Veils Of Forever (On Hold)

4

Author pov

She took a deep breath, the weight of everything settling on her shoulders.

The prince needed her—as much as she needed him. That thought echoed in her mind, giving her the strength to rise from the cold, hard floor where she had sat, gathering her thoughts.

Her fingers brushed against the fabric of her dress, smoothing out the creases as she prepared to leave the room and seek him out.Just as she was about to stand, the door creaked open.Her heart skipped a beat, and she froze.

The dim light of the room flickered with the movement of a shadow, and a woman—a servant, judging by her modest dress—stepped inside. Her eyes widened when she saw her sitting on the floor, her expression a mixture of surprise and concern.“Oh!” the woman gasped, her voice soft but laced with alarm.

“Miss… are you alright?”She quickly glanced at the door, then back at the girl sitting on the floor, her brow furrowing in confusion. This was no place for a lady to be sitting like that, not in these stiff, oppressive halls.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence between them. The air was thick with unspoken words, questions hanging between them like fragile threads.“I—” she began, pushing herself off the ground slowly, her heart racing.

How could she explain this? How could she make sense of why she had been sitting there, like a lost soul in a world that wasn’t hers?The servant stepped closer, her eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion, but there was something kind in her gaze.

“Do you need help, miss? You shouldn’t be here like this... it isn’t proper.”There it was again—proper. A word that weighed so heavily in this time, a time when appearances were everything, and stepping outside the lines was unforgivable. She could feel the pressure, the judgment, even from this woman who seemed to mean no harm.“I was just… thinking,” she whispered, brushing off her dress as she stood fully now, trying to compose herself. She gave the servant a small, strained smile, hoping it would be enough to ease the tension.But the woman’s eyes lingered on her longer than she expected.

There was something more in her gaze—a flicker of recognition? Or perhaps curiosity, as though she knew something wasn't quite right.

“Thinking about what, miss?” the servant asked, her tone softer now, almost gentle. “You look as if you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.”She swallowed hard, her heart thudding in her chest. How could this woman, a stranger, see through her so easily?

“It’s nothing,” she lied, her voice barely above a whisper. “Just… trying to find my way.”

The servant had barely finished speaking when the door creaked open again, but this time, the air shifted.

A presence filled the room before she even looked up. Heavy boots against the wooden floor, a tall, commanding figure stepping through the doorway.Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes lifted, meeting the intense, unwavering gaze of the man who had just entered. His uniform—sharp, immaculate—clung to his broad frame, the dark fabric adorned with the insignia of royalty and military power.

His eyes were dark, piercing, as if they could see straight through her.This was no ordinary man.This was him—the prince, the general, the one everyone whispered about. And now he was standing right in front of her, his presence overwhelming, magnetic.The servant quickly lowered her head in a respectful bow.

“Your Highness,” she muttered, before backing out of the room as swiftly as she had appeared, leaving the two of them alone.His eyes stayed locked on hers, unblinking, scrutinizing every inch of her. She could feel her pulse racing, the weight of his gaze pressing down on her like a heavy storm.He stepped closer, his voice deep, steady, yet laced with curiosity.