I wasn’t sure if I could trust him fully, but his eyes didn’t lie when he spoke of Norok. Perhaps he didn’t mean to hurt him at
all. Maybe it was all just a misunderstanding and with Norok not being awake to say his friend meant no harm, we would all
continue running on our emotions from that day.
I stood in front of him, my hair trailing behind me with the breeze from the doors. The shawl around my shoulders that I
wore over my pale pink dress slid down my right arm. His eyes darted to the bare skin that had been revealed. His tongue
darted out to lick his bottom lip. I tracked the movement with my eyes, wanting to trace the exact same path with my own
tongue.
“I will miss you greatly,” he confessed, our eyes meeting once again.
Even more closely now, I could see how truly handsome he was and how much I would have liked—enjoyed even—
looking in those eyes for the rest of my life. The rough pads of his fingers lifted my chin, angling my face towards his. I never
realised how tall he was until this moment. He stared into my eyes, and I stared back, his eyes never leaving mine.
When he leaned in closer, a sigh escaped my chest. Our lips were only inches away from one another. I didn’t dare move, I
didn’t dare breathe. This would be my first kiss, and I wanted him to have it. I stood on my tiptoes, trying to close the space
even more, when he stopped.
“Goodbye, my princess,” he breathed.
Seconds later, his warmth disappeared as did he, leaping over the balcony and my heart shattered with him.
By morning, I’d not slept a wink. I continued to stare at my balcony doors, still open, waiting and wondering if Cole would
be standing there. I wanted to look up to find him racing towards me to claim me as his. How I stupidly longed for it.
“Ornella,” Talia said from behind me as I sat in the same place I did every day, my breakfast now cold. She placed a hand on
my shoulder, and I shrugged it off. “Father wishes for us all to attend the hall, he has an announcement.”
“I already know what it will be. Norok shall no longer be the heir to the throne and that will now be placed on my
shoulders.”
Lord Cole’s appearance had left me to wonder if he ever would in fact, miss me, or if it was all just a game and it left a
bitter taste in my mouth.
Talia stood in front of me with her arms across her chest. Her eyes were just as raw as Mother’s as she stared at me with
anger in them.
“Norok will wake up, and when he does, everything will be fine. And then you may go back to whatever you do best. For
now, our family needs us to bind together and be there for one another.”
I rolled my eyes and looked away, unmoved and uninterested in her attempt at a speech. The family didn’t need me, and the
line could stay firmly where it was, Norok would get better in time and then I would finally be left alone.