LOVE IN THE SHADOWS OF TIME l LINGORM

CHAPTER 16

After three days of celebration honoring the kingdom's victory, the palace began to settle.

The walls that had echoed with laughter, music, and the sounds of dancing late into the night grew still.

Though LingLing had been at the heart of the festivities, her thoughts drifted elsewhere, her heart tugged by the absence of someone she yearned to see.

On the morning of the fourth day, LingLing sought an audience with the king.

Standing tall before the throne, she bowed deeply

“Your Majesty,” she began, her tone steady yet tinged with emotion,

“I humbly request a brief leave to return to the village.

I wish to visity family... to breathe the air of the home that welcomed me into this kingdom.”

The king studied her carefully.

Despite the triumphant air surrounding her, he noticed the weariness in her eyes.

It wasn’t just physical exhaustion—there was a quiet longing there, unspoken but unmistakable.

“You’ve done well, LingLing,” the king said warmly, a faint smile gracing his lips.

“This kingdom owes you much. Take the time you need. You’ve more than earned it.”

LingLing bowed again, gratitude swelling in her chest.

Yet as she exited the throne room, her thoughts lingered on Orm.

The two hadn’t crossed paths since before the war, and with each passing day, her hope of seeing her faded, replaced by an ache that grew harder to ignore.

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That evening, as twilight descended upon the palace, LingLing found herself wandering into the gardens.

The air was crisp, the scent of jasmine lingering in the breeze.

Stars began to scatter across the darkened sky, their faint glimmer mirrored in the fountain’s rippling waters.

This secluded corner of the garden offered her a rare moment of peace, a place to confront the restlessness stirring within her.

Sitting by the fountain’s edge, LingLing traced her fingers along its cool stone surface.

Her thoughts were heavy with unspoken words, questions unanswered, and feelings she could no longer deny.

And then, as if her silent wish had been answered, a figure emerged from the shadows, her silhouette familiar even in the dim moonlight

Orm stood at the garden’s edge, her silhouette framed by the soft glow of moonlight.

She hesitated for a moment, as though unsure if she should take another step.

But when her eyes met LingLing’s, something shifted—uncertainty melted into something warmer, deeper.

LingLing’s breath caught.

Rising slowly to her feet, she took a tentative step forward, then another, until the distance between them was just a few paces.

“Orm,” LingLing breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.
The name felt like a prayer on her lips.

Orm nodded, her eyes scanning LingLing as if to confirm that she was truly there.

“You.....you... came back… alive,”
she said softly, her voice trembling ever so slightly.