Page 47 of Cherished By the Gargoyle
And though the city welcomes me like a daughter returned, I’ve never felt more lost.
Up ahead, I see the palace. Inside are the parents I’ve desperately longed for my whole life. But I worry because they are strangers to me. What if they’re disappointed when they see me? What if I’m not who they hoped I’d be?
“Do you think my parents will be proud of me?” The question escapes me before I even realize I’ve spoken it aloud.
“Of course they will be, my darling,” Maribel says, her violet eyes shimmering with warmth. “How could they not?”
Drawing in a deep and steadying breath, I push down my anxious nerves as the carriage approaches the castle. It rises before me like something out of a dream. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, with towers reaching for the clouds, the polished stone gleaming brightly beneath the afternoon sun.
We pull up to a stop near the palace entrance. My breath catches, nerves tangling with hope as I realize that I’m finally here. When I step out of the carriage, the castle guards bow low.
As I stand before them, I feel so out of place. My entire life I was simply a village girl. An ordinary person living an ordinary life.
Gazing at the entourage around me, I spot Thalric beside his parents. His eyes meet mine and a pang of longing moves through me.
I start to call out to him, but the palace doors swing open. Two proud figures stand waiting, a crown upon their heads. My pulse quickens as I take a small step forward.
“Rose?” The woman’s voice is soft, filled with so much warmth and longing. And even though the name still sounds foreign to my ears, a lump forms in my throat as I realize she’s my mother. “My darling girl, is it really you?”
She’s beautiful, with hair the same rich shade as mine, eyes glistening with tears. The man beside her is tall, regal, his strong face softening with barely restrained emotion.
“Mother?” My voice trembles despite my attempts to keep it even. “Father?”
They smile and rush forward, enfolding me in their arms. All my anxious worry melts away in their loving embrace as my mother whispers in my ear. “Thank the gods you are home, my dear daughter.”
“We’ve missed you every single day since you’ve been gone,” my father adds.
For a heartbeat, I almost pull away from their embrace. Part of me still aches with the memory of lies and lost years… the child in me who wanted to askwhy. But when my mother’s tears wet my hair and my father’s arms tighten around me, my anger cracks and falls away, leaving only the ache of how much we’ve all lost.
As much as I hate that they sent me away, I understand why they did. It was love that compelled them to make such a difficult decision, and I cannot be angry at them for that.
My mother’s hands tremble as she cups my face. “Every night, I prayed the gods would keep you safe.” Her voice catches. “Even when I couldn’t hold you, I never stopped feeling you here.” She presses a trembling hand to her heart.
My father smiles, brushing his thumb along my cheek. “We’ve been praying for this day for so long. I—” his voice catches. “I can hardly believe you’re really here, my daughter.”
My throat tightens painfully. Their words wrap around me like sunlight after a long winter, melting the ache of years apart.
My parents’ arms close around me again and for a heartbeat, I let myself believe I’ve finally found what I’ve always longed for.
My mother cups my face, studying me as if trying to memorize every feature.
“You have her eyes,” my father murmurs, his voice rough.
“Whose?” I ask.
“Your grandmother’s,” he says, smiling faintly. “Stubborn, determined, always right.”
I try to laugh, but the sound trembles. “I don’t feel like her. I don’t even feel like a princess.”
“You don’t need to,” Mother whispers, brushing a thumb across my cheek. “You only need to be our daughter.”
The words should comfort me. Instead, they twist something deep inside—because after all these years, I’m not sure I remember how to be that either.
But even as I cling to them, a hollow ache thrums inside me. Because part of my heart is still missing.
And he is nowhere in sight.
CHAPTER 29
