Colden stood at the edge of the town square, the lanterns flickering in the early dusk. His coat was damp from the mist, his eyes scanning every face that passed. He had asked the innkeeper, the baker, even the stable boy — but no one had seen Marco.
He didn't know where to begin.
Marco hadn't left a note. No trail. No whisper of where he'd gone. Colden's heart felt like it was walking without him, searching through fog.
He pressed a hand to his chest, where the dandelion had once rested.
"I'll find you," he whispered. "I'll find you."
In the castle, the night was quiet.
Elaine sat on the edge of her bed, her gown still untouched, her hair unpinned. The rejection had settled into her bones, not as anger — but as something softer. Something she didn't recognize.
She had never been refused. Never been left behind.
And yet Colden had walked away.
Tears slipped down her cheeks, silent and slow.
The door creaked open.
Carmine stepped inside, carrying a folded shawl. "You forgot this," she said gently.
Elaine didn't answer.
Carmine walked closer, kneeling beside her. "You're not alone."
Elaine looked at her, eyes red. "Why did he choose someone like him?"
Carmine hesitated. "Because he saw something real."
Elaine's breath caught.
Carmine reached out, brushing a tear from her cheek. "You're allowed to feel."
Elaine leaned into the touch, her voice barely a whisper. "I don't know what I feel."
Carmine leaned closer, her eyes searching Elaine's.
And then — a kiss.
Soft. Brief. Full of questions.
Elaine didn't pull away.
But Carmine did.
She stood quickly, her face flushed. "I'm sorry."
Elaine reached for her, but Carmine was already gone.
The door closed behind her.
Elaine sat in silence, her fingers touching her lips.
She didn't understand what had just happened.
Only that something inside her had shifted.
The castle was restless.
Servants whispered. Guards searched. The prince was missing, and no one knew where he'd gone.
Elaine couldn't sleep.
She wrapped herself in a cloak and stepped into the garden, the moonlight painting silver across the hedges.
She walked slowly, aimlessly, until she saw a figure near the fountain.
A woman in a traveling cloak, her hair streaked with gray, her eyes warm and familiar.
Elaine gasped. "Maddy?"
Madeline turned, smiling. "My little lioness."
Elaine ran to her, arms wrapping around her like a child.
"I didn't know you were coming," Elaine said, breathless.
"I heard the kingdom was in chaos," Madeline replied. "I thought you might need someone who remembers you before all this."
Elaine laughed softly, then began to cry.
Madeline held her close.
"I don't understand love," Elaine whispered. "I thought I did. But now… I don't know anything."
Madeline brushed her hair back. "Love isn't something you conquer, child. It's something you surrender to."
Elaine looked up. "But what if it hurts?"
Madeline smiled. "Then it's real."
They sat together by the fountain, the moon rising above them.
Elaine leaned her head on Madeline's shoulder, the way she had as a girl.
And for the first time in days, she felt safe.