I sat on the edge of the bed, the tray of food now gone. The maids had taken it away quietly, leaving me alone with the soft rustle of the curtains in the evening breeze. I had eaten, changed into my nightclothes, but sleep refused me. My stomach was full, my body warm, but my mind refused to settle.
I moved toward the window and pushed it open. The cool night air brushed against my face, carrying the faint scent of flowers from the palace gardens below. Above me, the sky stretched wide and endless, painted in deep indigo and dotted with thousands of stars.
I had seen skies like this before, though not like this. On the streets with Jakie, Skylar, June, and July, nights had been filled with smoke and dim lanterns, or clouds that hid the stars. Back then, we had sat on the cobblestones, heads tilted to the heavens, each of us silently hoping to see a lucky star streak across the dark.
We had always joked that if we ever caught one, our wishes would come true. I had never caught one. But now… the sky here felt vast, quiet, untouchable. And maybe, just maybe, it was the first time luck had finally smiled at us.
Restlessness gnawed at me. My thoughts spun with the lessons to come—the reading, the writing, the dances, the etiquette—and with my red hair, my unknown past, my new position. I wanted to feel calm, but my mind refused.
Finally, I stood. I wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, letting it drape like a shield against the chill, and stepped quietly toward the door. The corridor was empty, the soft glow of lanterns guiding me past tapestries and polished floors. My bare feet made no sound on the cold stone, and I tiptoed, careful not to wake anyone.
The garden lay ahead, doors slightly ajar to let in the night air. I slipped out and felt the cool grass beneath my feet, the breeze teasing the edges of my blanket. Everything was still, as if the palace itself were holding its breath. I moved along the paths, past fountains that glimmered silver in the moonlight, past flowers whose petals shimmered with dew.
Eventually, I found a bench tucked beneath a flowering arbor. I sank onto it, wrapping the blanket tighter around myself, and tilted my head back. The stars above seemed impossibly close, as if I could reach out and touch them. The flowers around me glowed softly in the moonlight, their colors muted but beautiful. The world was calm. Peaceful.
I closed my eyes and let the night fill me. For the first time since leaving the streets, I didn't hear the cries of the market, the shouts of guards, or the clatter of running feet. Here, I was just Elara, a girl with red hair under a blanket, staring at the sky and imagining the lucky stars we had once hoped for.
I thought of Jakie, Skylar, June, and July. Were they sleeping now, in their rooms or somewhere safe with the servants? Did they think of me, as I thought of them? I missed them fiercely, but at least they were cared for, at least they were safe. I could almost hear their tiny voices in my mind, whispering, laughing, calling for me.
The quiet wrapped around me like a soft cloak. The breeze carried the scent of jasmine and roses, and the gentle chirping of night insects punctuated the silence. For a moment, I felt weightless, like all the worries and expectations from the palace—the lessons, the duties, the strange faces of royalty—had been pushed away, replaced by this calm, endless night.
I leaned back on the bench, tracing patterns on the blanket with my fingers, staring at a cluster of stars that seemed brighter than the rest. I remembered our old games, making wishes in whispers and hoping the universe would notice us. Maybe it had. Somehow, here I was, far from the streets, in a palace I didn't understand, and yet… alive, safe, and breathing under a sky that felt infinite.
For a long while, I just sat there, letting the night stretch around me, letting the peace sink into my bones. My shoulders loosened. My heart, still anxious about the lessons tomorrow, still worried about my place here, still wary of the royals, nevertheless found a small comfort in the quiet.
Eventually, I leaned forward, resting my chin on my folded arms. The moonlight glinted on the soft curves of the flowers, on the dew, on the distant stone paths. I thought about how much had changed, how much I had left behind, and how uncertain the future was. And yet… for the first time, I allowed myself to feel a spark of hope.
I shifted on the bench, hugging my knees to my chest. The night seemed to hum quietly, carrying secrets and possibilities alike. Tomorrow would be full of lessons and etiquette, of pens and books, of movements and words I didn't yet understand. But tonight… tonight, I was simply Elara, under the stars, wrapped in a blanket, feeling the soft pulse of the world around me.
And then… a sound.
Footsteps, soft but deliberate, moving along the gravel path. My pulse quickened. The garden had seemed empty, and yet… someone was walking toward me.
"Good evening, Lady Elara," a familiar voice said, calm and confident, carrying across the quiet night.
I turned and saw him—the prince. His blue hair was tousled slightly from sleep, and he was dressed in simple nightclothes, not the formal attire he had worn during the day. He smiled, faintly amused. "I didn't expect to find anyone here at this hour."
I pulled the blanket tighter around me, heart hammering. "Good evening, Your Highness." My voice was small, cautious.
"I hope I didn't startle you," he said, taking a careful step closer. "It's just… I thought I'd see how you were spending your first night here."
I hesitated, unsure what to say, then shrugged. "I… couldn't sleep."
He nodded, coming to stand beside the bench, hands folded behind him. "I understand. First nights are always the hardest. The palace is… different, isn't it? Too quiet, too big, and filled with too many rules."
"Yes," I admitted, finally letting some of the tension go. "It's… so different from anywhere I've ever been."
He studied me for a moment, then gestured to the stars above. "But it's beautiful, isn't it? Sometimes, the quiet gives you a chance to see things you've missed before. The stars, the gardens… even the flowers bloom differently under the moon."
I looked up again, feeling the calm return. "It's… peaceful," I whispered.
He nodded, smiling faintly. "Then let's enjoy it for a while. Tomorrow, lessons will start. But tonight… tonight, the garden is yours."
I sank back against the bench, letting the night wrap around me once more. And even though my heart still beat fast with the fear of tomorrow, the lessons, and the strange new life I was about to live, for a moment… I allowed myself to simply be Elara, under the stars, with the prince quietly standing beside me.
For the first time, the palace didn't feel so lonely.