After we separated from our embrace, I gazed in Yuki’s eyes, and said, “I love you, Yuki. I know it is soon, and I know I still don’t know much about you so I understand if you can’t say it back, but I still didn’t want to hold myself back.”

I looked in Yuki’s eyes, as I told her my feelings, I noticed small tears starting to form in her eyes, before she spoke, “I have always tried to keep a distance from everyone since I lost my kingdom and family, but when I first saw you, it felt like my world started to change, I agree it might be odd since we have only met today, but I can no longer a see life without you. I love you too, Lily.”

I started crying as well from Yuki’s words, she pulled into another embrace and pet my ears, calming herself and me down. Just as we started to go into own world....

“Grrr.” My stomach growled. “Why did you have to ruin the moment tummy.” I yell at my stomach as my face became beet red.

“Hahaha...” Yuki started laughing at me.

“Mou don’t laugh...” I pout looking at Yuki, that was when I noticed the brightest smile I have seen from her all day.

Yuki pet my head and said, “I’m sorry, how about we head back to the inn and eat dinner?”

“Mmm.” I agree before wrapping my arms with Yuki’s.

While we were walking to the inn, Yuki looked at me and said, “If you don’t mind after dinner I would like to share my past with, is that okay?”

I gave her a bright smile in response, “Of course it is okay, you can tell me anything, as long as you want to.”

“Thank you, Lily.” Yuki smiled and said in a soft voice, before leaning her head on my shoulder as we walked.

After we made it back to the inn, Klare and Sue seemed busy so after I ate three servings, we quickly went to our room to free a table.

When we arrivied to the room, the atmosphere became a little awkward as we were both nervous and blushing.

‘Yuki won’t feel comfortable enough to talk if this awakwardness continues.’ I thought to myself before I held Yuki’s hand and said, “I am here to listen when your ready.”

Yuki looked at with a loving gaze, and after taking a deep breath said, “Thank you, Lily. I’m ready now. The day that I lost my family and kingdom, happened 135 years ago, but I remember like it was just yesterday.”

135 Years Ago – The Ardrisal Kingdom, Yuki's POV

The day began like any other in the Kingdom of Ardrisal, with the sun rising over the horizon, casting a golden hue across the sprawling landscape of lush forests and towering mountains that surrounded our kingdom. Birds sang their morning songs, and the air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers from the royal gardens. My family, the ruling family of Ardrisal, was beloved by our people, and I, the youngest princess, lived a life of privilege and joy, surrounded by love and laughter.

But that day was to become the darkest in our history.

It started with an uneasy feeling, a whisper of wind that seemed to carry a warning. By mid-morning, the sky turned a foreboding shade of grey, and the air grew unnaturally still. I remember standing on the balcony of the castle, looking out with a sense of dread I couldn’t understand, when the alarm bells rang.

An enemy kingdom, jealous of our prosperity and covetous of our lands, had launched a surprise attack. Our soldiers, brave and loyal, rushed to defend our borders, but the enemy's forces were overwhelming. The battle was fierce and unforgiving.

I was hurried away to the safety of the castle's inner sanctum by our guards, the sounds of battle echoing through the stone corridors. My heart raced with fear, not for myself, but for my family and my people. The castle, which had always been a place of safety and joy, became a fortress under siege.

As the hours passed, the sounds of battle grew closer, and the inevitable became clear. Our kingdom was falling. I remember my father, the king, his face set in a grim line, his eyes reflecting a sorrow too deep for words as he gave orders to protect the kingdom's legacy at all costs. My mother, the queen, her strength unyielding, gathered me and my siblings, whispering words of love and courage, preparing us for a fate we could not escape.

The enemy breached the castle walls by nightfall. Chaos ensued. I was separated from my family in the confusion, hidden away by loyal servants in a secret passage known only to a few. The sounds of my kingdom falling apart echoed through the stone walls that concealed me. I heard cries of despair, the clash of steel, and the roar of fire. And then, silence. A silence so profound, it felt like the world had ended.

I emerged from my hiding place days later, only to find my kingdom in ruins, my family gone, and my people either scattered or slain. The beauty of Ardrisal was reduced to ashes, its joy turned to mourning. I was alone, the sole survivor of the royal family, a princess without a kingdom, a child without a family.

In the 135 years that followed, I wandered through the lands, a shadow among strangers, my heart heavy with loss and guilt. I kept my identity a secret, fearing the enemies of my fallen kingdom might still seek me out. The burden of my past was a constant companion, a reminder of all that had been lost.

As Yuki’s voice trailed off, the silence that followed was heavy, filled with the weight of a past marred by loss and sorrow. The air between us was thick with unspoken empathy.

I reached out, my hand finding Yuki’s, our fingers intertwining as if to physically manifest the emotional bond that had deepened with her revelations. “Yuki,” I began, my voice barely a whisper, yet laden with all the love and determination I felt, “your strength is beyond what words can convey. To have endured so much, to carry such pain and yet stand so tall, so full of love... it humbles me. I promise I won’t let you feel alone ever again.”

Yuki turned to me, her eyes, those deep wells of sorrow and resilience, met mine. In them, I saw the flicker of her soul, a flame undimmed by the storms she had weathered. “Lily,” she responded, her voice steadier than I expected, “sharing this with you... it’s as if a weight I’ve carried for so long has been lifted. I feared that my past would be a barrier between us, but now I see it’s only drawn us closer.”

I squeezed her hand, a gesture meant to convey all the support and understanding I couldn’t put into words. “Yuki, your past is a part of you, but it doesn’t define you. You’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met, not despite your past, but because of how you’ve shaped it into your strength. I love you, all of you, and nothing you could have said would change that.”

A small, grateful smile played on Yuki’s lips, a stark contrast to the tears that had begun to pool in her eyes again. But this time, they seemed different—less like the tears of sorrow and more like those of relief, maybe even a hint of joy. “Lily,” she said, her voice imbued with a warmth that enveloped me like a comforting embrace, “I was so afraid of letting someone in, afraid that the moment I shared my past, it would become too real, too heavy a burden for anyone to bear with me. But with you, I feel... I feel like I can finally start healing.”

I moved closer, wrapping my arms around her in a hug that was both a sanctuary and a promise. “We’ll heal together, Yuki. Whatever comes, we’ll face it side by side. Your burdens are mine to share, just as your joys. And one day, the pain of the past will be just that—the past. Our future is what we choose to make of it, together.”

We sat there, in an embrace that was full of our love for one another.

“Thank you, Lily,” Yuki whispered, her voice a melody of love and hope, “for listening, for understanding, and most of all, for loving me. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that as long as we’re together, there’s nothing we can’t face.”

“And thank you, Yuki,” I whispered back, “for trusting me with your story, for being a part of my life. I love you, now and always, no matter what.”

As we held each other, the room no longer felt small or awkward. It had become a haven, a testament to the power of love to transcend the darkest of pasts and to forge a future filled with light.