For the first time in a week, Ophelia woke up without having to drag herself off the bed. This wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by Sarah as she helped her get ready for the day. Throughout the process, Ophelia didn’t argue about her outfit or her hair. She sat through it silently with a faint smile on her lips, Sarah guessed the reason and chuckled to herself. “You seem to be in a good mood today,” Sarah said, braiding small sections of Ophelia’s hair. “And I think I know why.”“Oh, really,” Ophelia said, acting ignorant. “I may be looking forward to today.”“I’ve heard that the Young Lord is finally awake,” Sarah said, stealing glances at Ophelia through the mirror. “Howeve

Noah might have made light of Ophelia’s brother, but he could feel the weight of it on his shoulder as he got closer to the door. He always thought that if they were to ever find her brother, he would treat him as his kin. Now he wasn’t so sure. The only encounter he had with Luke was in battle, and that left quite the first impression on each of them. Who would’ve thought that the hooded soldier was the long-lost Prince of the Crescents? Everything was getting more and more dramatic like a plot to a tragic novel. They arrived at the door to the infirmary, flanked by two knights. They bowed when Noah and Ophelia arrived. One of them initiated to open the door, but Ophelia held a hand to intercept him. “Wait,” she muttered, her eyes fixed on the door as if she saw something the rest of them couldn’t. The knight doubtfully gave her a look before he returned to his position. “Is something wrong?” Noah asked, leaning forward to take a better look at her. “The last time we talked,

Ophelia waited for the tea and snacks she asked for before filling in Merrick and Hero on why they were there. They sat in the reception of her room, silently sipping on their tea. The soft breeze from the open window lightened the atmosphere between them. Amid the small chit-chat, Ophelia couldn’t her mind wandering back to her brother from earlier. Did she manage to truly melt a bit of the ice around his heart? Or was she just scrapping at the surface?“Ella,” Hero said, breaking the silence and bringing Ophelia back from her trance. “If I have another cup of hibiscus tea I might turn into a Hibiscus flower.”“I don’t mind the tea,” Merrick said, shooting a glare toward Hero. “Though I would love to know what’s the occasion. I doubt we are here just

Ophelia half-dazed when she rushed out of her chambers, her mind was wandering off to horrid thoughts. It was her muscle memory that led her through the hallways. It was past midnight now, the moon was high in the sky, its light crept through the glass windows aligning the walls of the hallways. The rattling of branches were muffled in the background as she steadily walked her way, no noise was loud enough to break her trance. Her steps were hesitant, almost heavy. She questioned if it was right to visit her brother so late at night. He must be fast asleep, she thought. A peek through the door would be enough, she said in the back of her mind. A peek was all she needed to sooth the beats of her racing heart. She was worried to her stomach about Luke. The mere idea of walking up to him hurt – or maybe worse, it made her body shudder with fear. She might not trust her brother yet but, she still him dear to her heart. She was already feeling heavy with the interrogation nearing them, th