Fated Moon
The journey began before dawn—when the sky still hovered between darkness and light, and the world felt like it was holding its breath.
The royal convoy stretched across the palace courtyard, gleaming under torchlight. Horses stamped impatiently, guards stood in perfect formation, and the air carried a quiet sense of importance. This wasn't just another diplomatic visit.
The carriages rode out of the palace gates in rows, heading straight to the border. To the road that led to Armathia.
Seated inside the grand carriage, King Louis appeared composed—his posture straight and his gaze steady as it lingered on the horizon beyond the palace gates and the early risers going to start their day. To anyone watching, he was the picture of control.
But inside, he was anything but.
"She better be the one…" he murmured under his breath, fingers tightening slightly against the armrest.
Across from him, Lucas, his personal assistant and right hand man watched in silence for a moment before speaking. "You've said that three times already."
Louis exhaled, a faint, humorless smile brushing his lips. "And I'll say it a hundred more if I have to."
Lucas leaned back, arms crossed. "You're nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
"You're going to wear a hole in that armrest."
Louis shot him a look, but it lacked its usual sharpness. "You're the one who brought me this information. It better be true."
"And I stand by it," Lucas replied calmly. "The resemblance. The timeline. The circumstances of her past… it aligns too perfectly to ignore. But I thought she was the Queen daughter until the news was released recently that she isn't. They kept a cover on it so well."
Silence fell between them again—but this time, it was heavier. He would have seen his sister if he had a good rapport with the king and queen of Armathia. Louis had believed they betrayed their parents by not coming to save them when his mother had sent a reinforcements letter. Only if he had investigated before concluding. His bad temper had cost him years of searching without answers.
Lucas had brought him the truth yesterday. The king and queen of Armathia truly came to their rescue. They came themselves, not just sent their soldiers but still, they were late. So they turned back at the border.
Was that where they saw her? Baby Roseline?
For years, he had searched cities, villages, distant lands—every whisper, every rumor of a lost girl had led him down endless paths. Most ended in disappointment. Some in dead ends. Others… in heartbreak.
And yet this time felt different.
Roselina. A name that had started as just another lead now echoed louder in his mind with every passing mile. And the closer he got to Armathia palace, the stronger the feeling of his certainty.
"She's getting married," Louis said quietly, almost to himself. "Crowned alongside her husband… building a life she doesn't even know was meant to include us."
Lucas studied him. "Or maybe she does know something. We won't find out until we get there."
Louis nodded, though his jaw tightened. "If she's my sister… I should have been there for her. All those years."
"You didn't know."
"That doesn't change the fact that she was alone."
The carriage jolted slightly as it slowed a bit, the palace left behind them. The border gates opening wide enough to release the convoy into the open road. Leaving Highcrest palace behind.
The journey was long, stretching across changing landscapes that seemed to mirror Louis's restless thoughts. Mountains gave way to valleys, rivers cut through fields, and towns flickered past like passing memories.
Through it all, Lucas remained feeling got heightened. The hidden power in him was answering to hers. Their pull towards eachother. She would also feel it if her powers are awaken. But the likes are low.
To ease the tensed air in the carriage, sometimes they spoke about strategy, about Armathia palace, the wedding ceremony and at intervals,they spoke about what to do if Roselina truly was who they suspected.
And other times, silence took over, not an empty silence. It was filled with anticipation.
By the time they reached Kingston country- 'Armathia kingdom' the city was alive. It's now a country while some still call it kingdom just like Highcrest.
Banners draped from every tower, streets overflowed with people, and music carried through the air like a celebration that refused to be contained. The entire kingdom seemed wrapped in joy.
"Quite the spectacle," Lucas remarked as they stepped out of the carriage.
Louis's eyes scanned everything—but not out of admiration.
Out of urgency.
"She's here," he said, more to himself than to Lucas.
The palace ahead stood tall and radiant, its doors open to welcome dignitaries from across the world.
Inside, the wedding ceremony was already underway.
The grand hall shimmered with gold and white, filled with nobles, royals, and honored guests. At the far end stood the altar—and there she was.
Roselina.
For a moment, everything else faded.
Louis didn't hear the music.
Didn't see the crowd.
Didn't feel the weight of the crown on his head.
All he saw… was her.
The resemblance struck him like a force he couldn't explain. The way she held herself. The curve of her face. Even the way her eyes seemed to carry something familiar—something that tugged at a place deep within him. His mother.
His breath caught.
"…Louis," Lucas's voice came softly beside him, as if grounding him back into reality.
But Louis didn't respond immediately.
Because in that moment, one thought echoed louder than anything else—
This..… lt is her.
Roselina turned slightly, her gaze sweeping across the hall.
And for a brief, fleeting second—
Their eyes met and something shifted.
Not recognition.
Not yet.
But something undeniable. Distinct but there. The connection.
Louis felt it. And she felt it too.
And from the way she paused ever so slightly—
Its undeniable.
The ceremony continued, vows exchanged, crowns placed upon their heads as Roselina and her husband were declared Crown Princess and Prince of Armathia.
The hall erupted in applause.
But for Louis, the real moment had already happened immediately he entered.
And as he stood there, watching her—
He knew this journey had not been in vain.
Whether by fate… or something far more powerful—
Their paths had finally crossed.
And this time,
He wasn't going to lose her again. Not ever.
@Queenzayn