An honest heart is a kingdom in itself

Aria

He ran away… again.

The word no echoed in my mind like the closing of a door. Not slammed shut, just gently pushed until it clicked into place, keeping us out.

And it hurt.

He looked so scared. As if he had to fear us. As if we were something dangerous. And I couldn’t stop asking myself the same question over and over, was I too much for him?

Maybe I was.

Ethan would never say it. He’s too kind to even think it out loud. But I know myself. I know I can be intense, overwhelming, too direct. I thought that was what soulmates were supposed to love about you, that you didn’t have to soften yourself to be loved.

Maybe I was wrong.

“Whatever you’re thinking right now, stop it,” Ethan said gently. He was still holding my hand, still grounding me with his calm.

“He ran away again…” I murmured, the words heavier this time.

I don’t think it was because of us, Elora, my fox familiar, added quietly. You saw how his familiar looked. If we were what scared him, he would’ve stared at us the same way. But he didn’t.

You’re just saying that to make me feel better, I thought bitterly.

I’m saying it because it’s the truth. And you know me well enough to know I don’t sugarcoat things just to keep you comfortable.

“I mean… You do realize just because he said no to breakfast doesn’t mean we’ll never see him again, right?” Ethan said. “We have Rune Creation, Affinity Mastery, and Combat Strategy with him. He’s on the same schedule as us.”

“It doesn’t hurt less,” I said. “He seems like he doesn’t want to see us. We both couldn’t stop thinking about him, and he… he wouldn’t even look us in the eye.”

“We can’t control how he feels,” Ethan said. “We can only control what we give. And I want to give him the kind of love we’ve given each other. No pressure. No expectations. Just… presence. ”

He squeezed my hand again. “And we’re in this together. You and I. Always.”

I looked at him, and something inside me softened. Ethan. My Ethan. As a child, I used to believe he got the purer part of our soul. The softer, gentler, better part. I used to resent that, I used to think the universe cheated me.

Now, I think the universe gifted me.

Even when I’m sharp and messy and loud, he stays. When I push, he leans in. He’s not perfect, God, he’s stubborn, but he loves like it’s breathing.

It reminded me of a time when I didn't believe him, when I thought the world would tear us apart before we ever got a chance to be anything. The first time I screamed at him, begging him to leave. And he didn’t.

“I don’t want to be soulbonded to someone like you!” I had screamed, tears hot in my eyes.

Ethan, small and barefoot, with scuffed boots in one hand and grass tangled in his curls, just blinked at me. We were only ten, but he looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that made sense.

“I… I know that’s not something you want,” he said quietly. “But I’ll still be here. Even if you only want to be friends. ”

“Don’t you get it? We can never be happy together. Your home isn’t even in this empire! You’ll go back, and I’ll be stuck here. Alone. I’m not an idiot.”

“My home will be wherever you are,” he said. “I have to leave now, but when I’m grown, I’ll come back. I’ll stay.”

“You don’t even know me,” I snapped. “You’ll marry someone from a noble house in your empire, someone your family chooses. You’ll forget me.”

He stepped forward.

“My soul’s tied to yours. Not because of the magic. Because I want it to be. Even without the bond, I’d still be in awe of you. I don’t expect you to believe me now. But I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it.”

And he did.

Even when my parents forbid me from seeing him again. Even when nobles whispered behind my back. Even when I screamed and cried and tried to burn the bridge between us, he stayed.

Even when convincing my parents had felt impossible.

My parents weren’t soulmates. They had chosen each other out of alliance, out of convenience. Love wasn’t part of the equation. They believed I’d follow the same path, duty over destiny, strategy over soul. They thought I’d be like them.

But I wasn’t.

And I made that clear. I told them if they forced me to choose between them and my soulmate, I’d pack my things and leave. I would happily walk out of the Ambers' estate and follow Ethan wherever the world wanted us to go. That was the truth of it.

Iris had been my one supporter. Her and Stephen. It was thanks to them that the engagement was ever even considered. Iris stood between me and our parents like a blade. Stephen gave her the power to make it stick. And Ethan, he fought too, just in quieter ways. In letters, in long nights of waiting, in promises he always kept.

They thought I’d break. I didn’t.

Now, after thinking about all of this, after remembering everything we’ve fought through to get here…

“I might have been overdramatic,” I mumbled.

Glad you realized that, Elora said dryly.

You know, sometimes you really don’t need to share every thought you have…

She just flicked her tail as if she were proud of herself.

I rolled my eyes.

Back in the present, I looked down and realized we were already walking into the dining hall.

Ethan squeezed my hand as we walked back toward the dining hall. “I think we’ll be okay. We just have to give him time.”

“You’re right,” I whispered. “Yeah, you can gloat now. You were right.”

“It always brings me joy when you admit it,” he said with a smirk.

“Don’t let it get to your head. Also, I won our bet. I was the one who found his name first. That’s two in a row, by the way. I’m now at 111 wins. You’re stuck at 108. At this rate, you’ll never catch up.” I grinned.

“Today was a fluke,” he said dramatically. “I’m going to win the next one. I can feel it.”

“Mhm. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

We spotted Iris and the others at the usual table. It always surprised me how easily my sister had become part of that group. She used to be so closed off.

I glanced around the dining hall. Most people were still sitting with their noble houses, or with families their parents were politically aligned with. Callisto and Allerick rarely mixed publicly, even now, there were subtle glances tossed in our direction.

And yet here we were. Together. Laughing.

I knew it made people nervous. The union of our empires, if it truly happened it would be a political earthquake. A threat. Even our parents hadn’t been able to stop us. Not for lack of trying.

Honestly, some of the rumors were so ridiculous that they were almost funny.

“I still can’t believe Iris fits in with them so well,” I said. “I used to think she didn’t get attached to anyone.”

“She didn’t,” Ethan said. “Stephen just wore her down.”

I laughed. “I believe that. She used to roll her eyes even at the idea of friendship.”

“I think people are afraid of what this group represents,” I added, lowering my voice as we got closer to the table. “Callisto and Allerick heirs sitting together like they’re already rewriting the world.”

“They should be afraid,” Ethan said, grinning. “We are rewriting the world.”

“I still can’t believe the last screaming match my parents had,” I muttered. “They actually thought Stephen and Nicholas were having an affair.”

Ethan snorted. “That one’s been around for years. And it just keeps getting better every time.”

“At least it’s entertaining,” I said. “Better than the one where they think Iris is some kind of mind controlling witch sent to seduce royalty.”

“Joke’s on them she kind of is,” Ethan said.

I laughed so hard I almost dropped my tray.

It was crazy to think that even as kids, Iris, Stephen, Nicholas, and Adonis had kept in touch with secret letters, coded runes. And now they were back here again, stronger than ever. It made sense, though. All four of them were easily among the strongest mages of their generation. Some said in centuries.

It shut a lot of people up.

They’d saved seats for us. Still included us. Still, let us be part of this strange little alliance. Even after Omir. Even after everything.

I sat beside Ethan, slid into the warmth of our mismatched, ragtag table of rebellion.

A quiet ache settled inside me, left behind by a boy with hair like moonlight and eyes I couldn’t stop dreaming of even if he couldn’t bring himself to look at me.

I still felt hope.