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Hendrick sighed, his gaze distant. “The last time I laid eyes on her, she was as radiant as ever. I believe she went north to live with distant family.”
“Wait…” Tristan’s heart thundered. “You’re not together?”
Hendrick shook his head. “No. I mean, I proposed another wedding the moment I saw her since her father annulled the last one, but… seems that in the time we’ve been apart, her feelings for me had changed. And I don’t blame her. We fell in love too young, too fast.”
Tristan rubbed a hand over his face. “But she fought so hard to find you.”
“I know. But it seems that loving someone andbeing in lovewith them are two different things,” Hendrick explained. “She made it very clear which one she felt for me, and it wasn’t the latter.”
The room seemed to grow quieter, the very air thickening with Hendrick’s words. Each syllable echoed in Tristan’s mind, a haunting reminder of the choices he’d made, and the path he hadn’t taken. The silence was heavy, pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.
“Anyway, sorry for rambling to you about my personal life,” Hendrick said with a chuckle. “Please, accept our kingdom’s support in anything you need. Anything at all. Don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Aurora…” Her name slipped out of Tristan in one rushed breath. “Where can I find her?”
Hendrick’s brows shot up as though he’d been expecting anything but that question. “Uh. Briar Rose Farms, most likely.”
Hendrick’s words were like a door that had been previously shut but was now pushed ajar, allowing a bright light of hope to seep through.
The image of Aurora, with her golden hair and the love they had shared, flashed before Tristan’s eyes. His smile grew wide. “Thank you,” he said, giving Hendrick an attaboy slap on the arm. “Your visit has been most helpful.”
Without waiting for a response, Tristan rushed outside, the bright sun beaming down on him. He took a deep breath, attempting to steady his whirlwind of emotions. The weight of responsibility, the pain of past mistakes, and the hope for a brighter future melded together, forging a new determination in him.
He would find Aurora and mend the broken threads he had severed.
He would find Aurora, no matter the cost.
AURORA
Aurora’s hands embraced the cool, dew-kissed earth as she welcomed the first light of dawn. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves. The morning sun, still tender and new, cast a warm, golden glow over her uncle’s sprawling farm.
With each graceful motion, Aurora’s body awakened to the new day. Beads of dew formed on her skin, and her clothing felt fresh and revitalizing against her body. The sun’s gentle rays illuminated the endless rows of vibrant crops, their lush green leaves dancing joyfully in the breeze.
Her uncle’s farm stretched out as far as the eye could see. It had been her mother’s home once upon a time, and now it sheltered Aurora, giving her a sense of belonging in a world that had grown increasingly unfamiliar. The farm was her refuge, a place where she sought comfort, finding a connection to her mother’s memory in the earth beneath her fingertips.
As Aurora nurtured the garden, her mind drifted to her mother’s stories of flowers and herbs, of the seeds they had sown together, and the countless bountiful harvests she had celebrated during her childhood. In the serene morning light, she felt her mother’s presence more than ever. Even as her heart ached with the void left by her absence.
A sudden gust of wind brought a sharp scent of cedarwood, breaking through the monotony of Aurora’s thoughts. She turned, dirt-streaked and sweat-drenched, to see Tristan approaching.
In that tranquil haven, where time seemed to hang suspended, Tristan emerged from the haze, a figure both commanding and impassioned. His tall, dark silhouette cut through the mist, casting a long, enigmatic shadow on the emerald clearing beneath his feet. His royal attire billowed gracefully with each determined stride, the fabric whispering secrets that befitted a king.
She squinted against the brightening sun, unable to believe her eyes. Perhaps it was yet another mirage. It wouldn’t have been the first time she had imagined him walking across the field toward her. But unlike previous fantasies, this one never faded. It just kept getting closer and closer, and Aurora’s heart began to beat faster.
The wind blew, throwing his blond hair in all directions. It was longer than she’d remembered. The scent of ginger and cedar encircled her.
In silence, Tristan closed the distance between them, each step echoing with the weight of their past. He wasn’t just making his way across the meadow, he was weaving through the labyrinth of their hearts. With each step, the chasm that had divided them for so long grew narrower, and the magnetic pull stronger.
He carried an air of elegance, even in the midst of the rustic landscape. When he finally reached her, she’d been expecting him to speak, but he said nothing at all. His eyes, as soft and warm as the morning sky, locked onto hers with an intensity that sent a wave of tingles through her body. It was as if he could see beyond the dirt and sweat, straight into the depths of her soul.
His breathing was slow and steady, but she knew that if she reached out to touch his chest, she would feel his heart thump like a drum against the palm of her hand.
“You didn’t stay with Hendrick,” Tristan finally spoke, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I couldn’t,” she breathed, unaware of just how the mere sight of him had left her breathless. “My heart belonged to someone else.”
“Did you not come back to me because of Rumple’s compulsion?” he asked.
Aurora’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you…?”
