Chapter 21: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

It had been seven months since Amaria's marriage to King Knox, and in that time, she had grown to embrace the royal life with grace. Yet, as the days passed, there was a lingering sense of longing that occasionally swept over her. Her family, whom she had left behind, remained a part of her heart. She missed their familiar voices, the simple conversations over dinner, and the comfort of being surrounded by the people who had raised her.

One evening, as they sat in the royal dining hall, Amaria's thoughts drifted, and she found herself gazing out the window at the distant horizon. King Knox, who had noticed her silence, set down his goblet and looked at her with quiet concern.

"Amaria, what troubles you?" he asked, his voice steady but soft, a tone she had come to recognize as his way of showing care.

She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "I miss my family, Knox. I miss them more than I thought I would." Her voice carried a gentle sadness, a longing for the comfort of her past life.

King Knox regarded her for a moment, his expression unreadable, as if weighing her words. He had never been one to easily show his emotions, but in this case, he understood her desire to reconnect with her roots. "Would you like to visit them?" he asked after a pause, his voice even, though there was an underlying sincerity in his offer.

Amaria's eyes lit up, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Could I? I would love to see them, even if only for a few days."

"Of course," he replied, surprising her with the ease of his consent. "I will arrange for your visit. Take the time you need, Amaria. You deserve it."

And so, within a few days, Amaria was preparing to leave the palace for a brief visit to her family. The royal guards made the necessary arrangements, and she was given leave to stay with her family for several days. The warmth of anticipation filled her heart as she packed her bags and said her goodbyes to Prince Alexander and King Knox.

"Take care, Amaria," King Knox said quietly as she prepared to leave, his usual coldness softened by an unspoken understanding. "We will be here when you return."

Amaria gave him a warm smile, her heart filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Knox. I will miss you both."

Prince Alexander, ever the energetic child, clung to her side, his small face scrunched in sadness. "Mama, come back soon! I will miss you!"

"I'll miss you too, little one," Amaria replied, bending down to hug him tightly before she left. "I'll bring you a surprise when I return."

With her family's permission and the king's blessing, she left the palace with a sense of both joy and melancholy, knowing that she would soon be reunited with her family but leaving behind the life she had come to love in Eldoria.

As the days passed, the absence of Amaria was felt throughout the palace. Prince Alexander was quieter than usual, his usual bright energy dimmed by her absence. He would often wander through the royal halls, looking for her, calling her name as if expecting her to appear from around every corner.

King Knox, though he showed no outward signs of it, also found himself affected. The palace, once filled with the constant hum of their shared life, seemed eerily quiet without Amaria's laughter, without the soft rustle of her dresses, or the warmth of her presence.

At night, the king found the emptiness of his chambers particularly suffocating. He had grown accustomed to the small comforts Amaria had brought into his life—how she would curl up beside him when the nights grew cold, seeking his warmth in a way that felt both innocent and intimate. He missed the way she would cling to him after a nightmare, her breath shaky against his chest, her hands finding solace in the security of his arms.

The bed felt too large without her there beside him, and the silence seemed more oppressive without her soft murmurs or gentle breathing beside him. As the nights grew longer, King Knox found himself restless, turning over in his mind the small moments he had come to cherish—the way she would smile at him in the mornings, the way her presence had become a constant comfort.

He hadn't realized just how much he had come to rely on her until she was no longer there.

In the quiet solitude of the nights, he began to confront the feelings that had been slowly growing in him—feelings he had never allowed himself to acknowledge. He had married Amaria to give Prince Alexander the motherly love he had been missing, but somewhere along the way, something deeper had taken root. He had started to care for her, more than he ever thought possible.

King Knox had always prided himself on his control, on his ability to separate emotions from duty. But now, in the silence of the palace, he found himself facing the undeniable truth. He was falling in love with her.

But how could he admit it? How could he, the king who had always kept his heart locked away, admit that he had allowed someone to slip past his defenses?

The realization was both terrifying and exhilarating. For the first time in years, the cold fortress of his heart began to thaw, and the warmth of his feelings for Amaria seemed to fill the empty spaces. But he knew that admitting this to her—admitting it to himself—would change everything.

As the days stretched on and Amaria remained away, King Knox found himself eagerly awaiting her return. He missed her more than he ever thought he could miss anyone. And when she finally came back, he wasn't sure what he would say—but he knew one thing for certain: his heart was no longer the same.