Celestial Bonds- The Crown's Judgment (Book 5)

Chapter 26: New Beginning

Lira

The garden had always been my refuge, where I could escape the heavy mantle of duty and the constant weight of unspoken emotions. Today, however, even the calming presence of the blooming flowers and the whisper of the wind couldn't ease the storm inside me. My mind spun with memories of the past year, Kian, and the love I had tried so desperately to hold onto. But things had changed. We had all changed.

I knelt by the rose bushes, pulling at a few stray weeds as if doing so might clear the tangled mess in my head. The sky was overcast, casting a gray hue over the vibrant petals. My hands stilled as I heard footsteps approaching, a sense of foreboding settling over me. I didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"Jax," I breathed, looking up as he stopped a few paces away. His eyes were darker than usual, shadows of worry and something else swirling within them. The tension in his shoulders was palpable, a mirror to the turmoil I felt within myself. "What are you doing out here?"

He raked a hand through his hair, a familiar gesture tugging at my heart. "I needed to talk to you," he replied, his voice tight. The way he stood there, fighting for control, made my chest ache. This wouldn't be an easy conversation, but I knew it was one we couldn't avoid any longer.

I rose to my feet, brushing the dirt from my hands as I did. "Alright," I said, keeping my voice steady. Inside, I was a whirlwind of fear and anticipation. I had spent so long burying my feelings, clinging to the image of a future with Kian that no longer existed. What did Jax want to say? And was I ready to hear it?

Jax stepped closer, his gaze never leaving mine. "It's been a rough year for all of us," he began, his tone carefully measured. "But I can't keep pretending that everything is fine between us, that I'm okay with how things are." His words hit me like a cold wind, slicing through my carefully constructed defenses.

"I know," I admitted, lowering my eyes. "I've been doing the same thing—trying to pretend that I've let go of everything that happened with Kian, that it doesn't affect me anymore." I swallowed hard, the truth of my own words sinking in. "But it does, Jax. It's like trying to hold onto water... slipping through my fingers, no matter how hard I try to grasp it."

Jax took a step forward, his expression softening. "I know what it's like to hold on to something, someone, that you feel is slipping away," he said, his voice raw. "You and I... we've both been fighting battles in our hearts while trying to lead everyone else."

The vulnerability in his words struck a chord in me, loosening the tightness around my chest. I glanced up at him, meeting his gaze. For the first time in months, I felt truly seen, as though he understood every piece of me I had kept hidden. It was a revelation that brought warmth to the cold void I had been carrying inside.

I let out a shaky breath. "It's hard," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Letting go of Kian and the future I imagined... it's been the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

Jax nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of empathy and determination. "I know," he said gently. "And you don't have to do it alone, Lira. We're both dealing with the fallout of what we thought our lives would be. But maybe... maybe we can face it together."

A lump formed in my throat, and I blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. This was not a confession of love, not yet. It recognized the deep bond that had grown between us, forged in the fires of shared pain and struggle. "Together," I echoed, the word feeling like a lifeline tossed into the stormy sea of my emotions.

He reached out then, hesitating momentarily before touching my shoulder. The contact was brief but grounding, an anchor amid uncertainty. "We don't have to figure everything out right now," he continued, his voice steady. "But we can support each other, whatever comes next."

I nodded, unable to trust my voice. The garden around us seemed to exhale, the tension that had gripped the air loosening just a bit. We stood there in silence, letting the weight of our words settle. I felt a flicker of hope, a fragile but real sense that, maybe, there was a new path forward—not one defined by the ghosts of our pasts but by the strength we found in each other.

Jax stepped back, his hand falling to his side. "I should get back to the council," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips. "They'll be wondering where we are."

"Of course," I replied, smiling in return. "Duty calls." But for once, the words didn't feel like a heavy chain around my neck. They felt like a promise of something more—a new beginning we would face, not as isolated souls battling alone, but as allies, friends, and perhaps, one day, something even more.

As he turned to leave, I watched him go, the warmth of his presence lingering even as he disappeared into the palace. I wrapped my arms around myself, the chill of the garden air mixing with the flicker of hope within me.

For the first time in a long while, I felt lighter, as if the shadows haunting me were beginning to dissipate. There were still many battles ahead and uncertainties, but with Jax by my side, the path no longer seemed daunting.

Turning back to the rose bushes, I knelt again, pulling at the weeds with a renewed sense of purpose. We had a lot of work to do—not just in the kingdom, but in healing our hearts. And for now, that was enough.

Together, I thought, the word settling within me, bringing with it a quiet strength. Whatever the future held, I knew we would face it side by side.