Separate Crowns of One Heart

Twėnty

The next few days go on in the same manner that the last one had. The Prince and I attend training (where the Jaguars have become more accustomed to my attendance but the generals are still as prickly as my first day), then we return to the Palace, freshen up, and then the Prince leaves to tend to his responsibilities while I'm left at the Queen's mercy. During the second day, while planning for the Spring Cotillion, Her Majesty asks about possible ladies-in-waiting. It's to her dismay when she finds out that Mila is my only friend and the only person in the whole kingdom I could stand to have at my side for almost every waking moment of my day. But Mila's status gets officially promoted to my lady-in-waiting.

Just as the daytime for those few days is routine and similar (save for the fact that I have not received a note from the Prince for the last two mornings), so are the moons. Each day, I do not see the Prince once we return from training, and each moon as I prepare for bed, he still has not returned. I fall asleep in the large suite all alone.

One moon, I'm asleep in bed when a thud wakes me. A moment later, a string of curse words floats through the dark. I open my eyes and see the Prince's tall frame on his side of the suite. I watch him walk to his desk and sit down with a sigh. He runs his hands over his hair before switching his desk lamp on, the light casting long shadows over his space. Grabbing a pen from the desk drawer, he opens a blue notebook and begins writing. The same blue notebook I saw him writing in the night he woke me with his screams.

After some time of watching him, I decide to speak up. "Your Highness."

His head snaps in my direction. "Cyrah." He lets out a sigh. "Did I wake you?"

Instead of answering his question, I ask my own, lifting myself with my elbow and resting my head on my shoulder. "Where have you been?" He just glances down at the notebook before him. "I barely see you anymore and now here you coming sneaking in the dark-- what are you doing?"

"If you miss me, princess--"

"I'm being serious right now," I stop him. "I fall asleep waiting for you to return but you never do. Where do you sleep? Do you even sleep? And... you haven't left me a note in two days. I know we are not the best of friends but did I do something wrong? Are you avoiding me?" That was a stupid question, I realize as I rest my head back on my pillow. Of course, he's avoiding me already.

"Cyrah..." He rises from his desk and approaches my bed, slowly sitting down.

I sit up to make room for him even though there is more than enough space. "What did I do?"

"No, princess," he says. Although I cannot see his face clearly, the soft tone of his voice is enough for me to visualize his expression. "It isn't like that. You have not done anything wrong and I am not avoiding you."

Sure, he isn't. "So you just sneak around in the dark all the time?"

That makes him chuckle. "Well, I would not consider it sneaking because that implies that I'm not welcome here and I like to think I am." He inclines his head toward me. "Am I?"

"You are the Prince," I reply. "I'm sure you're welcome everywhere." I see that he's trying to distract me and reel the conversation back in. "What do you do all day?"

"Work."

"And all moon too? Because that is what James tells me."

His eyebrows furrow together. "You spoke with James?" I nudge him with my foot and he sighs again. "There is a situation with the Dynasty and we are trying to work some things out."

"Alright." That explains the late nights but... "And what about the notes? Why have they stopped?"

He reaches over and cups my cheek. I almost back away from the sudden contact but stop. "Why, do you like them?" He caresses his thumb across my face slowly. "Princess--"