AMELIA  My eyes flutter open, squinting against the harsh light filtering into the room. As I move to shield my eyes with my right hand, I'm startled to find it stuck in something. Turning toward it, my eyes widen in surprise as I see Nickolas sleeping soundly on my hand. A rush of confusion floods through me as I quickly scan my body, only to find that all my wounds are miraculously healed, with not a single scar in sight. It's impossible. What the hell happened? With a sense of disbelief, I carefully extract my hand from under Nickolas's head, sitting up as I stare in awe at my fully healed body. The events of the previous night flood back to me in a whirlwind of memories, but none of them offer any explanation for this miraculous recovery. “You’re awake,” Nickolas says, his voice tinged with exhaustion as he yawns, dark circles under his eyes. My gaze shifts to his h

A few days have passed since I was attacked. Thanks to Nickolas, I am fully healed and free of scars. I climb out of bed and step into my bathroom for a shower, my mind swirling. Lily left the previous night to search for her parents and gather news about mine. My heart beats very second, fearing Eric might spot her meeting with her father and capture him. Fervent prayers escape me, begging that wouldn't happen, that she will return safely with word on how my family fares. These past few days, I haven't crossed paths with Nickolas. I won't say he's deliberately avoiding me, nor I him, but our paths just haven't crossed much. He's been engrossed in fortifying the castle's defenses and attending to court matters. Beatrice expressed her concern that he didn't take adequate time to rest and heal properly, and I couldn't help but share a similar worry. However, so far, he's managed to defy our expectations by not experiencing any health complications despite his busy

Later that night, I find myself seated in the kitchen, the soft glow of the overhead lights casting a warm ambiance over the room. With my dinner on the counter and my beloved book in hand. Having whiled awaythe day immersed in its pages, I'm already halfway through. Beside me, Beatrice observes with mild interest, her gazelingering on the book clenched in my grasp."For a princess, I'm surprised you had the time to take upsuch a human hobby," she remarks, her tone tinged with curiosity."You would be surprised," I reply, forcing a smile asmemories of my unconventional childhood flood my mind."Why does it sound like you didn’t have a typical royalupbringing?" Beatrice probes gently, her keen intuition cutting through myfacade."You could say that," I murmur, turning a page in mybook before taking a bite of my dinner, attempting to deflect her inquiries.But Beatrice isn't easily deterre

The sun hangs low in the sky, painting the horizon in hues of orange and pink as it prepares to give way to the encroaching night. In a clearing surrounded by towering trees, their leaves rustling in the strong gusts of wind, Nickolas and I face each other, both poised for combat. I pant hard, my chest heaving with each labored breath. Strands of hair, having escaped the confines of my bun, cling to my sweat-drenched face while others dance wildly in the wind. I swing on my feet, hands raised and fisted, as if ready to strike. And I want to, I desperately want to land a punch on Nickolas, but I know he would see it coming a mile away and easily block it. I push saliva down my raw throat, wiping sweat from my brow with the back of my hand. We have been training for hours now, and the toll on my body is evident. My muscles ache, and exhaustion threatens to overtake me at any moment. We've been training for hours now, and it's been absolute hel

NICKOLAS I steal a glance from the road, my eyes drawn to Amelia as she sits silently in the passenger seat of my sleek Bentley. Strands of her damp hair cling to her porcelain face, still wet from the rushed shower I had insisted she take. My own hair is barely dried, dark locks plastered against my forehead. I know she must be starving, her stomach hollow with hunger. But all of that has to wait. Her safety is the only thing that matters now.She turns to look at me, baby blue eyes wide and searching as my fingers reach out to tuck an errant curl behind her ear. Those eyes tug at my heart, begging me to explain why I pulled her from the castle and now speed her away to some unknown destination. Sighing, I pull my hand back, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white. As much as it pains me to keep her in the dark, to see the confusion and hint of fear swirling in her gaze, I know it’s for the best. She can’t know where we&rsquo