Page 70 of Cherished By the Gargoyle
AURORA
Anger simmers beneath my skin, bright and hot, mingling with the pain of my broken heart. My parents stand anxiously together, my father resolute and determined, my mother worried and fearful as she looks at me.
Ryllen is next to Loryn—his personal guard—speaking in hushed tones. His gaze sweeps to me, confirming he’s speaking of what my father has just decreed must happen this night.
I glance again at Thalric, standing rigidly next to his own father. I avert my gaze the moment his eyes meet mine. His silence as my father speaks of marrying me to Ryllen only deepens the ache in my chest.
“You’re making plans for my future as if I’m not standing right here.” My voice trembles with tightly controlled fury. “This is my life, my choice. I won’t have my fate decided for me.”
“Aurora,” Ryllen begins, his sapphire eyes filled with quiet concern. “If we don’t—”
“No.” I cut him off with a raised hand. “I understand the curse. I understand what’s at stake. But you cannot decide my future without me.”
“I would never do that,” Ryllen replies. “Please.” He gives me a pleading look. “Will you allow me to speak with you a moment?”
I hesitate, glancing briefly toward Thalric. His gaze is dark, tormented, but I wrench my eyes away. I can’t bear to look at him now, not when his words still echo cruelly in my mind.
“Alright,” I finally agree, following Ryllen quietly from the crowded chamber into the next room.
The smaller chamber beside the banquet hall is quieter, the heavy wooden door muting the sounds of hurried discussion next door. The air smells faintly of parchment and candle smoke, the walls close and dim.
Ryllen turns to me, his expression full of concern. “Aurora, I would never force this decision on you. I have no expectations. I only want to help you.”
“Ryllen.” I sigh heavily. “Why do you have to be so good? So noble?”
His brows draw together. “What do you mean?”
“Before I met you, I was certain you’d be a pompous prince demanding my hand as your due, ready to swoop in as a hero to glorify yourself. But instead, I find you truly care—and it’s made everything so much harder.”
He takes a cautious step forward, his movements slow, deliberate. “Aurora,” he murmurs, taking my hand. “There are many kinds of love. Friendship can be one of them. I don’t expect more than you can give. But please, let me protect you.”
My throat tightens painfully. “You deserve someone who loves you the way you deserve to be loved. Binding yourself to me, knowing my heart is already given… it isn’t fair to you.”
He steps closer, his gaze earnest, sincere. “Aurora, I’m doing this because you’re a good person, and I couldn’t live with myself if I knew I had the power to save you and did nothing.” His voice lowers, pleading softly, “I’m not asking you to love me, Princess. I’m asking you to let me stand by your side, as your friend and ally.”
My breath catches painfully, the weight of his kindness pressing against my chest. I stare down at our joined hands, my heart aching with uncertainty and sorrow.
“Please,” Ryllen whispers, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “Say you’ll let me help you. Let me protect you.”
Tears blur my vision once more. It feels as if the world is closing in on me. Gently, I squeeze his hand in return. “Ryllen, please give me until morning. I just—I need time to think.”
Ryllen’s shoulders relax slightly, relief flooding his expression. He nods. “Until morning, then. Whatever you decide, Aurora, know that I will support you.”
He steps quietly from the room, leaving me alone with my turbulent thoughts. The silence presses in, heavy and suffocating, shadows lengthening around me. A chill prickles down my spine as an unsettling sensation creeps through the room, leaving me shivering with sudden dread. For some reason, I feel an intense, desperate certainty that morning might never come.
CHAPTER 47
THALRIC
Istand rigidly outside Aurora’s chamber door, heart hammering as a maelstrom of emotions swirls deep within. Her father insists she must marry Ryllen immediately. But after she spoke with the Fae Prince, she announced she’ll make her decision in the morning.
Closing my eyes, I can still see the way she looked at me when I told her I could not love her. Not anymore.
“Thalric?” Ryllen’s voice pulls me back from my dark thoughts. “May we speak?”
I nod and then instruct two of the night guards to relieve me from my post.
We walk together in silence as Ryllen leads me down the corridor toward his guest chambers.
