Aeliana's heart felt as though it were beating in her throat. She stood there, facing Lucian with everything she had, her voice steady but full of emotion. She could see the uncertainty in his eyes, the way he wrestled with the conflict inside him. He wanted to walk away, to protect her from what he believed was inevitable, but Aeliana couldn't just let him go. Not without fighting for what they shared.
"I know it's too much to ask, Lucian," she said, her voice soft but full of sincerity. "But I want us. I want you. I want the future we dreamed of, no matter how difficult it seems. I don't care about the expectations, the duties, or the weight of our responsibilities. I don't care about any of that if it means we have to be apart." She paused, the words nearly catching in her throat. "I've been the elf princess, bound by duty for so long. But I choose you, Lucian. I want to be with you, not because of duty, but because of who you are—because of who we are when we're together."
