Waiting when I already had plans wasn't my favorite thing to do, that was for sure. I leaned on the railing of the deck, overlooking the palace gardens blooming beautifully in the late spring. The flowers in my hand started to fall over the railing with my other holding up my head. I wasn't sure how long it had been, but I guessed about ten minutes. Maybe Sonjay wasn't coming... I hadn't considered he wouldn't want to come and who would come to tell me that fact—if anyone.

Sonjay wasn't the type to turn down activities unless he was busy or had his own reasons. I guess visiting the royal graveyard wasn't the most exciting or fun activity. It would be more emotional than anything. Not that he knew my plans, I realized. Maybe Cronin would tell him? I sighed and nearly went to slap myself for being so silly. Why would Sonjay want to go visit my mother's grave or his own mother's grave with me! Visiting a grave of a loved one was typically a task done by oneself, not with friends... No wonder Sonjay wasn't here yet.

He also wasn't the type to leave anyone hanging, let alone me.

My spirits lifted a bit, much to my surprise, coming to the conclusion. Sonjay, regardless of his choice, would always tell me. He wouldn't let me go without telling me one way or another. That being said, he was the prince who was in the middle of royal matters. He couldn't just get up and leave due to his royal obligations. I was only going off Cronin's hunch as well, I realized. He thought the party would end soon, but that didn't mean it was.  I just hoped Sonjay would at least make an excuse, if he wasn't already excused, to leave and tell me before returning to the party.

That was until I realized after the party the six Arranged would be settling into the palace. While I had no idea Sonjay's participation in this phase of the Arranged, I couldn't rule out that he was expected to assist the Arranged in getting settled. The thought immediately crushed any hope I hadn't realized I was holding on to.

But he's never left me hanging before... I thought, sighing into the hand that held up my head. Although that was true, we were older now. The time he had available then was significantly less nowadays. I stood up straight, resting the palms of my hands on the railing, the bouquet of flowers in between them. With all the thoughts running through my mind right now, all of them seemed to indicate Sonjay was too busy for me. No wonder my family and friends thought my depressive rut was because of the Arranged taking Sonjay's time away from me. Even I was starting to believe it to be true. If I was honest with myself though, I knew it was only a tiny part of the reason.

My hopes had been deflated by now. It had been nearly fifteen minutes since I told Sonjay I'd wait. I grabbed the bouquet and made my way to the stairs of the deck. The moment my leading foot touched the garden path, I heard the palace door open. I froze in my steps, unable to turn my head to check. I wouldn't be able to handle the disappointment if I saw it wasn't Sonjay.

"E, wait!"

My mind quickly pieced it together, especially upon hearing Sonjay's unique name for me, and I turned my head to see Sonjay hurriedly walking over. He smiled at me when I turned to look at him. I couldn't help but return it when he skipped a few steps by jumping down the stairs, leaning on the railing, to land squarely at the foot of the stairs beside me. I had to look up slightly to meet his eyes, and he downwards some.

Sonjay was an average height and average build with a lean, well-built figure. I knew underneath his long-sleeved yellow dress shirt and grey vest he was muscular and fit. He had been training with my brother for a little over five years now. It was hard work, and it was bound to influence anyone who did the training routinely like he did. His fit aside, his face was well structured and gentle, still masculine without the harsh angles. He had soft cheek bones and a warm, perfectly ratioed smile. Just like his father (and his family line), he had a full set of jet-black hair which he preferred to leave in a messy style, typically longer on the top and bangs than the sides.

Unlike his family line, however, were his eyes. While the Colton bloodline was known for their warm brown, sometimes amber eyes, Sonjay had been born with a random mutation. He had complete heterochromia, where his right eye was a rust brown and his left a deep blue. I knew they were something he was incredibly self-conscious, borderline ashamed of, but they were unique to him and something I would always adore. Just like his perfect smile.

"You made it." I said, surprised at how calm I was able to keep my voice. If my conversation with Cronin was any indication, I expected my tone to be all over the place considering the thoughts that had been going through my mind moments earlier. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it for whatever reason."

"I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting." He said, looking apologetic. His voice was just as soothing and charming as the rest of him. "Lunch was wrapping up roughly about the time Cronin gave me your message. I was ready to excuse myself a moment later, but upon hearing my plans to leave, my father insisted I stay for another moment to say goodbye to the parents of the Arranged. Needless to say, briefly meeting six families wasn't exactly quick..."

"I doubt you remember any names either." I smirked at him. He returned it.

"I know a few from previous meetings with them. But yes, I don't remember a thing. Other than their faces, of course! You know my memory! Only the names of the Arranged matter to me right now. Once I've narrowed down my interests, maybe then I'll remember names of the parents."

I lost my desire to continue the conversation very quickly. Again, I cursed my past self for this idea. With all the thoughts running through my head, I hadn't considered Sonjay would want to talk about the Arranged with me as his closest friend. A topic and event I had spent this whole day—nay, the whole month—avoiding.

"Well, uhm," I picked the conversation up after an awkward pause, "I was planning on visiting my mother. You're welcome to join me. Or not. That's up to you. I'm not sure what I'm doing afterwards—or what you're doing for that matter—but depending on how we feel maybe we could do something afterwards." I internally cursed at my rambling, thankful that Sonjay shut me up.

"I'd be happy to tag along anywhere you'd be happy to have me." He said, smiling sweetly.

Apparently, I needed him to accept my offer for me to truly relax. I had been so tense and worried he wouldn't want to tag along on such a sensitive adventure that I hadn't realized how much I needed to simply hear 'yes' from him. With his affirmation out of the way, Sonjay gave me a gentle nod and led the way to the royal graveyard, a small walk away from the palace.

Our walk led us into the palace gardens, or backyard. While perhaps too big to be considered a courtyard, it had several characteristics of one. It was surrounded on three sides by the palace: The corresponding left and right wings towering two stories, of which there were the occasional doors allowing entry into the palace, and the back of the palace where the center wing ended and opened to the deck and backyard. It was a heavily natured area with gardens of flowers, bushes of all sizes, and the occasional well-placed tree. Stone brick pathways meandered through the grounds, usually meeting in a few key locations and branching from the central path. A fountain marked the center of the backyard, and a few other focal points were placed throughout the garden. 

The destination we had in mind, however, was not within the palace grounds. While still on the property, it was placed outside the courtyard. To visit the royal graveyard, we approached the end of the courtyard where a tall, beautifully designed, wrought iron fence spanned the stretch of the courtyard from the left to right wings. The entire palace was well guarded, but this fence in particular had many guards stationed for obvious reasons. It was an easy access point if left unattended. Especially considering that at the end of both wings on the second story were the royal's bedrooms. Glancing over to the left wing, I could see Sonjay's balcony and the three windows of my room. They were on the second story and couldn't be accessed from the outside by normal means, but having the gate separating the gardens from the rest of the palace grounds ensured another level of security.

Approaching the gate, there were two guards stationed at it. Upon recognizing their prince and myself, without a word they opened the gate for us, holding it while we exited. We thanked them and the gesture made both Sonjay and I smile nervously at each other after we had passed. The respect that we received on account of our status was always a bit embarrassing.

The area behind the palace was well forested. The terrain began to ascend a slight hill. While I was unsure of exactly what was on the other side of the hill, I did know that there was a few dirt trails maintained in the area. One trail led to an open clearing that overlooked the palace, a place I would go to frequently to be alone. Taking an immediate left after the gate would lead to the palace barracks, training grounds, and stables. We kept straight, however, and continued our walk up the hill to the royal graveyard.

The royal graveyard was enclosed and secured by a tall intricate iron fence, but a lot less grandeur than at the one at the palace. While no one dared approach palace grounds for fear of the guard and the punishment that would ensue for trespassing, it was better to err on the side of caution. While no guards were stationed here directly, the graveyard was frequently watched for any would-be-criminals. Thankfully though, no major incidents had ever been reported. Even still, a code protected lock kept the gate, the only entrance, secured The combination was known only to those who needed it.

He reached for the lock as I did, both of us noticing and pausing at the same time. It made me blush and him chuckle softly. I was used to being alone when I came here, and having Sonjay here felt different in a new, but good way. While I already felt safe here considering my purpose was to console in my mother, having Sonjay here gave me another level of security I hadn't realized I was missing. When he reached for the lock again, I didn't object.

The graveyard was not small, but by no means large. The plot was a square with only a few trees remaining within the fence. The center was left exposed to the afternoon sun, while the edges were protected by the forest that surrounded the rear of the palace. A few rows branched from the entrance. I was unsure of how the plots and land were divided among the many generations of kings and queens in the Colton family. All I knew was there was a rough descending order starting from the back of the yard. The entire front right corner of the graveyard was untouched, awaiting the next royal generation, and the families they married and brought into the royal lineage. It had occurred to me many times before while visiting, but I knew I would be buried here along with Sonjay and the rest of my family due to our close kinship with King Simon. Our mothers already were.

It sparked another wave of guilt in my chest, asking myself yet again why I offered to do something so fragile with Sonjay. His mother and family were buried towards the back of the plot, while mine were buried closer to the front of the small field. The distance between the sites meant we could speak in private with the dead, but the thought that he was just down the path made me anxious.

"Uhm..." Sonjay spoke softly, startling me because we hadn't spoken this whole time, and because the forest was quiet aside from the wind and birds. He smiled at me nervously. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to be alone right now? I-I can go visit my own mother while you say hi to yours for me."

He smiled tightly. I could see the discomfort in his eyes with his question. Much like me, he couldn't gage the atmosphere between us.

"We can part ways for now," I told him, "so we both can have a moment alone. Just give me a few minutes or meet me back at the gate when you're done."

"Alright." He said gently with a smile to match.

Sonjay made his way towards the back of the graveyard while I remained closer to the gate. I watched him awkwardly shove his hands into his pockets in his nervous trek to see his own deceased mother. The walk to my mother's grave was only a few strides from the gate. It was a peaceful plot of grass with a nearby tree shadowing the area in outlines of its leaves in the wind. I knew this small square of grass to be the designated area that the Nobles would be buried, me included. It was... A morbid thought to consider and realize I was kneeling in the grass where I would someday be laid to rest. Thoughts of my mortality aside, I made myself comfortable kneeling at the base of the tombstone my mother called her final resting place.