Every corner of the palace was shimmering with light. With Cable and Sofia's wedding only a day away, the entire kingdom seemed to be drowning in a sea of joy. The corridors were thick with the scent of fresh flowers, and amidst the frantic scurrying of servants, the distant rehearsal of wedding music reached the ears. Everyone was smiling—everyone except for one person.
Arya stood by her window, looking down at the courtyard where the wedding altar was being meticulously decorated. Her face was as still as stone—a silence the world mistook for mourning her father's death. But in reality, her soul was bleeding from the betrayal Ethan had inflicted upon her.
Arya closed her eyes, and the locked doors of her memories swung open. She remembered the time when she and Ethan had woven dreams of their own wedding, just like this. She had imagined that one day, she too would be adorned in bridal finery, that Ethan would hold her hand, and they would belong to each other forever. She had already chosen the color of her veil, the specific flowers for her bouquet, and had even rehearsed the vows they would whisper to one another.
"Perhaps it was all just an illusion," she whispered to herself. Her fists clenched.
She recalled how completely she had trusted Ethan, and how cruelly he had shattered that unwavering faith into a thousand jagged pieces. Now, as the palace celebrated the union of Cable and Sofia, every beat of the celebratory drums felt like a strike against her open wounds. She was happy for Sofia, but the weight of her own dead dreams was crushing her.
"It will never be possible now," she thought bitterly. "Those dreams died the day you left me alone, Ethan."
Suddenly, a strange restlessness washed over Arya. Her heart began to race unexpectedly, as if someone far away was calling out her name. She had no way of knowing that hundreds of miles away, on the frozen earth of a battlefield, Ethan was slipping into the embrace of death with her name on his lips. She only felt a sudden, 'bad feeling'—an intuition that a part of her existence had been lost forever.
Just then, Aunt Awa entered the room. "Arya, child, why are you standing here in the dark? Come, your mother needs you."
Arya wiped her eyes, instantly pulling her emotions back behind her mask. "Yes, Auntie. I'm coming."
Outside, the noise of the festivities grew louder, but inside Arya, there was only a silent graveyard where her and Ethan's unfinished dreams lay buried.
On the eve of the wedding, as the palace finally settled into a quiet lull after the day's frantic festivities, Cable and Sofia met on the highest balcony of the royal wing. The night air was crisp and cool, and below them, the flickering lights of the kingdom looked like a fallen constellation reflected on the earth.
Cable stepped closer, draped a silken shawl over Sofia's shoulders, and rested his hands on her arms. Sofia turned, her eyes reflecting a peace she had spent centuries searching for.
"Cable, can you truly believe it?" Sofia whispered, her voice as soft as the moonlight. "By this time tomorrow, I will be your wife. We will finally be one."
Cable took her hand, kissing her fingertips with lingering devotion. "Sometimes I'm afraid that if I blink, I'll wake up. Sofia, when I first met you, I only had the cold responsibilities of a Prince. But today, I have a purpose. Our future together... that dream is finally turning into reality right before my eyes."
Sofia rested her head against Cable's chest, listening to the steady, rhythmic beat of his heart—a sound that grounded her. "I have spent lifetimes knowing only darkness and isolation, Cable. I never imagined someone would accept me like this, with all my shadows. I feel like I am finally seeing the first rays of dawn after a long, terrifying night."
Cable pulled her closer, his embrace a sanctuary. "Our dreams are no longer just whispers in the dark, Sofia. They are standing right here in front of us. Together, we will build a world where you never have to hide who you are. We will laugh together, walk together... and from now on, every morning will be a new promise."
Tears of pure joy shimmered in Sofia's eyes. "Yes... our dreams are coming true. I am so happy, Cable. So happy that it almost frightens me... as if this joy is too precious for this world."
Cable kissed her forehead and smiled tenderly. "No more fear, no more shadows. Just you and me. Forever."
That night, under the watch of a thousand stars, they simply held each other, savoring the stillness. In that moment, the entire universe was contained within the circle of their arms.