Page 70 of A Kingdom's Heart
She leaned into me again, her head resting lightly against my shoulder. I didn’t move. I just let her breathe. Her hair brushed against the side of my neck, warm and soft. For the first time that day, the world felt still.
Moments passed before she stirred. Her voice came quiet but steadier than before. “We should head back.”
“We should head back,” she said.
I nodded. “Alright.”
She wiped the last of her tears with the edge of her sleeve and brushed the dirt from her skirts. When she stood, the sunlight caught on her hair, turning it almost gold. I rose with her, and together we started down the narrow path through the forest.
For a while, neither of us spoke. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of pine and damp earth. Leaves crunched beneath our boots and each step felt lighter than the one before.
We were almost past the river when she stopped. Her breath hitched.
“Wait,” she whispered. “Don’t move.”
I froze, my hand instinctively brushing the hilt of my sword. My eyes scanned the trees, searching for movement.
“What is it?” I asked under my breath.
She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she pointed ahead. “Look.”
I followed her finger.
Two small shapes moved in the grass just beyond the path: a pair of white rabbits. One larger, one small enough to fit in a palm. The smaller pressed close to the other’s side, twitching its nose as the mother shifted, alert but calm.
“They’re so beautiful,” she whispered. “The most beautiful
creatures to exist.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
But I wasn’t looking at them.
My gaze stayed on her instead, the way the sunlight touched her face, the soft curve of her features. She looked almost like she belonged here, in the quiet of the forest, untouched by the world that waited beyond its edge. She reminded me so much of ‘Elara’ at that moment.
The anger in me almost completely dulled. Almost.
If she were a creature of this world, she would have been like them with her soft jawline, soft features, big eyes and lips the color of a bunny’ tongue.
The bunnies shifted, then hopped off into the tall grass until they disappeared from sight.
She let out a small breath, almost a sigh, then turned to me. “Let’s keep moving.”
I nodded and fell into step beside her. The walk was quiet again. The forest thinned little by little until the tall stone walls of the castle came into view.
When we reached the gates, the guards straightened at once and bowed. The sunlight caught on their armor, flashing briefly before fading again.
Iris turned to me, her expression calm but tired. “You’ve done
your duty,” she said softly. “You can leave now.”
For a moment, I almost spoke. The words sat at the edge of my tongue,it wasn’t all duty.But I swallowed them back.
I gave a short nod instead. “As you wish, Your Highness.”
She hesitated, just for a second, as if waiting for me to say something more. When I didn’t, she turned and walked toward the castle doors.
I watched her go until the gates closed behind her. The silence that followed was heavy, settling deep in my chest.
