‘I squinted as I opened my eyes. ‘Slowly, my sight adjusted to the sun’s brightness. Though it was partially blocked by the leaves’ shadows, it still stung. I covered my eyes with my hands as I sat up. I looked around and I saw nothing but the wide open plains. There was only the rustling of leaves above me as the wind blew gently. ‘I stood up and not for long, a child’s laughter came from afar. I turned my head and a kite was thrown into the air from the voice’s direction. However, it plummeted back to the ground. ‘I reached another hilltop as I walked towards its direction. There, I saw a family. And it was the same family in the castle from one of my previous dreams. I hid behind a nearby tree to get a closer look. ‘A little boy was the one who made the attempts to make the kite fly. His parents sat under a tree behind him. They sat comfortable with their other child, the girl. ‘The boy tried once more but it fell short. He hung his head low as he returned to his family, defeat

An elderly worker was at the door upon my arrival at the bakery. She greeted all who entered with a warm smile. As soon as I approached her, she said, “Good morning, sir. What can I help you with today?” “I am looking for Laura. Is she here today?” I asked as I forced a weak smile. “Oh, that little darling of ours!” she squealed. “You must be her friend,” she took my hand without asking and shook hands with me. “I will call her for you.” She then headed for the kitchen. I headed to the wooden bench outside the bakery to avoid causing trouble. And right when I was about to sit down, Laura’s voice came from the door. I looked in her direction and she approached me whilst she wiped her hands on her apron. “Robert,” she greeted with her ever-dazzling smile, “How are–” her smile faded as she stood before me. Slowly, she held onto my arm and asked, “Has something happened? Your entire face is red and your eyes are swollen.” “She… she didn’t wake up,” I choked as I held back my tears fr

“Prince Benjamin,” Gonzalo greeted from behind me. After we pulled away, Benjamin walked to Gonzalo. “Gonzalo,” Benjamin put a hand on Gonzalo’s shoulder, “Formalities are unnecessary. You can call me by my name whenever I visit.” “Unfortunately, I cannot do that, Your Highness,” Gonzalo replied with his eyes stuck to the ground. He explained, “I am to pay the utmost respect to anyone who has a connection with our prince, especially when it comes to his family and his friends.” Benjamin chuckled as he returned to me. “Gonzalo is definitely the finest. You are blessed to have such a loyal servant,” he remarked. “I agree completely,” I smiled as I put my hands behind me. “Shall we take a walk in the garden?” I asked. “If that will help console you, then let us have a walk. But I will need to put my horse in one of the stalls,” Benjamin replied. He was about to grab his horse when Gonzalo got to the reins first. “Please, allow me, Prince Benjamin,” Gonzalo bowed his head before Benj

His brows furrowed as he grew confused. I cleared my throat as I moved closer to him. “Do not be too certain, too confident that she will give you the answer that you want to hear.” His eyes widened, horrified. “Are you implying that I have no hope with her? That I will not win her heart?” he asked. “I implore you not to twist my words to antagonise you, Benjamin. Like what I said before, you can have any woman that you want,” I replied quickly as I wanted to explain everything right away. I didn’t want for our relationships as brothers to be strained because of a woman. I added, “I only ask that you do not be too complacent. We still don’t know what she will say.” “Robert, she will be with me,” Benjamin said as he looked into my eyes. He was full of certainty, utterly determined. He didn’t blink as he continued, “There is no ounce of doubt within me. I know she will be mine.” Never have I seen him act in this manner. I could only wish that I had the same confidence when it came

“Go ahead, Robert. Tell her,” Benjamin whispered to me. My heart shattered even more as he begged for my help. His eyes were desperate as his chance was limited. His usual persuasion wasn’t working on Laura. At the same time, Laura’s eyes pleaded with me to stop Benjamin. We never broke eye contact. But I still saw how Benjamin shifted his gaze between the two of us. Truth be told, I wanted to be honest with Benjamin. Laura was the love of my life. I never wished to and I would never trade her for anything else. I would fight for her until the very end of the world. However, Benjamin was my brother. I had known him for my whole life. I didn’t want to destroy everything that we shared, all because we loved the same person. On the other hand, Laura was the woman of my heart. In the short amount of time we spent together, we faced different challenges. And I never wanted to lose her again. Unfortunately, I already knew the right choice for this situation. And as a future king, my em