Sunlight filtered through the gallery’s tall stained-glass windows, casting soft bands of color across the stone floor. The long walls stretched upward to soaring ceilings and were lined with rows of artwork—lush landscapes, vibrant seascapes, and regal portrait. Throughout the gallery, glass displays held a diverse array of historical artifacts and precious jewels. 

After the noise and spectacle of the tournament, the quiet here was a reprieve. 

I moved slowly down a wide aisle. On one side, glass cases held exquisite jewels worn during coronations and royal ceremonies, their gemstones catching the colored light from the windows. On the other side stood a neat row of armor and weapons showcasing gilded suits of armor worn by past kings and longswords with adorned hilts.

I drifted further along the gallery toward a row of formal oil paintings of rulers and their families. I slowed as I neared a portrait of a woman. She stood tall in a gown of deep sapphire, a jeweled crown resting lightly against dark hair, the masterful brushstrokes capturing her grace and beauty.

It wasn’t just her beauty that had captured my attention. It was the sadness in her eyes. It was barely a passing shadow, yet I saw it nonetheless. It stirred something deep within me. 

My chest tightened as my gaze dropped to the nameplate beneath the portrait.

Alexander’s late mother.

“Queen Giselle.” 

Aiden’s voice carried softly through the gallery behind me. 

I felt him draw closer, the warmth of his presence settling close at my back. 

 “Did you know her well?” I asked.

“I did,” he replied. “She was kind. Gentle. Strong. Resilient.”

Tears burned behind my eyes. “She looks… lonely.”

Aiden stepped beside me, his gaze shifting from the portrait to me.  

Quietly, he said, “Power often is.”

My heart ached for her.

For myself. 

We began moving together without quite realizing it, drifting from one piece to the next, pausing only briefly to examine each. 

With every step, the space between us narrowed until his scent overtook the faint traces of oil and polish lingering in the gallery. 

Aiden’s knuckles grazed mine. His arm brushed my shoulder. Each unintended touch sparked along my nerves, sharp and electric. 

This was the closest we had been in days. The sudden nearness of him was dizzying.

It became harder to focus on the artwork around me.

I forced my attention back to the walls, willing them to steady me. 

My gaze landed on a landscape unlike the others. It wasn’t grandeur or craftsmanship that caught me, but the simplicity of it. Rolling hills beneath a summer sky, wildflowers bending in the wind, a small stone cottage nestled at the edge of a distant tree line. 

It was the kind of life I would never have. A life untouched by titles and expectations.

My vision blurred before I realized tears had gathered. One slipped free, trailing down my cheek. 

“Monroe?” Aiden murmured. 

I turned to him, something in my chest fracturing at the sound of my name on his lips.

His hand lifted instinctively. Not with thought. Not with caution. Only care. 

My eyes fluttered closed beneath his touch, the pad of his thumb sweeping delicately across my cheek. I leaned into his palm, his warmth seeping into my skin.

My breath stuttered, but it was the hitch in Aiden’s that made me open my eyes. 

Aiden’s green eyes reflected my own emotion back to me, raw and unguarded.

Footsteps rebounded against stone. 

Close. Too close. 

Aidens hand fell away from my cheek and dropped to his side. His expression shuttered in the span of a single breath and the disciplined knight returned like armor snapping into place. 

I turned.

Prince Alexander stood in the open doorway

His gaze moved slowly between us, a flicker of caution crossing his face.

“Am I interrupting?” he asked mildly. 

Alexander stepped fully into the room, the door closing softly behind him. His movements were controlled, purposeful, each step exuding the ease of a future king within his own halls.

My pulse skidded. I lifted my hand without thinking, brushing my fingertips lightly across my cheek, as if I could erase the lingering warmth of Aiden’s touch.

“No, Your Majesty,” I said quickly, forcing steadiness into my voice. “Not at all.”

I took a small step away, just enough to break the closeness between Aiden and me. 

Aiden inclined his head in a crisp bow. “Of course not, Your Majesty.”

Alexander’s gaze lingered on us a fraction longer, and for a dreadful heartbeat, I feared the worst. Then Alexander’s lips curved into an easy smile. 

“Good,” he said lightly. “I would hate to interrupt something so terribly fascinating.”

He stepped closer, his gaze settling on the painting behind us. His eyes traced the quiet landscape before turning to me. “You seem taken with this one.”

“I am,” I replied. “There is something… comforting about it’s simplicity. It’s peaceful.”

Alexander considered the cottage a moment longer. 

“Peaceful, perhaps,” he said thoughtfully. “But also rather lonely.”

He turned away from the painting, already moving further down the gallery.

I remained where I was. 

For a moment, I imagined myself standing among the wildflowers, a soft breeze stirring their petals as warm sunlight spilled over the hills.  

The realization settled deeply over me.

Where I saw peace in its solitude, a freedom from expectation, Alexander saw only loneliness. 

Chapter Fifteen