Mei's POV
"Father... I'm so sorry," I whispered through my sobs, clinging to him as my tears stained his chest.
He held me tenderly, his hands warm against my back. "My sweet child... why do you apologize? You have done nothing wrong. You are the kindest soul I know, and your heart—oh, your heart is pure. There is no need for such sorrow, my darling," he murmured, gently wiping the tears from my face.
His words were soft, but they stung with their unspoken truth. Still, I allowed myself to be comforted, to breathe in his love and warmth.
"Come, my dear. You must show Prince Eugene the castle," he said, his voice steady, a quiet encouragement.
"I... I don't mind, Your Majesty," I replied, my voice breaking.
"Thank you, Mei," he said, his eyes filled with a quiet understanding as he walked away, leaving me with Eugene.
We wandered the halls in silence until we reached the castle garden. There, amidst the blooming roses and the scent of jasmine, Eugene paused, taking my hand in his. His fingers trembled, a quiet plea in his touch.
"I... I need to speak with you, Mei," his voice, full of vulnerability, cracked as he spoke.
I looked up, startled by the intensity in his gaze. "What is it?" I asked, unsure of what was coming.
He pulled me into an embrace, and in that moment, I felt the warmth of his heart radiating through his chest, as if his very soul was trying to shield mine from the weight of the world. His lips brushed against the crown of my head, and his tears—gentle as raindrops—fell softly upon my hair.
"I... I love you, Mei," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, as though each word had to fight to escape. "I love you more than the stars in the sky, more than the sun itself. No words could ever contain the depth of my feelings for you. I would give everything, anything, to have you choose me... to choose me over Skyro." His arms tightened around me, pulling me closer, as though he was afraid I might disappear. "I love him, yes, but it's not the same. It's not the way I love you. I thought I could endure it, thought I could pretend, but seeing you—broken, lost, crying—every piece of me shatters. I can't bear to watch you like this, Mei. Not when it's killing me inside to know that you're suffering."
He pulled back slightly, lifting my face with tender fingers, his eyes searching mine with a sorrow so deep, it felt like a storm brewing within them. "I have come to realize... I cannot heal you the way he can. You cannot be happy with me. And now, with the weight of all this understanding crashing down on me, I see the truth. I know what it is to love you, Mei. And as much as it tears me apart, I would rather let you go—set you free—than keep you in a place where you cannot be whole. Not so you can run back to Estevao, but so that you can be with the one who makes your heart whole again. I would fight to the end... not to keep you for myself, but to see you with Skyro. To see you truly happy. Even if it means letting go of my own heart."
His hand reached out, trembling with the weight of his words, and he extended his pinky toward me—a gesture of both promise and pain.
My breath caught in my throat, and my heart twisted with the enormity of his love. The sincerity in his eyes, the agony of his sacrifice, all shattered the walls I had built around my heart. I had never truly understood the depth of his feelings until this moment.
"Eugene... I..." I whispered, the words caught in my chest, tangled in the guilt that spiraled within me. "I'm sorry..."
He shook his head slowly, a soft sadness dancing in his eyes. "Don't apologize, Mei. This... this isn't just for you. It's for me too. It's for us both. For my family, for your heart. You deserve happiness—true happiness—even if I can't be the one to give it to you."
For a long moment, we stood there, amidst the blossoming flowers and the silence that stretched between us like a fragile thread. The air was heavy with unspoken emotions, and yet, there was a kind of peace in the bittersweet surrender he had given me. Then, without thinking, I pulled him back into my arms, pressing my face against his chest, feeling the beat of his heart—still strong, still unwavering.
And though the weight of his love and his sacrifice felt unbearable, I held him tighter than I ever had before, knowing that, in this moment, we had both given everything we could.
"Thank you, Eugene... thank you," I whispered, my voice trembling with a mix of gratitude and sorrow. He had given me his heart, everything he had, but I had given him nothing in return.
His hand cupped my cheek, his touch tender, yet filled with an aching kind of love. "I love you so much more, Val," he said, his voice thick with emotion, his eyes full of longing. "Come, we have to go—oh no, the wedding!"
I blinked in confusion. "They're wedded today?"
Eugene's eyes widened, panic sweeping across his face. "At noon, and it's almost eight now! We can't give up, Val. Not now."
Without thinking, I acted on instinct. I gathered all my energy and shaped the water beneath my feet into a powerful wave. With a surge of determination, I soared across the ocean, Eugene close behind, the wind rushing around us like a whirlwind. The water beneath us was alive, and the horizon blurred in the madness of our speed.
"Are you insane?! We're going like—what? One hundred and twenty miles an hour?" Eugene's voice was filled with disbelief, but I could hear the thrill in it, too.
A smile tugged at my lips. "Thanks for motivating me, Eugene. You're truly the best."
We flew over the ocean, my heart racing not just from the speed but from the urgency, the desire to reach him. The shore appeared in front of us, and the moment we landed on the beach, the reality of what we had to face hit me hard. Five minutes to get to him.
"Shit! Five minutes!" Eugene swore, but we didn't stop. We pressed forward, through the castle gates, but something wasn't right. There were no grand preparations, no guests, no celebrations—just silence.
I looked at Eugene, a quiet understanding passing between us. "Sorry, I lied about that."
I felt my heart sink. "Eugene..."
"His room is there," he said, his voice low. "Go. I'll see you soon."
Without another word, I soared through the air, my heart pounding in my chest. The journey felt like a blur, but my thoughts were sharp. What would Skyro say? Would he be angry? Would he send me away? My mind raced with a hundred possibilities, but the truth remained: I had to see him.
When I landed in his room, he was not there. For a moment, all hope seemed to drain from me. Maybe he was with Margaret, maybe he had moved on. But before I could turn away, I felt a sudden force grab me—someone lifted me into the air, spinning me around.
"Mei?" A voice—his voice—cut through my fears.
Skyro.
He pulled me into him, his arms enveloping me like a refuge. He didn't let me speak. Instead, he slipped his jacket around my shoulders, the warmth of his gesture like a promise of protection, of devotion.
He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, and the pain there, the tenderness, made my heart ache. "I can't let you go, Mei," he said softly, his voice broken. "I've failed you before. I said I would let you go, but I can't keep that promise. I can't stand to see you with him, not when I know the truth. I don't care if you love Estevao—I cannot, I will not, free you from my side."
I was taken aback, my breath catching in my throat. "Sky... I wasn't planning on leaving your sight either," I whispered, the words tasting like both a confession and a relief.
His eyes darkened with something fierce, something almost desperate. "You are everything to me, Mei. More than I could ever put into words. The love I have for you—it's not a love I can let go of. I've been selfish, I know, but I will not let you slip through my fingers. I cannot lose you. You are my heart, Mei. My soul, my breath. I love you—more than life itself."
His words broke me, shattered the final wall I had built around my heart. I kissed him, a kiss that was more than just a meeting of lips—it was a merging of souls, a quiet declaration that this was where I was meant to be.
He kissed me again, his lips desperate, hungry, as if he were trying to pour all his love into me in one moment, one kiss. "I don't care what anyone says, Mei. I don't care if they say I'm a fool, or that we can't be. As long as you're with me, nothing else matters. You are all I need."
I pulled back for a moment, my voice trembling with the weight of everything I was feeling. "But... Princess Margaret—"
He silenced me with another kiss, this one even more urgent than before. "She's using me, Mei. Don't you see? I don't care about her. I don't care about anyone but you. Please, don't question me. Don't question us. You are the world to me, and I will not let anyone take you away. Not now. Not ever. Because my love, you are the moon that lights my darkest nights, the breath that fills my lungs, and the heart that beats within my chest. Without you, the world would lose its meaning, and I would be lost in the endless silence. You are my everything—my past, my present, and the future I will spend forever cherishing."
Tears welled in my eyes, not from sorrow, but from the overwhelming love I felt. My heart overflowed with a joy so pure it hurt. I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my face against his chest, and for the first time in so long, I felt at home. Whole.
"I love you, Skyro," I whispered into his chest, my voice shaking. "I love you with everything I have. And I will never leave you."
He hugged me tighter, his breath ragged as he buried his face in my hair. And in that moment, everything fell into place. The universe, the stars, the world—it all aligned. There was no more doubt. No more fear. Just love. The kind of love that consumed everything, that made the world stand still.
Just as I pulled back to look at him, the door opened. The King and Queen entered, their eyes red from tears, their faces filled with an understanding that only parents could possess. The Queen came to me, embracing me with a warmth that made my chest ache.
No words were spoken. No need for them. Their acceptance, their silent love, said everything.
With a soft smile, the Queen nodded to Skyro, and the King placed a hand on his shoulder, his gaze filled with pride. And with that, they left us alone, leaving behind the quiet understanding that we were meant to be.
I looked up at Skyro, my heart brimming with happiness. "Like that," I whispered, my voice soft but filled with joy.
"Like that," he replied, his smile the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
And then, the world fell away as we kissed, sealing a love that was destined to last forever.
The wedding wasn't just a ceremony. It was the beginning of a life we had always dreamed of, together.
"I love you, Crown Prince Skyro of Archirilio," I whispered, my lips trembling with the weight of my love. "I am madly in love with you."
"And I love you, my future Queen of Archirilio," he whispered back, his voice full of devotion. "You are my world, my everything, now and forever."
As our lips met again, I felt the world around us fall silent. The joy, the love, the promise—it was more than I had ever imagined. It was perfect. And as we embraced, I knew one thing for certain:
Our love would never end.