You can't find me

Chapter 51

Aurora stood before him, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew what he wanted, or at least she thought she did. But now, faced with the sheer weight of the situation—her engagement to Alexander, the pressure of the kingdom's expectations—she felt the need to ask the one question that had been gnawing at her since the announcement.

She didn't want to make assumptions. She didn't want to misunderstand. If she was going to do this, she needed to know exactly what he expected from her.

"Tell me," she said, her voice calm but firm, the edge of uncertainty clear. "What do you want from me, Alexander?"

His gaze didn't waver. It was as if he hadn't even heard her, as if she were just another piece of the furniture in the room, insignificant to his towering presence. He stood like a mountain, unyielding and powerful, his six-foot frame dwarfing her small, five-foot stature. The distance between them felt monumental, as if they were from two different worlds.

His eyes—those violet, starry depths—drifted over her, observing her with a kind of detached coolness. He didn't show emotion. He didn't soften when she looked at him. His gaze was like steel, unbothered by her presence or her glances. It was as though she were nothing more than a speck of dust beneath his gaze.

"I want you to take your duties seriously," he said, his voice steady, unwavering. "You are no longer just the daughter of Athelyna Ann Everson. You are my fiancée, my future queen. And with that comes a responsibility you cannot afford to ignore. You will learn your place here, Aurora, and you will serve this kingdom. You will not question me. You will not falter. Your life is no longer just your own."

There was a bite to his words, an edge that made them land like a weight upon her chest. Aurora didn't flinch, though. She held herself steady, determined. She wasn't here to fight him. She wasn't here to challenge him. She was here to understand, to support.

"I understand that," she said, her voice softer now, more measured. She stepped forward a fraction, her posture relaxed despite the tension that still buzzed in the air. 

"Do not mistake my words for kindness," he said, his voice hard. "I am not here to be your friend, Aurora. I am not soft. I will not coddle you. You will be my wife, and that means you will fulfill your duties with strength, with grace. And you will do it without hesitation."

His gaze lingered on her for a long moment, calculating. It was as though he was testing her, measuring the sincerity of her words, the resolve in her tone.

She nodded, swallowing the growing lump in her throat. There was no room for softness in Alexander's world. He was a man of iron, unwavering, and powerful. And it was clear to her that he expected nothing less than the same from her.

But still... there was something about him—his strength, his presence, that felt like both a weight and a lifeline. She didn't resent him for it. Far from it. She admired his resolve. She saw the burden he carried, the way he stood as a pillar to support a kingdom. He didn't let his emotions interfere. He didn't let anything soften his approach.

She wanted to be like that. To be strong, focused, reliable—for him, and for the kingdom.

"I won't falter," she said quietly, more to herself than to him. 

For the briefest of moments, Alexander's eyes softened—just a fraction. It was so subtle that Aurora might have missed it if she hadn't been watching so closely. But it was there, hidden beneath that cold, stone exterior. There was something else—perhaps even approval—lingering in his gaze.

He didn't speak immediately. His eyes held hers, unwavering, and for the first time, Aurora could almost feel... something. There was a strange energy between them, something unspoken, something that stretched between them like an invisible thread. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, and for a moment, her mind seemed to freeze, lost in the gravity of his presence.