I remained in my quarters the entire morning, thinking — wondering why the corridors had grown busier, why servants kept passing my door as though expecting something.
It was nearly noon, and I had not stepped outside.
I stood before my mirror, took a slow breath, and straightened my posture.
It was time.
Just as I reached for the door, it opened.
"Good morning, future wife," he said.
He wore a different mask today.
"It is improper for you to enter a lady's chamber without knocking, Your Majesty," I said calmly. "I could have been dressing."
A faint smile appeared beneath the edge of his mask.
"You are quite feisty. Quiet, pretty… and feisty. I find it rather admirable."
He stepped closer.
"I trust you have made your decision."
I did not answer him.
Instead, I walked past him and out of my quarters, my steps steady despite the storm inside me.
The guards parted as I made my way toward the throne room.
My supposed mother and father sat upon their thrones when I entered.
"Good morning, Your Majesties," I said, bowing respectfully.
"I have come to inform you that I shall be leaving for the Kingdom of Aurelis. I am to wed his majesty."
I lowered myself into another bow.
"I humbly request your blessings."
My supposed father parted his lips, as though he wished to speak.
But my supposed mother gently placed her hand over his.
A silent warning.
He fell quiet.
She looked at me — not with warmth, not with sadness — but with something unreadable.
"You have our blessings," she said calmly.
The words echoed through the throne room.
Blessings.
The moment she said it, I turned and walked out of the throne room without another word.
I did not wait for him. I did not look back.
I returned to my quarters and shut the door behind me, leaving the masked king and my parents in that grand hall of polished lies.
How could they agree so easily?
Not a question. Not a hesitation.
Did they truely even care for me?
The thought pressed against my chest, heavy and suffocating.
I let out a quiet sigh and lay upon my bed, staring at the ceiling above.
There were so many words I wished to speak. So many questions I longed to ask.
But I kept them to myself.
As I always did.
I heard a knock on my door.
"His Majesty, your father, requests your presence in the garden, milady."
I rose without a word and left my quarters.
My supposed father was a quiet man. He rarely came out to socialize. I suppose I inherited that from him.
When I reached the garden pavilion, I paused and knocked softly.
"Come in," his voice answered.
I stepped inside. He dismissed the guards with a small gesture, and they withdrew at once.
"You sent for me, Your Majesty?" I asked formally.
"Yes."
He remained still for a moment, as though arranging his thoughts.
"I wished to inquire about your well-being."
I said nothing.
He exhaled softly.
"I am not a man skilled with words," he continued. "I know I have kept my distance. It is not because I felt nothing… but because I did not know how to express the happiness I felt whenever I saw you, my daughter."
My heart stilled.
He stood then, facing me properly.
"Now that you are to leave… I could not bear to see you go a second time without telling you that I care for you. I care about your well being and how you fare."
For a moment, I could not speak.
There was sincerity in his eyes. Regret. Something fragile.
I had never truly known a father's affection.
Yet hearing those words…
They warmed something inside me I had long believed frozen.
"I understand," I said softly. "Thank you… for telling me."
And I smiled.
"Be careful, my daughter," he said quietly. "If anything troubles you, write to me."
He paused, as though choosing his words carefully.
"I cannot say much about the Kingdom of Aurelis. But I will tell you this — it is a beautiful place."
His expression shifted.
"There are many reasons I cannot prevent you from going. Reasons I cannot yet speak of. But in time… you will understand."
The weight of his words lingered in the air.
"Thank you… Father."
The word slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
For a heartbeat, I wondered if I had made a mistake.
But then he smiled — not as a king.
As a father.
And it was the brightest smile I had ever seen on his face.
We spoke a little longer after that. Simple things. Quiet things.
And as I stood there beside him in the garden, I realized something I had long denied —
He was not like her.
"You will soon depart," he said. "The carriage arrangements are already being made."
There was something final in his tone.
"Thank you for your words, Your Majesty," I replied softly.
For a moment, I almost said Father again.
But I did not.
Instead, I offered a small smile, bowed, and turned away.
As I walked back toward the palace, I felt strangely lighter… and yet heavier all at once.
It was time to leave.
The courtyard was filled with nobles, servants, guards — all gathered to bid me farewell.
Some looked sympathetic.
Some curious.
Some relieved.
I stood before them like a fragile offering dressed in silk.
My supposed mother stood tall and composed.
My father remained quiet, though his gaze did not leave me.
When the carriage door was opened, I stepped inside without hesitation.
The masked king did not join me.
Instead, he entered a separate carriage behind mine.
The distance was deliberate.
Or perhaps respectful.
The wheels began to turn.
And just like that, the palace gates opened.
I did not look back.
It was a departure happening once again but because of a different circumstance.