Leaving Sardina

Chapter 17: Found and Lost

Hello! Long time no update (Apologies) ... I miss this story btw :)
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Renesmee

I watched Sardina sift through an array of dresses, her fingers gliding over the fabric as she moved from rack to rack.

Like she was selecting the right cowrie shell for her bedside table at the palace, each choice imbued with significance. I could intervene, but there was something undeniably delightful about watching her—this beautiful girl—adorably perplexed over such a seemingly trivial task as choosing clothes.

I couldn’t understand what had her so concentrated. Maybe because my taste was plain and clear, with nothing special, lacking the luxury of choice. Or because it stemmed from a childhood spent in the shadows of want, where recklessness was the only thing I could afford. Sometimes, I forgot that Sardina had been raised sucking on a silver spoon, a fact that permeated every aspect of her being.

Such an expensive gem she was. And I would willingly toil every second of my life just to afford her a taste of the world. To take all that was and place it in her hands. Anything for her. Anything for my princess.

“The pink is lovely,” I remarked as she hesitated over a stunning pink sequin dress, one she had fidgeted with for what felt like an eternity. I could see the spark in her eyes when she looked at it. “It complements the pink strand in your hair.”

“I—” she paused, her fingers reluctantly releasing the dress. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. We’re here for casual everyday attire, not party dresses.”

That reminded me ...

“Actually,” I said, a smile breaking across my face as I uncrossed my legs and sat up straight, “we do have a party to attend. Remember?” Still, Sardina left the dress hanging on its rack. I sighed, rising to my feet, realizing it was time to take matters into my own hands—especially when it came to my modest best friend.

“I’m not sure if I should attend. I don’t think I’m even invited,” she replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

I took the pink sequin dress and placed it back into her hands, our skin brushing, igniting a fire within me that begged for acknowledgment. I refused to let it stir me.

“Of course you’re invited,” I insisted, meeting her gaze with hopefully unwavering conviction. “Wherever I go, you can go, too.”

Sardina looked up at me, her eyes searching mine for confirmation. I reassured her with an extra nod, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. I really should stop touching her; it was becoming a bad habit I couldn’t seem to shake.

“I want you there,” I added, admitting. “And I don’t think I’d like to go either if you’re not going to be by my side.”

I hated how vulnerable she was making me portray myself. How she stripped away my defenses and laid me bare. I had never been one to wear my heart on my sleeve, yet here I was, exposed and raw. This girl was going to be the end of me.

Sardina smiled at my words, a pink hue flushing her cheeks briefly before she finally nodded in agreement. I returned her smile, realizing how infrequently I had done so before her arrival in my life. It’s like she came back and turned me into a goofball who laughed, smiled, and joked all the time. Even Lady Esmeralda had noticed the change in my demeanor, and I found myself resenting it. I felt as though I were under a spell—Sardina’s spell.