Page 104 of A Kingdom's Heart
We sat in silence after that. She was still watching the stars, her head resting lightly against my chest, and my heart beat faster than I wanted it to.
So this was love. Not the kind sung in taverns or written in stories, but something quiet. Real. It rooted itself deep, the way the tide clings to the shore.
I reached beside me and picked a small dandelion growing near the tree. Its petals trembled in the breeze as I twirled it between
my fingers.
She tilted her head, watching it spin. “Do you have a favorite flower?” she asked softly.
I froze. The question was simple, yet caught me off guard. I had never thought about it before. Flowers had just been things that grew and wilted without meaning.
But then I looked at her, really looked, and I realised I’ve never had a thing for flowers until the most beautiful one was sitting in my arms. She blossomed like a flower, just like how my love blossomed for her.
She hadn’t told me she loved me. Not yet. Maybe she never would. The thought made my chest sink, but it shouldn’t have mattered. What I felt for her was already too deep to fade, too rooted to be undone by silence.
She looked up at me again, her eyes curious. “So,” she said softly, “what is your favorite flower, then?”
I looked at her for a long moment, the repeated question hanging between us. Her eyes caught the moonlight, soft and clear, and something inside me gave way.
“You,” I said quietly
She blinked, surprise flickering across her face. “Me?”
I nodded, my voice steady now. “You asked what my favorite flower is. It’s you.”
Her lips parted, but no words came out. I could see the faint
color rise deeper into her cheeks as she looked away, her fingers tracing the fabric of her gown.
“I’m not a flower,” she whispered.
A faint smile curved my lips. “You are to me.”
Neither of us spoke after that. She simply leaned against me again, her head resting on my chest. The quiet surrounded us, soft and calm, and I could feel her breathing match mine. I didn’t move. I didn’t want to. I knew I had spoken the truth, and for the first time, it didn’t scare me.
Time passed, though I couldn’t tell how long. The stars above us
shimmered faintly, the waves whispered against the shore, and the night felt endless. Then her voice broke the stillness.
“We should head back,” she said softly.
I nodded, though every part of me wished we could stay. “Of course.”
Before she could stand, I looked at her. “May I have the honor of seeing you here again tomorrow?”
She hesitated, her eyes searching mine. Then she smiled, gentle and small. “Yes.”
My heart quickened, and I couldn’t stop the smile that formed on my face. “Thank you,” I said quietly.
We stood and began walking back toward the castle. The moonlight followed us through the trees. After a few steps, I slipped a hand behind her back and another beneath her knees.
She startled, her voice rising in protest. “William—what are you doing?”
“Carrying you,” I said simply.
“I can walk,” she murmured.
“You can,” I said, meeting her gaze as I held her closer. “But maybe I just like carrying you.”
