Mark POV
The morning was really quiet. It was the kind of quiet that feels like something is weighing on you; it does not feel calm. The road that was in front of me looked long but I kept walking. I had already decided what I was going to do. The messenger was walking a step ahead of me and the messenger was not saying a word. Maybe the messenger knew that there was nothing for the messenger to say.
Leaving Noctrya was really tough for me. Every single corner of Noctrya had something that reminded me of Lyra.
I am talking about her smile, her voice, the way Lyra laughed at my jokes. I just could not stop seeing Lyra's face in my head. I really do not like saying goodbye to people.. The worst part is that I did not even get to say goodbye to Lyra. Maybe that is what hurts me the most when I think about Noctrya and Lyra.
The wind was really cold. It felt dry. I pulled my coat tighter, around me. I looked up at the sky which was full of clouds. The world seemed to be watching me waiting to see if I would fall apart again.
My past was always there watching me and whispering things to me that made me think. I said to myself that I would not let it happen. The truth is, I have broken many times already and I did not want to do it again.
I was tired of my past and its memories. I was tired of the wind and the cloudy sky, but most of all, I was tired of myself and my thoughts and my past watching me.
The road went on and on taking me to Velmora. This is the kingdom I ran away from. It is the place I call home. It never really felt like home to me. I felt like turning all the time. I wanted to go to Lyra and forget about the throne and the crown. I did not want to deal with all the noise that comes with it.
I asked myself why I was there. I thought about leaving. Then I remembered what Lyra said. She said, "You can run from who you are. " These words kept playing in my head. They made me think that some things can never be escaped, no matter what. Velmora and the throne were things I could not escape forever.
We stopped at an inn before the sun went down. The place had a smell that reminded me of rain and dust. I sat by the window.
I looked out at the sky getting darker. The messenger came with some food. I did not eat a lot. The messenger brought food. I did not feel like eating because my thoughts were really bothering me and it felt like they were bouncing around inside my head.
I am Mark, who was once a prince. My brothers and my family are still the people I care about, and seeing them still gives me hope. My mind is still, at Noctrya. This is the place where I found peace. I know Noctrya was not a town when I first got there. It was actually a bad town to begin with.
I was thinking about Lyra all the time. I remembered the way Lyra touched me, the way Lyra looked at me, the things Lyra said to me. Lyra once told me that sometimes love is not about staying, it is about knowing that you will see each other again. I really wanted to believe what Lyra said. I really needed to believe that.
The truth is, I am still thinking about whether I will see Lyra again or not. I know that I made a promise to Lyra. What if the promise I made is not really a promise at all, and my family does not want me to go back to Noctrya to be with her, or even hear from her? I am thinking about my family.
What they want for me and I am also thinking about Noctrya and what I want for myself.
My Family might not understand why I want to go to Noctrya to be with her and that is making me feel really unsure about what to do. I want to be with her, in Noctrya. At the same time, I do not want to hurt my family or make them unhappy.
These are the thoughts that kept coming into my mind at the time. These thoughts were always on my mind.
When it got dark I could not fall asleep. I got out the necklace she gave me before I went away. It was a plain silver chain. The necklace was really special to me because she gave it to me.
I held the necklace in my hand, closed my eyes, and said loudly, "I will come back to her. I promise the necklace that I will come back to her."
The next morning, the journey continued. Villages passed by in silence, and people bowed when they saw the messenger's royal crest.
They probably knew who I was, even if I didn't want to be known. The word "prince" feels heavier now. It didn't sound like a title; it sounded like a chain. I knew who I truly was even though I didn't like it.
I still remember what Lyra said to me before I left. She told me, "Do not forget who you became here, Mark. Noctrya changed you." She was right. I am not the angry and lost man who first came to Noctrya.
I found a part of myself in Noctrya. The part of me that could still love the part of me that could still feel the part of me that could still hope. My father could even see the difference in me, the change that Noctrya brought to me.
Noctrya really changed me. Some parts of me are different now. This happened because of Noctrya. Noctrya changed me. They helped me to change. I used to be lost and angry..
Now I am calm and gentle. It was a journey.. Noctrya was with me. Noctrya helped me to become a person. I am really grateful to Noctrya for this. Noctrya made me see things differently.
As I saw the gates of Velmora my chest got tight. The towers of Velmora were still tall just like I remembered them.
They looked colder now. The flags of Velmora were waving above the city walls of Velmora but they did not look warm and welcoming. The guards of Velmora recognised me. Their eyes got big. They fell to their knees in front of me.
The man said, "Your Highness," and his voice was shaking badly.
I did not answer. I just nodded my head. I walked past the people. The big doors of the palace opened slowly. The same air that I once really hated filled my lungs again. The palace doors made me feel weird because the same air that I once hated was still there.
My father's portrait was still hanging in the hall. His eyes looked sharp. His face looked proud. I felt like a boy again for a moment.
I was standing in front of my father, a man I could never please.. I was not that boy anymore. I am a man now. My father's portrait made me think about my life. I had lived a lot.
I had loved people. I had lost people too. My father's portrait was still hanging in the hall, reminding me of my life and my father.
I walked into the room. The council was already there waiting for me. They were talking about politics and alliances and the things I was supposed to do.. I was not really listening to what they were saying. My heart was still in Noctrya.
Every time I closed my eyes I saw Lyras smile. I just could not stop thinking about Lyra and her smile. The council was talking about my duties. All I could think about was Lyra and Noctrya.
That night I stood on the palace balcony looking out over the kingdom of Velmora. The stars above Velmora did not shine as bright as the stars in Noctrya. Maybe it was because she was not there with me, in Velmora.
I closed my eyes. Let the wind hit my face. I said to myself, "I will come back to you " I whispered those words again. The thought of a crown or a title does not mean anything to me because no crown or title can stop me from coming to you.
Deep down, I knew she was thinking of me, too. She was probably sitting by the fire holding that book I left behind. I like to think that she was missing me the way that I missed her.
The road ahead was not looking good. One thing was for sure. I was done running. I was becoming the man I was supposed to be. Not just a. Someone next in line but someone who finally knew what love really is.
I knew things were not yet, but I knew there was still a part of me that needed to be fixed. I knew that with time with people like Lyra, who really got me and was a healer, she could fix the broken parts of me, the parts that were damaged.
Lyra was someone who truly understood me, and she was a healer to the walls that I had built around myself and with her help, I knew she could fix them. I knew that the journey would not be long by myself. The thing is, I have found the music that I was looking for.
The music was with me all along. The people I was looking for were with me all along. I have found the happiness that I was looking for. The happiness was with me all along.
Not about power.
Not about blood.
But about finding peace in another person's heart.
And for me, that person would always be Lyra.