"Why would I miss a person whom I didn't even know?" Gideon chuckled softly. "Let's go ahead. There is a small cottage just past the clearing. We can have lunch there, then take some rest before we head back."
Adeline did not pressure him further, quietly following his lead as they crossed the bridge.
But after they had walked a certain distance along the winding cobblestone path, Gideon spoke up again.
"I did crave a mother when I was young. You know how it is... Other kids my age would brag about their mothers. So, yes, in those moments I used to feel quite upset. Father brought a stepmother into the palace very soon after I think I was not even a year old, mostly because of his duties to the crown. But Presley could never truly be a mother to me."
He then realized that he had not brought Adeline to this beautiful sanctuary just to dwell on his past.
"Want to dance with me?" he suddenly asked, halting on the path.
