Page 55 of A Kingdom's Heart
Everything I had believed about her shifted in an instant.
Surprise came first, sharp and cold. Then disbelief. It didn’t make sense. The healer by the river. The girl who laughed at the smallest things. The one who looked at me like I was something more than a knight.
And then the anger came.
It started low, a flicker in my chest, then rose until I could feel it in every breath. She had lied. Every word. Every quiet moment
we shared. All of it built on a lie.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stand still while the others bowed to the king’s announcement. The cheers started up again, hollow and distant, filling the courtyard like noise in a dream.
Above them all, she stood in her gown of silk and silver, the princess of Elarion.
The same woman I had held by the river. The same one who caught my eye the first time I saw her.
And I could not decide which hurt more: that she lied to me, or that part of me that still wanted to believe she didn’t.
CHAPTER TWENTY
IRIS
When William’s gaze met mine, my heart stopped.
He stood among the crowd, still and silent, his armor catching the sunlight. But it wasn’t the light that made my stomach twist. It was his eyes.
They weren’t soft like before. They were hard, sharp with disbelief and anger. His jaw was set tight, the muscle shifting beneath his skin. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t.
No. No, this wasn’t how he was supposed to find out.
Around us, servants began filling the tables with food, their movements quick and careful. Laughter echoed from the lords gathered near the dais. My father smiled as though he had won some great battle. The scent of roasted meat and honey filled the air, heavy and suffocating.
But for me, this was no celebration.
I could barely breathe. My palms were slick against the silk of my gown. I kept my eyes on my father, silently begging him to finish his speech, to end this before I fell apart.
“Together,” he said, raising his goblet high, “our kingdoms will stand stronger than ever.”
The crowd cheered, the sound crashing around me. I could feel it in my bones. Still, I looked for William. He hadn’t moved. Hiseyes stayed locked on me, and his jaw clenched harder, his teeth grinding as if he were holding back words meant only for me.
My throat tightened. I wanted to run to him, to explain, to tell him everything. But I couldn’t. Not until my father finished his speech.
So I stood there, frozen beneath his stare, praying for the moment to end before the truth between us shattered completely.
I turned my head for only a second, just to catch my breath, but when I looked back, he was gone.
My heart stumbled. The place where he had been standing was empty, swallowed by the crowd.
I looked toward my father, silently begging him to stop speaking. Please, just finish. My hands shook at my sides. At last, he lowered his goblet, his tone calm and commanding. “Eat,” he said. “Celebrate this future union.”
The crowd cheered again, but I barely heard them. I lifted my skirts and stepped down from the dais, my eyes darting across the sea of faces. I searched for him, through nobles, soldiers, servants, but he was nowhere.
Not near the tables.
Not among the guards.
Not even at the edge of the yard.
My chest felt tight. He couldn’t have just disappeared.
