CAMILLA’S PO.V


    There were a total of fen letters in that envelope and Ryker sat with me as I read each of them. It was


    like hearing my father speak directly to me. It was like having him directly beside me and I could have


    sworn that I felt his arms around me,forting me and offering me unwavering support. I couldn’t go


    through them without the tears running down my cheeks and by the time I was done, it felt like I had


    been scrubbed clean from the inside out, like someone had taken sandpaper to my heart and left me


    out to dry.


    Ryker said no words, he just held me as I cried and clutched the letters to my chest. He muttered sweet


    nothings in my ears while kissing my temple. I must have fallen asleep in his arms because the next


    thing I knew, I was waking up to the nkets wrapped around me and to Ryker seated by the edge of


    the bed as he stroked my hair softly. He smiled down at me and I managed to give him an identical one


    despite the pounding in my head and the soreness around my eyes.


    “We have to leave soon,” he whispered and I felt a pang in my heart. “We can alwayse back


    another day. It might make for a good yearly vacation spot.”


    “I think I’d like that,” I agreed.


    He helped me to my feet and we made our way down the stairs to prepare onest breakfast for


    Audrey. I doubted she still remembered we were leaving today and I feared the tantrum that was


    alreadying. Thankfully, Ryker offered to get her up and break the news to her. I didn’tbat him


    because I was willing to do anything to avoid it.


    I heard the exact moment he told her because her scream was loud enough to shake the walls. Aurora


    started crying almost immediately after and I cursed. It took us half an hour to calm both of them and by


    that time, my pounding headache was much worse.


    Breakfast was such a tense affair. Audrey refused to speak once, she just sulked into her te. I


    wanted tofort her but I knew there was nothing I could do. I understood where she wasing


    from and to an extent, I felt the same.


    I didn’t realize I would enjoy it here as much as I did. It was apletely different experience, one that


    I didn’t realize I needed until I had it. There was something about this ce, it was in the air and under


    the ground, it was a safe haven, it was peace and it was love. It had seeped into the air and the walls. It


    was in the trees and the chairs, it was obvious that this was a ce well loved and I knew there was


    only one person responsible for that.


    After breakfast, we packed up what was left of our things and were in the carriage long before noon.


    Aurora was fast asleep in my arms while Ryker and Briggs loaded our things into the carriage. Audrey


    was standing next to me and clutching onto the sides of my dress. I smoothed a hand through her hair


    and she nestled closer into me.


    “Are you alright?” I asked and she nodded but I could tell from her eyes that she was anything but. “Do


    you want a hug?”


    “Yes please,” she mumbled and I pulled her close into me.


    She sniffled as she buried her face into my skirts. I ran my hands through her hair as I tried not to


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    draw attention to her. We weren’t at the pce where she had to pretend or put up a persona, she was


    a child and it was alright for her to cry. I caught Ryker staring at us with a questioning look but I shook


    my head. She was fine, she just needed to get her emotions out. I would have very much preferred that


    she cried than shoved them down.


    “Mummy,” Audrey asked and I looked down at her. She had her eyes cast down on her te as she


    yed around with her food. “When can wee back?”


    “Soon,” I assured her with a soft kiss to her temple. “I promise, we wille back very soon. I’ll make


    sure wee here at least once a year.”


    That seemed to be enough for her because she got into the carriage with no hesitation. I felt hands on


    my waist and I nearly jumped but Ryker’s scent filtered into my nose and I rxed into his hold.


    “How is she?” he sounded genuinely worried and confused as if he didn’t know what to do.


    “She will be fine, don’t worry about her.”


    He ced a lingering kiss on my temple before taking Aurora from me so I could get into the carriage. I


    was just about to when a throat was cleared behind me. I turned to see Briggs looking at me


    awkwardly. He was shuffling his feet but wouldn’t look me directly in the eye. Ryker seemed to get the


    hint because without another word, he got into the carriage.


    “It was an honor to meet you, your majesty.”


    “Please, call me Cami,” I cut him off and he gave me a small smile. “It was an honor to be here. You


    have done so much for this ce. Do you stay here all year round?”


    He nodded. “This is the only life I have known.”


    “Don’t you have a family? Don’t you ever miss them?”


    He gave me a small smile. “I never got married, your- Cami, and it never appealed to me. There is a


    town behind this house, just a few miles off. It is a short distance. If we ever miss humanpany, we


    know where to go. You don’t have to worry about us.”


    I felt relieved to know that they were notpletely isted for the entirety of the year. I couldn’t


    imagine having to do that.


    “Have a good journey, Cami,” he reached out to shake me but quickly remembered thest incident


    that took ce and sna tched his hand back. “I hope to see you again soon.”


    He bowed and walked towards the door. I watched him disappear into the house and stood there for far


    longer than I should have,before getting into the carriage. Ryker gave me a questioning look but I


    shook my head. It was fine,


    The ride back to the pce was uneventful. I stared out the window allowing my thoughts fly. Audrey


    slept off halfway through the ride leaving just Ryker and I but neither of us knew what to say. My


    attention was split between what was happening at the pce and the small box that was carefully


    wrapped in my luggage.


    The carriage pulled to a stop before I even realized it and I blinked out of my thoughts to find that


    we were in front of the pce already. I nced out of the window only to see the sun already setting.


    Time had gone by so fast that I hadn’t even realized it. I barely had time to gather myself before the


    door was pulled open and Christine stood there with a wide smile.


    She looked different but in a good way, she reminded me of how she looked when she first returned


    from Juan’s ce. Her hair was down in their natural waves, her eyes were bright with happiness and


    her cheeks were flushed. She looked rxed for the first time in a long time and I could see the dark


    bite on her neck that she was trying to hide with her hair.


    “Do not say anything,” she warned and I raised my hands in mock surrender. “I missed you.”


    She all but pulled me out of the carriage before wrapping her arms around me. I rxed into her hold


    and inhaled her familiar scent. I hade to associate it with the scent of home and it felt amazing to


    just feel her once more. She released me slowly but her eyes caught on someone behind me and she


    all but shoved me away to pull Audrey in her arms. I watched her spin my daughter and I saw the first


    smile grace Audrey’s lips since we left the vacation house.


    It was amazing just how good Christine was with her and I knew I could never have done this without


    her. Ryker was thest person to step out and he handed our youngest over to me. She was already


    awake but thankfully, she wasn’t stirring or crying.


    “How was your vacation?” Christine asked finally and I shrugged.


    “How was your time alone?” I shot back and her cheeks flushed into a deeper color. I raised a brow at


    her and she smacked my hand. “I just asked a question, you’re being violent.”


    “There is nothing to say.”


    about mine if you tell me a bo


    “I’ll tell you yours,” I offered and she debated it for a second before taking my outstretched hand.


    I looked over her shoulder only to see Juan leaning against the door and watching us or rather her. His


    eyes were fixated on her and I watched how he looked at her, it was like she was the only person in the


    room, like she was the brightest light in a dark sky. A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips before


    he finally pulled his eyes away from her and towards me. I raised a brow at him and he tipped his head


    towards me.


    Christine noticed my attention was somewhere else and she turned to find Juan. I saw the heat in her


    eyes but she quickly looked away and tried to hide it.


    “You can go to him,” I told her and her brows furrowed. “You don’t have to be here with us. We had a


    long trip, we are probably going to bed now, anyway.”


    “But-”


    “Go, Christine,” it was Ryker who spoke. I hadn’t even realized when he stepped up behind me. “We


    can take care of ourselves, you deserve to be happy.”


    “You think so?” her voice was soft and almost scared.


    I ced my hand on her shoulders and forced her to look at me. “No one deserves it more than


    you do. Go with him, he’s waiting for you.”


    She debated it for a second before smiling and making her way over to him. The moment she was


    within reach, his hands wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer. She whispered


    something that had himughing before he kissed her.


    I couldn’t stop my smile as I watched them. “She’ll be safe with him.”


    “Yes, she will.”