Page 106 of A Kingdom's Heart
The night air was cool and smelled faintly of roses. I followed the trail down, carefully climbing over the stone rail and finding the same narrow ledge as before. My slippers touched the grass softly when I reached the ground. The roses continued, white and pink, winding through the garden toward the hidden door.
When I stepped through it, the world opened again to the sea.
The waves whispered faintly against the shore, and the moon painted everything silver.
Halfway down the path, I stopped. The air was cool and quiet save for the sound of the sea below and the faint rustle of the trees. I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm the quick, uneven beat of my heart.
A thought came so suddenly it almost took my breath away. William. The memory of his voice when he said he loved me returned so clearly that it felt like he was standing beside me. He had said it with such honesty, as if he had been holding it in for far too long. My heart began to race, not from the climb, but from what I was feeling.
He was the only one who had ever truly seen me. Not a crown, not a title, not a duty. Just me. He had cared for me long before he knew who I really was. And even after finding out, even after everything that should have pushed him away, he still looked at me like I was someone worth loving.
He had told me he loved me, yes, but it was not just in words. It was in the way he guarded me without being asked, the way his eyes softened when they met mine, the way he treated me like I mattered more than the world he served. He had shown me what love was long before I understood it.
And somewhere along the way, the care I had for him had changed. It had grown into something deeper, something I couldfeel in every part of me. I did not know what to call it yet, but I knew it was strong, and it was real.
I kept walking, my slippers brushing softly against the grass as the roses led me farther into the night. The air grew cooler, carrying the scent of salt and sea. The sound of the waves grew louder until it filled the silence around me. The trail ended where the trees met the shore, just as before.
And there he was.
William sat beneath the same tree, his cloak draped over his shoulders. One leg was bent, the other stretched out before him. His head rested slightly to the side, as if he had been listening to the water. The moonlight touched his face, soft and calm, and for a moment I could not move.
When he looked up, his eyes met mine. A faint smile appeared,
quiet and knowing. My breath caught, and something deep inside me stirred. My heart began to race, faster and faster, until I could hear it in my ears.
I really looked at him then. The man who had stood beside me through everything, who had loved me when he had every reason not to. The man who saw me for who I was, not what I was born to be.
And it hit me all at once, quiet but sure. I loved him too.
The truth settled in my chest, warm and steady, and I knew nothing could ever change it.
CHAPTER FORTY TWO
IRIS/WILLIAM
IRIS
Joy spread through me so quickly it almost hurt. For days, I had told myself I didn’t want to marry Lorenzo because I barely knew him, because it wasn’t right to marry someone I didn’t love. But now, I understood it was more than that. I didn’t want to marry him because my heart already belonged to someone else. Because I loved William.
The thought filled me with warmth, with something that felt
both terrifying and beautiful. I was in love with him. Truly, deeply, in a way that made everything else fade.
Before I could think, before I could stop myself, I ran to him. My slippers barely touched the grass. All I could see was him. His face lifted in surprise as I reached him, but I didn’t slow down. I crashed into him, my arms wrapping around his shoulders, and he caught me, steadying me before we both tumbled backward into the grass.
He was still sitting, his cloak pooling around us. For a moment neither of us spoke. His hands stayed at my waist, holding me still, as if afraid to let go. I could hear the sound of his heartbeat
under my ear, strong and real, and it made mine beat even faster.
He raised a brow, his voice quiet but curious. “Iris?”
I looked up at him, breathless. “Sorry,” I whispered. “I had to.”
A soft chuckle left him, low and warm. “Had to?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding slightly. “I just… had to.”
His smile deepened, and without another word, he pulled me closer. I let him. My head found its place against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heart echoing in my ears. His hand moved slowly up my back, gentle and certain, and I felt something inside me loosen, something that had been wound tight for far too long.
