what you might have done?"
"Hold your tongue, Kaelos. I told her nothing of that sort."
He looked at her like she had lost her mind.
"I said we were tired. But it is nice to know that you respect your image more than you would ever respect me or this sham of a marriage."
She said, walking away from him.
Kaelos stood there, silent, before going after her.
"Elara, wait." He said.
She paused in her steps. "What is it?" She asked.
"You cannot go to breakfast alone. Walk with me."
Elara sighed and allowed him to fall in step beside her. She said nothing as he slipped his arm through hers.
They walked to the breakfast table together, the weight of silence heavier than words.
When they arrived, Queen Alaina gestured toward the long table set beneath the garden's flowering archway.
Already seated were Princess Serya, her expression unreadable, and King Aegeus, who glanced up from a scroll with a narrowed gaze.
Kaelos took his place beside Elara.
She didn't look at him.
The air thickened with each passing moment.
Then King Aegeus raised his eyes. "Elara, I would like to officially welcome you to Aldovia. I trust you've been well settled, though I know the transition may not have been easy."
"It certainly hasn't," she replied with a half-smile.
"But make no mistake, this is your home now. So be comfortable. You are more than welcome here."
"Thank you, Your Highness," she said, bowing her head slightly.
Queen Alaina, seated beside her husband, offered Elara a small, reassuring smile.
"You know," Aegeus continued, "Aldovia and Alderidge have stood shoulder to shoulder through wars and winters. There was a time when half the continent sought to divide us—during the Frostfall Invasion, when your great-grandfather rode with my father and their blades carved peace from chaos."
"I know," Elara said, but was still attentive. "My father often told me stories of fallen soldiers and kings before you."
Aegeus nodded. "Your father and I understood that peace is not kept by words alone. It is sealed through loyalty and legacy."
He paused, gaze steady. "Which is why your union with Kaelos is more than a royal arrangement. It is the living proof that our kingdoms remain unshaken."
Kaelos and Elara exchanged a glance, fleeting and discreet.
You are now bound in something greater than yourselves. And with that—" he raised his glass, "I say cheers, to new beginnings."
The others followed suit, raising their glasses in unison. Kaelos, slower than the rest.
"To new beginnings."