❝ 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 garden ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Aurora had gone looking for Elara after seeing the state she had been in, to see if she was okay and to apologise, but she went hurrying past in a sob, so fast she was a blur and Aurora doubted she had any idea where she was going or who she might have ended up bumping into.
Her heart thudded against her chest. What if something terrible had happened and it was all her fault?
Picking up her gown, she spared a glance to a half-occupied Dusk—in conversation with Cassius about rooming arrangements—and ran towards the double doors, slipping out carefully into the garden. Elara would be less likely to give her answers, but it was possible Xander might have—if he was still there, that was. And he was, she saw.
Except he was sobbing soundlessly, back to the palace.
Her heart sank.
Cautiously, she approached him, her own eyes stinging slightly at just hearing him. Seeing someone in pain was enough to break her, but being able to hear it and see the physical effect it had on them? When she saw part of his tears glisten in the sun, her vision blurred enough she had to blink hard.
"What happened?" she asked breathlessly, her voice just above a whisper.
Elara was also upset, which clearly meant their tears had something to do with each other—which also meant it was because of her.
Two hearts broken, all because of her.
She tried to tell herself not to get ahead of herself and assume, but deep down she knew. Knew that she was probably responsible for whatever had happened.
He sniffed, wiping his face with a shake of his head. "Things are just complicated between us and... not how I had thought they were."
What did that mean? That could have meant anything. The tears and cracking voice didn't help narrow it down, either.
"I am so sorry," she said shakily, eyes watering.
He turned to face her, face falling. "No, please do not cry. This is not your fault. In fact, I'm glad you wrote to me." She expected more, but he gave her a polite smile and then he was gone, clutching the pendant of a necklace around his neck in his hands.
In her slight teary mess, she hadn't heard Dusk calling for her, nor heard him sigh a breath of relief when he found her and jogged up to her. He had come to a stop when he saw her face, and that was when she wiped her cheeks and looked up at him.
