Only Because I Love You | ✔️

748 days.

2 years and 18 days.

That's how long I've been waiting.

My eyes leave the calendar, falling onto my reflection in the mirror. My cerulean blue eyes are cold and distant, mimicking my emotions. My lips are turned down in a seemingly permanent frown that no one can wipe off.

Except him.

He should've been here. With me.

He never came back though. He's living his life down at his kingdom. From what I could gather, he's happy.

He's happy.

And here I am, wishing for him to miss me just as much as I do. Praying that he was forced to leave me, and didn't do it by choice.

God, I hope he didn't.

I take in a deep breath, shaking off my thoughts. It's no use. He isn't coming back.

Playing with the hem of my corset, I watch Vera braid my hair to perfection.

"Please don't cry, Princess," she gives me a sad smile through the mirror, having noticed my glistening eyes. "You'll ruin your makeup."

Right. My makeup.

How could I forget?

"The King won't be happy to see you like this," she says sweetly, moving to my side and picking up a small cloth from the dressing table. She gently dabs the area under my eyes to rid me of the tears that almost made it out of hiding. I hold still for a few seconds, letting her wipe away the tears I'm wasting on him.

"When is he ever happy?" I ask back, my voice merely monotonous.

"Princess!" She gasps in a reprimanding tone, her emerald green eyes widening at my audacity. "He's your father!"

I don't reply. Instead, I avoid it like I've been doing for the past two years.

If he was a good father, he would let me go. He would let me leave. The least he could've done, was make peace with the kingdom of Elsville for me.

Sighing, I look down at my ball gown. It's a beautiful burgundy colour that complements my dark brown hair and pale porcelain skin.

That was his favourite colour. Brown.

Just like the dirt we used to sit on at night, when everyone else was fast asleep.

Just like the way we sat under the moon the last time I saw him.

*

I play with the grass beneath my fingers as I look up at the sky. The stars are beautiful. As they twinkle back at me, I feel like they're trying to tell me something. Give me some sort of a message, perhaps. Though, I can't decide if it's a good one, or bad.

"You're being awfully quiet," he decides to state, catching all of my attention with that simple statement. Only he has the power to do that.

I lower my head and look back at him. His deep brown eyes sparkle in the moonlight, the warmth of them making me want to melt. "The stars are breathtaking," I tell him, smiling just a bit.