Page 44 of A Kingdom's Heart
I didn’t answer. My pace quickened instead.
The air outside was warm, the sky bright and clear. I followed the narrow path through the trees, the grass brushing my skirts as I walked. The sound of birds rose and fell above me. Each footstep felt louder than it should have.
I knew I shouldn’t be doing this. I knew it even as I kept walking.
If Father ever found out I’d left the castle again, his temper would turn sharp enough to draw blood.
But still, I went.
I didn’t know what I expected to find, or why I needed to find it. Only that I did.
We hadn’t planned to meet today. There had been no promise between us, no word at all. But some part of me hoped he might still be there, waiting by the riverbank like before.
And if he wasn’t, I told myself I would turn back. I would return to the healer’s wing, pretend none of this had happened, and help Raven with her work.
But I didn’t turn back.
The path curved ahead, sunlight spilling through the leaves in quiet, golden lines. The sound of the river reached me before I saw it. My heartbeat quickened.
Through the trees, a figure came into view. He stood by the water’s edge, still and quiet beneath the branches.
William.
He wasn’t wearing armor this time. The black tunic he wore fit close around his chest, the fabric tied loosely at the neck. A dark belt crossed his waist, and his sleeves were rolled to his elbows.
Thelightcaughtthe muscles beneath his skin, strong and
well-shaped. When he shifted, I saw the curve of his biceps and the way the fabric strained faintly at his shoulders.
For a moment, I just watched him. He was facing the water, quiet and still, one hand resting at his side. He looked nothing like the knight I’d met in the healer’s wing, but more like the man I met at the theatre. So calm and unburdened.
My heart started beating faster.
When his eyes met mine, a grin tugged at his lips. “I didn’t expect you to come.”
The sound of his voice caught me off guard. “I—” I hesitated for a moment, then looked down. “Neither did I expect you.”
He smiled, that small, teasing kind of smile. “I’m on night duty today. So I’m free all morning.” He paused, his tone softer. “And you?”
“The same as always,” I said, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “I still have work in the healer’s wing. But Raven decided to cover for me again.”
His brow lifted slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. “So you ditched your duty. To see me, or should I assume, since we didn’t plan anything, you came to see the river?”
Heat rose to my cheeks before I could stop it. I looked away quickly, pretending to focus on the ripples in the water. His quiet laugh reached me, low and rough, and it only made my heart beat faster.
“Maybe both,” I said softly. My voice didn’t sound steady, not even to me.
He chuckled again, the sound deep and easy. “Then I’ll count that as a victory.”
I bit back a smile and looked down at my hands. The air felt warmer now, softer somehow. The river moved quietly beside us, carrying the light across its surface.
Then he said, “You didn’t bring the book.”
I looked down at my hands.. “No. I think I forgot it in my bedchamber.”
He nodded once, the faintest smile still playing on his lips. “Good. It suits you better than it ever did me.”
The words settled in my chest, warm and confusing. I didn’t know how to answer, so I only watched him as he moved toward the nearest tree. He lowered himself to the ground, his movements unhurried, the sunlight catching his dark hair.
