Chapter 80
The royal gardens were peaceful.
Golden afternoon sunlight filtered through the branches of an ancient oak tree, painting dancing shadows across the stone path. The fragrance of blooming roses drifted through the air with the gentle breeze, while somewhere nearby a fountain trickled softly.
A small table had been prepared beneath the old tree.
Fine porcelain.
Fresh tea.
Warm pastries.
Everything was elegant. Yet neither of them reached for the food.
Aurora sat gracefully across from Lucian, her hands resting lightly in her lap. Her posture was calm, but inside, she felt strangely uneasy.
Why had he invited her here?
She had agreed because refusing the King outright would have been discourteous... but she had no intention of letting old feelings cloud her judgment.
The silence stretched between them.
Finally, Lucian spoke, "Thank you for coming."
Aurora inclined her head politely, "You wished to speak with me, Your Majesty."
"I did."
He looked toward the flowerbeds before returning his gaze to her.
"I wanted to thank you."
She looked slightly puzzled,
"For translating for Merchant Liang."
Aurora smiled politely, "I simply happened to know the language."
Lucian shook his head, "No...You represented our kingdom with dignity. You prevented what could have become a diplomatic embarrassment....You honoured the Crown."
Aurora lowered her eyes modestly, "I only did what anyone in my position should have done."
"I disagree", His voice was gentle, "Very few people could have done what you did today."
She quietly lifted her teacup, "Thank you."
Another silence settled. This one heavier than before.
Lucian slowly placed his own cup down, "I also owe you something else."
Aurora waited.
"An apology."
Her fingers paused against the delicate porcelain.
Lucian drew a slow breath before continuing, "I judged you before I ever took the time to know you. I humiliated you, dismissed your feelings, and stood by while others wounded you. Worst of all... I accepted your kindness as though it were something I was entitled to,
never once stopping to consider how much it must have hurt you."
Each admission seemed to cost him.
"I cannot rewrite the past, Aurora. I cannot erase the moments that hurt you, nor can I ask you to forget them. And forgiveness..." He paused, his voice heavy with regret. "...is a gift I have no right to ask for, let alone expect."
Aurora stared quietly into her tea, "No."
Lucian smiled sadly, "I thought you might say that."
She finally looked at him, "Then why say it?"
His answer came without hesitation, "Because you deserved to hear me admit that I was wrong."
For a long moment, Aurora simply watched him.
He looked... different.
Not proud.
Not arrogant.
Simply honest.
Before she could respond, he continued.
"Two years ago...I visited Duke Ambrose."
A flicker of surprise crossed Aurora's face, "My father never mentioned that."
"He refused to answer on your behalf."
A small smile touched Aurora's lips, "That sounds exactly like Father."
"He told me that only one person had the right to decide."
Lucian met her eyes, "You."
Silence returned. Birds sang overhead.
The breeze stirred Aurora's hair.
Lucian drew a slow breath, "I've spent the last two years questioning myself. I once believed I loved Bella."
Aurora's expression remained unreadable.
"I was mistaken. I cared for her. I respected her."
"But...", He searched for the right words, "...what I felt was familiarity. It wasn't love."
Aurora listened quietly.
"The day you left, I told myself it was only a journey—that I would simply return to my responsibilities and wait for news of your safe arrival. But every morning I wondered if you'd had breakfast. Every evening I wondered if you were sleeping peacefully. I found myself hoping you'd made friends...
and then, selfishly, hoping none of them were men who might make you forget me."
Lucian took a deep breathe, "When Mother received your letters..."
A faint smile appeared, "I always asked about you first. I never realized I was doing it."
Aurora looked down into her untouched tea.
His words stirred memories she had long buried.
There was a time...She would have dreamed of hearing them.
There was a time...She would have believed every word without question.
But that girl no longer existed.
Lucian lowered his gaze, "I don't know if what I'm feeling is love."
The confession lingered in the silence.
"Not because my feelings are weak... but because, for the first time, I realize how little I understood love to begin with."
He looked back at her, "I won't lie to you simply because it's what you want to hear."
"What I know is that I admire you. I respect the woman you've become. Your compassion, your strength, your brilliance... they're qualities I never valued enough until they were no longer mine to take for granted."
He smiled faintly, "And I hope..."
He hesitated, "...that one day I might earn your trust."
He slowly stood. Then bowed deeply. Not as a king. Not as a prince. Simply as a man.
"Lady Aurora Ambrose..."
Lucian straightened, every trace of the carefree prince gone.
"I wish to court you—not as the Crown Prince, but as a man who has come to admire and respect the woman standing before him."
He spoke with quiet conviction, "I ask neither for your affection nor your forgiveness. I have no right to either."
A brief silence passed, "I ask only for the chance to earn your trust... to let my actions speak where my words have failed."
His expression grew solemn, "If, after you've truly come to know me... you find that your heart belongs elsewhere..."
Though the words clearly pained him, he forced himself to finish.
"...then I will step aside."
"Not because it won't break my heart..." he admitted quietly, "...but because I would rather see you genuinely happy than spend a lifetime beside someone who no longer chooses me."
The garden fell completely silent.
Aurora didn't answer.
Instead...She lowered her eyes.
Without warning...A warm smile appeared in her mind.
Dark hair.
Gentle eyes.
A quiet laugh.
Dante.
She could almost hear him teasing her.
"You're overworking again."
The cabin by the lake.
Picnics beneath the tree.
The promise they made beneath the stars.
"We'll grow old together."
Her chest tightened painfully. A lump formed in her throat.
Dante...
Am I betraying you?
She closed her eyes.
You loved me with everything you had.
You never made me question your heart.
You waited for me.
If I allow another man into my life...
Does that make me faithless?
A tear escaped before she realized it.
Lucian noticed immediately.
"Lady Aurora..."
His voice was filled with concern, "I'm sorry....I didn't mean to upset you."
Aurora quickly wiped away the tear, "You didn't. It isn't your fault."
She drew a shaky breath, "There is someone."
Lucian's heart clenched.
He already knew.
"Dante."
Aurora nodded almost imperceptibly.
"There was a man...My first love. My only love."
Her voice trembled, "I don't know where he is....... I don't know whether he's alive......I don't even know if I'll ever see him again."
Lucian listened quietly.
"I still pray for him. Every night. I still miss him."
She laughed bitterly, "Sometimes I still talk to him."
Lucian lowered his eyes, "I know."
Aurora looked up in surprise.
"I heard you. When you were unconscious...You called his name."
Aurora froze.
A blush of embarrassment coloured her cheeks.
"I..."
Lucian smiled sadly, "I'll admit something shameful."
She waited.
"I was jealous of a man I'd never met."
Aurora blinked.
"I even had Theo investigate him."
Despite the heaviness in her heart...A tiny laugh escaped.
"You did?"
"I did; we found absolutely nothing."
He sighed dramatically, "Which somehow made me dislike him even more."
Aurora laughed softly through her tears.
Lucian smiled, "I think.....that's the first smile I've managed to earn."
She lowered her head.
Silence settled once more.
Finally, Aurora spoke, "I don't know if allowing you to court me is the right thing."
Lucian remained quiet.
"I don't know if it would mean I'm moving forward......or leaving someone behind."
She placed a trembling hand over her heart, "I promised Dante forever."
Lucian answered gently, "I cannot compete with your past...I wouldn't try. If your heart still belongs to him...I'll respect that. I won't force my way into your life."
Aurora looked at him.
His expression held no expectation.
Only patience.
She remained silent for what felt like forever.
Then she slowly stood.
"Your Majesty...I cannot give you an answer today."
Hope flickered in Lucian's eyes before settling into quiet understanding.
"I need time...Not days. Perhaps months. Perhaps longer. I need to understand my own heart before I can allow anyone else into it."
Lucian bowed his head, "I'll wait."
Aurora studied him carefully.
"If you truly wish to court me...Then understand something."
He looked up.
"You are not courting the girl who once followed you through these gardens."
Silence
"I no longer need your attention. I no longer dream of becoming Queen."
Silence
"I have my own ambitions. My own responsibilities. My own happiness. If those ever become second to your pride..."
She held his gaze steadily, "...then there is no future for us."
Lucian nodded without hesitation, "I understand."
Aurora gave a small, respectful curtsy.
"Then let us begin as acquaintances. No promises. No expectations...If, over time, I find that my heart is ready..."
She smiled sadly, "...I will tell you and if it never is..."
Lucian smiled gently, "I'll thank you for your honesty."
Aurora turned and slowly walked away beneath the flowering trees.
She did not look back.
Lucian remained beneath the old oak, watching her disappear into the distance.
For the first time in his life...
He realized love could not be won with titles...
Or flowers...
Or apologies.
It was built through patience.
Through trust.
Through time.
And for Lady Aurora Ambrose...
He would gladly begin at the very beginning.
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