Amelia stepped into Ivarâs chamber with a heart heavy with fear. The air inside was cold and unwelcoming, just like the man who lived there. There was nothing extravagant about the spaceâno luxury, no warmthâonly the bare essentials arranged with an almost mechanical precision. A faint sadness clung to every corner, as if the room itself carried the weight of its owner's unspoken sorrows.Her eyes swept across the space, searching for him, but the chamber was empty. A gust of wind made the curtains sway, drawing her attention to the north side of the room. The large open balcony stood like a gateway to the endless wilderness beyond. And there, standing against the vast, untamed horizon, was Ivar.He was clad in a simple bathrobe, his hair still damp from a recent bath. Moonlight traced the contours of his face, sharpening his already striking features. But what caught Ameliaâs attention were the bruises on his wristsâdark, raw marks, as if he had been bound for too long. They were left untreated, ignored, like wounds he refused to acknowledge. He stood motionless, staring into the endless forest as if it held the answers to something only he could comprehend.Amelia took a hesitant step forward. "Ivar," she called softly.He turned around, startled, his eyes narrowing slightly. For a moment, he just stared at her, as if unsure whether she was truly there or merely a figment of his imagination."What are you doing here?" His voice was low, cautious."I was looking for you," Amelia admitted, clasping her hands together to steady herself.Ivarâs gaze darkened, scrutinizing her with a mix of disbelief and amusement. "How bold of you," he mused, taking a slow step toward her. "To walk into my room uninvited."Amelia swallowed, averting her gaze. "When you're desperate, you do things you never imagined you could."A smirk tugged at the corner of Ivarâs lips. "Are you that desperate?"She exhaled sharply, her hands tightening into fists. "Yes, I am. I donât know how my family is doing. I need to go back to them."Ivar studied her for a long moment before speaking, his tone calm but unyielding. "You will. But not now.""Why not?" Amelia's voice wavered with frustration. "I beg you, let me go.""You broke a rule by trying to escape." His words were sharp, laced with quiet authority. "That means youâll have to stay here a little longerâif you donât create any more problems."Her breath hitched. "Please. I just want to be with my family."Ivarâs expression softened, but only slightly. "Itâs not safe for you to go back right now. There are people looking for you."A chill ran down Ameliaâs spine. "Who? The King's men?" she whispered.Ivar didnât answer. He simply turned away, letting the silence stretch between them.Thatâs when Amelia noticed his bruises again. The deep, angry marks wrapped around his wrists, a silent testimony of suffering. Before she could stop herself, she reached out. "How did you get those?"Ivar stiffened. Then, without a word, he pulled his sleeve down, hiding the bruises from her view. His back was to her now, a clear dismissal. "Itâs none of your business," he muttered. "You donât need to know.""Yes, I do." Ameliaâs voice was firm, her determination rising. "You told me this happened because of me. So tell meâhow did You get those bruises?"Ivar hesitated. He turned to face her again, his gaze unreadable. His eyes searching hers, weighing her sincerity.Then, after a long silence, he asked, "Do you have the courage to know? Are you truly brave enough to understand why all of this is happening?" He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper, like a challenge.Amelia held her ground, though her heart pounded against her ribs. "I need to know," she said, her voice steady.Ivar let out a slow, mirthless chuckle. "No, you donât. I can see that you are not ready yet to know the things I want to tell you." His gaze bore into hers, something dangerous lurking beneath the surface. "Because once you know the truth, things will Change."Amelia straightened her posture, her chin lifting with quiet determination. "Youâre wrong," she said firmly. "Iâm ready to hear whatever you have to say."Ivar studied her for a moment. Then, slowly, he stepped closer, his pale blue eyes locking onto her brown eyes with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. "What if I told you," he began, his voice low and deliberate, "that Iâve known you for a long time? Much longer than you thinkâlong before the grand ball."Amelia frowned, confusion flickering in her eyes. "What do you mean?Ivarâs gaze didnât waver. "I remember you as a child," he continued, "A little girl playing in your treehouse with your friend, Lucy, laughing without a care in the world." His lips curled slightly, but there was no humor in it. "I was a boy too back then. But unlike you, I was alone. I had no friends, no place where I truly belonged."Amelia felt her breath hitch as realization slowly dawned on her. "it was you, the boy." She murmured.Ivar's expression unreadable. "Yes I watched you from behind the trees, hidden in the shadows . I watched you, day after day. You were the reason I kept returning to your worldâjust to see you." His voice dropped lower, almost as if he were confessing a secret he had held for too long. "I couldnât hold myself back anymore. And finally, I revealed myself to you on the night of the grand ball." He took a slow step toward her, his gaze never leaving hers. "Do you know what that means?"Amelia felt her throat tighten. A strange feeling stirred in her chestâfear, anticipation, something else she couldnât quite name. She swallowed hard. "What does it mean?" she stammered.A slow, knowing smirk curved Ivarâs lips. "It took me some time to realize it," he said, his voice carrying an almost bitter amusement. "But now I finally understand."Amelia hesitated. "Understand what?"Ivar leaned in, so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. His pale blue eyes burned with something raw, something inescapable."That Iâm in a mess," he whispered. "Iâve messed up so badly that I can never escape itânot in this lifetime."His words felt like a riddle, a puzzle she couldn't quite piece together. Amelia's brows furrowed. "You can make things right if you try a little harder," she said, trying to reason with him. "Whatever you've done, you can still fix it. She paused for a moment, searching his eyes, then asked quietly, "What have you done, Ivar?"His smirk deepened, but this time, it carried a hint of sorrow. His voice was steady, yet there was something devastatingly final in his words."I fell for you, Amelia," he said. "I love you. And I can never undo it."The world seemed to freeze around them. Amelia's breath caught in her throat, her innocent brown eyes widening as they locked onto his. Shock, disbelief, and something dangerously unfamiliar coursed through her veins. She never expected this.
Chapter 50: chapter 50
Beneath The Pale Blue Eyes•Words: 6979