Her Rebirth.

"Amelia... Amelia, are you listening?"

Aldric’s voice snapped Amelia back to the present, drawing her away from the thoughts she was lost in. She blinked rapidly and offered him a small, apologetic smile.

"Oh, sorry. I drifted off for a second."

Aldric tilted his head, studying her. "You’ve been zoning out a lot lately. Is something wrong?"

She hesitated. The question shouldn’t have caught her off guard, yet it did. Because he was right.

Ever since that last conversation with Kai in the bookstore her thoughts had been thoroughly occupied by it, trying to decipher what Kai meant and his twisted thoughts of not letting the butterfly roam free. She hadn’t seen him since then; that was over two weeks now, and for that, she told herself she was grateful. Whatever strange pull he had over her, space had certainly dulled it or at least given her a better grip on her emotions.

And Aldric... Aldric had been different lately. He had been more attentive. More present. The gifts he sent every waking morning, the subtle way he reached for her hand when they were alone, the gentle tone when he spoke her name, it had stirred her already strong feelings for him further. Her feelings for him had started to grow deeper than before. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Maybe the distance from Kai had helped her remember why she said yes in the first place.

She shook her head gently. "No. Nothing’s wrong."

"You’re sure?" he asked, still watching her closely.

"Yes," she said, firmer this time. "I’m sure."

"All right," Aldric said, leaning back slightly. Then, after a pause, he added, "I’ve been thinking... don’t you think it’s time we set a date for the wedding?"

Her heart jolted. A quiet rush of excitement fluttered in her chest, but she didn’t let it show.

She nodded, steadying her voice.

"We’ve been engaged for over five months," he continued. "I think we’ve waited long enough."

"That’s true," Amelia said, folding her hands in her lap. "So... when should it be?"

"Two weeks from now," he said without hesitation.

"Isn’t that too soon?" she asked, blinking.

"My heart is full of you, Amelia. Being apart from you is becoming unbearable." He reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers. "I want you by my side, not just as my fiancée... but as my wife."

There it was, the kind of romantic declaration any young girl would swoon over. And she could see her younger self blushing at it, her cheeks turning warm and her eyes bright at the thought she may spend the rest of her life with the one she loved.

Amelia, the observer, watched. She was silent, with a sorrowful sneer playing on her lips. Maybe she would have screamed at herself to run away as far as she could, cut all ties with Aldric but she knew it was useless. She would never hear her. She had come to terms with this fact a long time ago.

She felt her cheeks widen into a smile. "Then... yes. Let’s do it."

"Two weeks from now," Aldric said, pleased. "We’ll make the arrangements. I’ll also speak to the Duke about it."

---

Amelia took a deep breath and raised her arm, knocking on the large wooden door before her twice.

Then she heard a grouchy, "Come in."

She opened the door and saw her father, Duke Volemont, reading a piece of document intently. On his table were various documents and it was to be expected, because not only was he a general, he was also the head of a large duchy, which of course required intense management.

She walked in and stood by the tall window, her hands clasped as she tried to still the nervous tapping of her fingers against her palm.

She knew that Aldric did say he would speak to her father but still, she needed to know if he would still grant her his support.

"I spoke with Aldric today," she began. Her voice was calm, though her heart was anything but that. "He wants to set the wedding in two weeks."

Duke Volemont did not look up from the paper he was reading. He simply turned a page.

Amelia took a step closer. "He says it’s time. That we’ve waited long enough."

Still, silence.

She hesitated—then asked carefully, choosing each word as though stepping barefoot across a floor of glass, "Are you... still going to support him? To the throne, I mean."

That made him pause.

He didn’t speak right away. Instead, he set the paper down slowly and looked up at her. The room felt colder suddenly.

Amelia’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t want to beg, but the need to know—to secure what little stability she had left—was clawing at her chest.

Besides, even though she tried to deceive herself that Aldric loved her just as much as she loved him, she knew that part of why he even tried was because of the support her family was going to grant him.

Finally, Duke Volemont sighed, the sound heavy and tired. He leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together.

"The Volemont family," he said quietly, "has always remained neutral. We do not involve ourselves in succession wars, nor do we favor one heir over another."

Her heart sank.

"But..." He looked at her, and this time there was something softer in his expression. "If you are to become part of the imperial family, it is only right that you stand where you belong. As Empress."

Amelia swallowed hard.

"You will have our full support," he continued. "But only after he has married you. Men can be... fickle. Especially when power begins to settle into their bones."

The breath she’d been holding escaped in a quiet exhale. Relief loosened the knots in her stomach.

Aldric will surely be happy to hear this.

"Thank you, Father," she whispered gratefully.

The Duke gave a slight nod, already reaching for another document.

And Amelia stood there for a moment longer, ensuring he had nothing more to say, and seeing her father no longer paid attention to her, she quietly left the room.

She needed to go to the bookstore, at least one last time.