Crowns And Shadows (MXM) (Book 1)

XXXVIII: A Heartbroken Maiden

Hyacinth

I had not been surprised to receive Aria's letter that morning. As a matter of fact, I was thrilled. She was once again inviting me to the castle and I didn't hesitate to get myself ready and hurry there as soon as possible.

For the first time though, the words, inked in her delicate handwriting, seemed to carry an urgency, a weight that I couldn't understand. She wanted me to come to the castle but oddly didn't share a reason like she usually would. It was all odd and unsettling. Had something happened?

As I stepped through the grand entrance and made my way down the winding corridors of stone and silk, walls that I had grown to muster... I held Arya's letter tight in my hand. I hoped this was an invitation for an afternoon of laughter and whispered secrets, perhaps a hint of the future we'd dreamed of but never dared put into words in fear of being found out.

But when I entered the parlor, the sight of her stopped me in my tracks. Aria, my princess, was dressed in a light pink gown, soft and ethereal, as if woven from dawn's first blush. It took me a moment to even register the sight. It was once again quite odd. She'd been dressing in deeper colors for weeks now making the light pink, so light and delicate, feel strange.

As my gaze drifted to her face, my heart squeezed. Aria's beautiful eyes were rimmed with shadows, as if sleepless nights had etched themselves onto her skin. I noticed faint eye bags, and her gaze was heavy, almost drooping, as though weighed down by tears that I couldn't see but could feel, somehow. She had appeared quite lovely just a day before when we revealed our relationship to Rowan. And in that moment, she looked almost dead. She was foreign to me.

"Hyacinth," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for coming."

"Aria, what's wrong?" I asked, crossing the room toward her. My heart beat quicker as I took her hand, hoping to soothe whatever troubled her. "Your letter worried me and I came as soon as I could. Is something the matter?"

But Arya pulled her hand away, the gesture as sharp as a blade. I felt its sting, felt the ache grow in my chest.

"Yes. Something is wrong," she began, looking at me, then away. Her fingers traced the edge of the parlor's armchair, and she seemed to search for words in the silence between us.

I could barely stand it. "Tell me, why is it? Is it about us?"

For a moment, I saw something raw and vulnerable in her gaze, something that mirrored my own heart's pulse, but then her expression hardened. "Hyacinth," she said, "there is no us"

The words struck me like thunder, hollowing out my insides until I could feel nothing but a dull ache. "Aria why do you mean? If anything is the matter you can tell me. Did I do something wrong?"

She hardly spared me a glance, "You did no wrong Miss Hyacinth. I have just decided to end things."

"What??"

I felt my knees buckle, and before I knew it, I was sinking to the floor, my hands grasping for her. "No, Aria, please," I whispered, choking back the sobs that threatened to break free. "Don't do this. How am I supposed to go back to life as it was. After everything... It cannot be "

I looked up at her, desperation in my eyes, but she wouldn't meet my gaze. She stared somewhere past me, her face an unreadable mask. It was as if she'd built a wall between us, and no matter how I pleaded, I couldn't break through.

"But why?" I begged, feeling the tears spill down my cheeks. "Give me a reason. You at least owe me that much. Please."

Aria's jaw tightened, and for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw her own eyes glisten. But then she looked away, her mouth pressed in a thin line. "It doesn't matter why," she said, voice brittle. "What matters is that we cannot be together, Hyacinth. Please leave."

"Aria, please!" I cried, reaching for her hand once more, feeling the desperation clawing at my throat, raw and pleading. "If this is about Rowan, or... or your family... Did your parents find out. Is that it?"

But she just pulled her hand from my grasp and turned away, her shoulders rigid. "I'm trying to be civil, Hyacinth. Just leave peacefully."

I was practically in shambles at this point. Hoping it was all a nightmare... "Don't do this." I begged.

Aria seemed to get angry as I persisted and she practically yelled, "Do you not think that maybe I just grew tired of you? Maybe I'm bored. Look at me Hyacinth," her face grew softer then hard for a moment as she looked intoy eyes, "This is not the face of someone who loves you. Please. Leave."

With that, she stepped out of the parlor, her footsteps fading into silence, leaving me there on the cold floor. She didn't even look back, not once. I could hardly breathe, could hardly think. The pain in my chest felt as if it would consume me, like fire devouring parchment.

I stayed there, crumpled and broken, the sobs wracking my body as I replayed her words over and over in my mind. She was gone, and I was left alone in a silence that felt unbearable. The castle staff walked by me in the halls throwing pitiful looks my way. I couldn't even mange to be embarrassed by how stupid I felt. I was enraged yet somehow mourning at the same time.

Eventually, I gathered the shattered pieces of myself, forcing myself to my feet. My head ached, my eyes swollen from crying, but I could hardly feel anything but numbness as I stumbled out of the castle. The world outside was bright, almost mocking in its indifference.

I walked through the town in a daze, hardly aware of the people around me, their laughter, their chatter, their lives untouched by the storm that had torn mine apart. I wanted to scream, to shout at the world for moving on when mine had just collapsed.

And just as I thought I could take no more, a violent explosion shook the ground beneath my feet. The force of it was like a jolt of thunder in my bones, and I staggered, barely managing to keep my balance. Around me, the townsfolk turned their heads in alarm, some gasping, others running to investigate.

I stood there, trembling, my heart pounding in my chest as I stared toward the distant smoke rising from one end of the market place.

Author's note: I know everything kinda seems rushed but bear with me. Again, please let me know of any plot holes.