Page 69 of A Kingdom's Heart
Her voice broke, and something in me broke with it.
I wanted to stay angry. Saints I knew I had every right to. She lied to me, looked me in the eye and lied again. But watching her like this, frightened, tears streaking down her face, made it almost impossible to hold onto the anger the way I had before.
It didn’t matter that she was the king’s daughter. Right now, she looked like the girl who had laughed by the river, the one who had read aloud from an old story and smiled as if nothing could touch her.
I clenched my hands at my sides, forcing myself to stay still. I
wasn’t supposed to care. Not anymore.
But I did.
And I hated that I did.
The thoughts came slow, one after another, pressing tight in my
chest. She had lied. She had hurt me. I should have walked away the moment I found her. I should have turned back and done my duty.
But I couldn’t.
Each sound she made chipped away what little distance I had left. The anger didn’t vanish, but it dulled, giving way to something heavier. Something I couldn’t name without feeling like a fool.
I took a small step closer. Then another.
Still, I hesitated.
The memory of her voice, her laughter, the way she had looked at me beneath the sunlight . All of it rose at once, clearer than I wanted it to be. Before I could stop myself, I knelt beside her.
Her shoulders shook with every breath. She didn’t even look up when I reached out. My hand hovered for a moment, trembling with the weight of everything I shouldn’t do . Then I let it fall.
She didn’t resist when I pulled her in.
Her body trembled against me, small and unsteady. Her face pressed against my chestplate, and I felt her hands clutch at it like she needed something solid to keep from breaking.
“It’s alright,” I said quietly, my hand resting against her back. “Let it out.”
And she did.
Her sobs came hard at first, sharp and uneven, then softened
until they became quiet gasps between breaths. Her tears and snot soaked into the leather at my shoulder. I didn’t care. No one deserved to fall apart like this alone . Not even her.
After a while, the crying faded. Her breathing evened out, but her hands still trembled. Slowly, she lifted her head. Her face was flushed, streaked red from tears. Her eyes looked glassy, exhausted, but still searching.
“Will you be there?” she asked softly.
I frowned. “Where?”
“At Valebran,” she said. “For the wedding.”
The word made something twist inside me. I couldn’t find my voice right away, but when I did, it came low and steady. “Yes.”
Something in her gaze shifted at that. The faintest spark flickered in her eyes, fragile but bright. Hope.
“You will?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper.
“I will,” I said quietly. “The king ordered it. I’m to be your guard.”
Her breath caught, and a small smile found her lips. It wasn’t joy, just relief. Maybe comfort. The smallest piece of something that still felt safe.
