lia'

s the walls of the grand chamber. The air is still, thick with the quiet weight of

same room as the King for

uld allow myself to be in the same room with the man who h

en I s

e sky. His robe is loose over his shoulders, the dee

is hands braced against the marble railing, his gaze

s waking, the streets below already stirring with life. Merchants setting up their stalls. Knigh

wake earl

arely visible in the coo

is that

ked on the horizon. The sunlight catches in his ha

lost the chance to d

e weight of his words lin

wa

is speaking of something trivial. "I wanted to leave this place. To

laugh. "But it seems fate

ay his fingers tighten against

e people need a ruler. I must be responsible. I must be the

pa

ered as I locked my g

logizing for?" He

operly. For failing to secure the life you had given him." I

just not meant to happen and that is alright. We both understand that life won't always

our life to make sure your father will live. But then, h

nced. It was sinking in. It

o die now." He whi

e the responsibility that came with the title. I am scared not being able to give the nation

y up and marry to preserve the throne. That is

e searching. "And you?" he a

er comes

ll le

tens, but he says nothing,

understand it. To understand myself. I do not know what I am.

s between us, he

ing and making sure I will be able to fi

y well that I am not s

le. But I see it-the way his fingers twit

ou get to live my dream wh

o not try to soften the t

ye

come with me in the fear that he might accept it and ruin his own life. I do not

ly been together for a short period of time. There is no r

of it at least once in this lifetime. It would be such a

d by my own mysteries. A life where we could walk side by side, traveling across

edge of the world, the wind in our hair, l

life does

ngdom. To his people. To

t so I can help him do the right thing. Even if I could

his gaze back to the horizo

etter this way,"

ps," I

gdom, I cannot shake the feeling that something precious is s