Part 3: Old Wounds
“I don’t want this to be just about duty,” Alexia repeated, her voice quieter now, as though she were speaking more to herself than to YN. “I know that’s what’s driving the proposal, but I don’t want us to make a decision based purely on what’s expected of us.”
YN turned her head to meet Alexia’s gaze, noticing the flicker of vulnerability in her eyes—something that hadn’t been there before. It was the same vulnerability that had once drawn YN to her, back when things were simpler, back when they were just two young women in love, before the weight of their worlds had come crashing down on them.
“It doesn’t have to be just duty,” YN said, surprising even herself with the firmness in her voice. “But we need to be honest, Alexia. We can’t pretend that things didn’t fall apart between us for a reason.”
Alexia’s expression faltered, the words hitting their mark. She looked down at her hands, clasped tightly in her lap. “I know,” she admitted softly. “I’ve thought about that day more times than I can count. How we left things. How... I hurt you.”
YN swallowed, her heart tightening at the memory. “It wasn’t just you. We both made mistakes. We let the pressure from our families and our responsibilities get between us. I don’t think either of us were ready for what we were trying to build.”
Alexia nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I wasn’t strong enough to fight for us back then. I was too afraid of what it would mean for my future as a royal, for the expectations that were put on me. And in the end, I pushed you away.”
YN could feel the old wounds stirring, the pain of their breakup still raw despite the years that had passed. But at the same time, there was a strange sense of relief in hearing Alexia finally say the words. They had never truly talked about what had happened, and that silence had haunted YN for so long.
“I didn’t fight hard enough either,” YN admitted. “I let myself believe that walking away was easier than trying to make it work. I told myself that I was better off on my own, focusing on my career, but...” She trailed off, not sure how to finish the thought. The truth was, she had never really moved on from Alexia. The pain had simply dulled over time, but it had never truly gone away.
They sat in silence for a few moments, the sound of the fountain behind them providing a gentle backdrop to their thoughts. The weight of the past was heavy between them, but it was also undeniable that something still lingered in the air—something neither of them had been able to forget.
“Do you think we can fix this?” Alexia asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “If we’re going to go through with this marriage, do you think we can... start over?”
YN looked at her, really looked at her, and saw the same woman she had once loved. Alexia was older now, wiser, perhaps more self-aware than she had been back then. But the essence of her, the spark that had drawn YN in all those years ago, was still there. It was that same spark that made YN believe, even now, that maybe they could find their way back to each other.
“I don’t know,” YN answered honestly. “But I think we owe it to ourselves to try. We owe it to the people we used to be—to see if there’s something still here worth saving.”
Alexia let out a soft, shaky breath, as if she had been holding it in all along. “I want to try. I really do.”
For the first time since they had reunited, YN felt a flicker of hope. Maybe this arranged marriage wasn’t just about duty or political alliances. Maybe it was a second chance—a chance for them to rewrite their story, to face the things they hadn’t been ready for before.
“We can take it one step at a time,” YN said gently. “No pressure. No expectations. Just... let’s see where this goes.”
Alexia smiled, a real, genuine smile, and for a moment, it felt like the years between them melted away. “I’d like that.”
As they sat there in the quiet, the weight of their past slowly began to lift. It wasn’t an easy path ahead of them—they both knew that. But for the first time in a long time, YN felt like they were on the right path, a path that might just lead them back to each other.
Maybe, just maybe, this second chance at love was the beginning of something real.
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Royal ties : A Second Chance at love
Pertualangan**Royal Ties: A Second Chance at Love** In the bustling city of Amsterdam, YN Lee Anderson, a successful entrepreneur, finds her life taking an unexpected turn. A chance encounter with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands leads to a proposal she...
