The Royal Academy

Chapter 21

I woke up slowly, warmth cocooning me in a way that felt entirely unfamiliar. It took a moment to remember where I was—to remember that last night had been real, that I had fallen asleep in Conrad’s bed, not out of duty but out of choice. The haze of sleep lifted, and I blinked a few times, adjusting to the morning light streaming in through the curtains.

That’s when I realized—I wasn’t alone.

Conrad’s arms were still around me, his body a solid, reassuring presence beside mine. My head rested on his chest, and for the first time in a long time, I felt truly safe. I could hear his steady heartbeat beneath my ear, a quiet rhythm that lulled me into a sense of peace. Hesitant, I tilted my head up, and found him already awake, his gaze fixed on me.

There was something different in his eyes today—something softer, more open. He didn’t say anything at first, just watched me as if trying to memorize every detail, his fingers lightly tracing the outline of my arm where it lay against him. I didn’t know what to say either. Words felt unnecessary in that moment, as if breaking the silence would shatter the fragile thing we had found last night.

"Good morning," he finally murmured, his voice rough with sleep but carrying a tenderness I hadn’t expected.

"Morning," I whispered back, my voice small and tentative.

His hand moved up to brush a strand of hair from my face, his touch lingering for a moment before he let his fingers slide down my cheek. "How did you sleep?" he asked, his tone quiet, as if he genuinely cared about the answer.

"Better than I have in months," I admitted, the truth slipping out before I could stop it. But I didn’t regret it. For the first time, I felt like I could be honest with him, and it didn’t scare me.

He smiled at that, a slow, easy smile that softened his entire face. "Good. I’m glad."

I lay there for a moment longer, soaking in the warmth of his body and the unexpected intimacy of waking up beside him. It felt like a small victory—something new, something real that we had built together, even if only for one night. And though I knew this wouldn’t change everything, it was a start.

"We have a lot to fix," I said quietly, almost to myself. The words hung in the air between us, a reminder of the heavy truth we still carried. Last night had been a breakthrough, but it hadn’t erased the months of distance and coldness that had come before it.

Conrad nodded, his expression serious now, but there was no trace of the frustration or impatience that had haunted his face for so long. "I know. But we’ll get there, Rosalie. Together."

Rosalie. The name still hung on his lips, even though I had shared the truth with him last night. And though I hadn’t asked him to call me by my birth name, part of me wished he would. But I didn’t press him. I knew these things took time, and he had already given me so much more than I had ever expected.

I smiled softly, nodding. "Together."

We lay there for a few more minutes in comfortable silence, neither of us in a hurry to move. The sunlight was growing stronger now, casting long beams across the floor, and I knew that soon we would have to leave this little bubble of peace. But for now, I let myself enjoy it—enjoy the rare feeling of being close to him without the weight of duty between us.

Eventually, Conrad shifted, propping himself up on one elbow as he looked down at me. "How about we spend the day together?" he asked, surprising me.

I blinked, caught off guard by the suggestion. "You mean… like a normal day?"

He chuckled softly, his thumb grazing the back of my hand. "Yes, like a normal day. No meetings, no schedules. Just us."

The idea was so foreign, so unexpected, that it took me a moment to process. We had never spent time together just for the sake of it. Everything had always been about fulfilling some obligation, whether it was appearances or attempting to conceive. But the thought of spending the day with him, just us—it sounded wonderful.

"I’d like that," I said, my voice more certain this time.

His smile grew, and for a moment, I could see the man I had glimpsed last night, the one who was kind and thoughtful beneath the layers of formality. "Good. We’ll make it a day to remember."

With that, he rose from the bed, offering me his hand. I took it, letting him pull me to my feet. There was something freeing about the simplicity of it all—no titles, no demands, just two people figuring out how to navigate this complicated life together.

The day unfolded in a way I hadn’t expected. After a quick breakfast, Conrad led me out of the palace and into the gardens, the crisp morning air a welcome change from the usual weight of the palace halls. We wandered through the maze of flowers and trees, talking about nothing and everything. He asked me about my childhood—about the Academy, about the other girls I had trained with. I found myself telling him stories I hadn’t shared with anyone, even things I had buried deep within myself.

He listened with genuine interest, occasionally offering his own memories of growing up in the palace. It was the first time I truly felt like we were equals, like he wasn’t just the future king and I wasn’t just the queen-to-be. We were simply Conrad and Rosalie, two people trying to connect in a world that had always kept us apart.

As the day wore on, the tension that had once hung between us seemed to melt away, replaced by something lighter—something more hopeful. It wasn’t perfect. There were still moments of awkwardness, moments where I wasn’t sure what to say or do. But every time, Conrad would reach for my hand or give me a reassuring smile, and I would remember that we were in this together.

By the time the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the gardens, I felt lighter than I had in months. We returned to the palace, and though the day had come to an end, the warmth between us hadn’t faded.

As we entered the grand hall, Conrad turned to me, his hand still holding mine. "Thank you for today," he said quietly. "I needed this."

I smiled up at him, my heart full in a way I hadn’t thought possible. "So did I."

We stood there for a moment longer, the weight of our past still present but no longer as heavy. Things wouldn’t change overnight—I knew that. We still had a long road ahead of us, filled with challenges and uncertainties. But for the first time, I felt hopeful. For the first time, I believed that maybe, just maybe, we could find something real between us.

Conrad squeezed my hand gently, his eyes soft as he looked down at me. "Good night, Rosalie."

"Good night," I whispered, my heart fluttering despite the familiar name.

As I watched him walk away, I felt a quiet sense of peace settle over me. Things weren’t perfect, but they didn’t have to be. We were starting to find our way, step by step. And for the first time, I believed that maybe, just maybe, we would be okay.