❝ There are no limits to a power as great as yours. ❞
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Aurora Celeste has spent her whole royal life as a Crown Princess and next in line to the throne away from her mother. She has longed for the day they will reunite, but with...
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𝖆𝖚𝖗𝖔𝖗𝖆 • the grand palace ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
For the first few minutes, Aurora paced outside of the room that was once just her father's for a few years, promptly stopping when a nauseous wave of dizziness overwhelmed her. She took in a deep breath, raising her hand to knock on the pale cream door when it flung open suddenly enough to startle her.
Elara stood in front of her, frowning.
"How much longer are you going to pace? It is driving me out of my mind." Judging by the exasperated expression on her face, that had happened long ago.
Then again, that sour expression seemed to be her natural outwardly appearance, almost as if to ward off people trying to get in.
Aurora suddenly saw Elara in a new light, and she had never felt so guilty before in her life.
How had she not given her the benefit of the doubt, or trusted her mother's words? How had she not given her a chance? And why had it taken her realising she would be spending her birthday alone to realise just how crappy she had been towards her?
She was not one to hold a grudge, yet that was exactly what it seemed like she was doing.
"Sorry," she murmured. "I just..." She breathed in deeply, quickly, and let it out. It was just a few words. She didn't entirely know what she had to be so nervous about. Probably scaring Elara off and only making that guards of hers grow stronger. "I wanted to talk to you. I just didn't know how."
"Well, knocking would have been a good start," she said dryly.
"Right. Except I also didn't know what to say," she said. "Um..." Aurora swallowed, straightening. "I wanted to tell you..." Elara cocked a brow, clearly unamused and growing impatient. For each of those emotions of hers, Aurora was overrun by sweltering nerves and sickening, nauseous fear. "Happy birthday."
Her face faltered, softened, almost, as she blinked at her, collecting herself.
"Oh. Thank you, I guess."
Aurora wondered if that was the first time she'd heard that from someone other than their mother.
The thought of that-of how alone both of them had been while she and everyone else were surrounded by people they loved and that loved them, but also things like riches and luxury and company-broke her heart.
How many birthdays had they celebrated alone, all the while she was surrounded by dozens every year? It wasn't fair.
"Do you want to come with me to my chambers?" she offered. "Everyone is there." The most likely outcome was that she would decline, but at the very least, Aurora had to try-had to let her know that she was wanted, and that more than anything, she wanted her there with her.
