The farewell
285 Words
Three days after Adrian’s departure, Elara received no letters.
She told herself not to worry.
The roads were dangerous.
Messengers could be delayed.
Still, she checked the palace gates every morning.
Prince Lucien noticed.
“You are waiting for someone.”
Elara turned.
“No.”
Lucien smiled.
“You are a terrible liar.”
She looked at him.
“Why aren’t you offended?”
“By what?”
“That I don’t love you.”
Lucien leaned against the balcony railing.
“Because you never promised to.”
Elara was surprised.
“My father expects us to marry.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re simply accepting that?”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“I don’t want a wife who looks at me and wonders what life she might have had.”
Elara studied him carefully.
“You are kinder than I expected.”
“I am not always kind.”
“Neither am I.”
Lucien laughed.
Their friendship grew quietly.
It was strange.
Elara had expected to hate him.
Instead, she discovered a man trapped by expectations just as she was.
Five days later, a messenger arrived from the north.
The enemy had attacked a border fortress.
Valerian soldiers had defended it successfully.
But several men were missing.
Adrian was among them.
Elara felt the world tilt beneath her feet.
She refused to cry in front of the messenger.
She waited until she was alone.
Then she finally allowed herself to grieve.
That evening, she returned to the garden.
The wooden horse Adrian had given her remained in her hand.
She whispered, “You promised.”
She knew he hadn’t actually promised.
But she needed to believe he had.
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