CHAPTER 515: A HOPELESS ROMANTIC

He smiled at her. His dimples heightened and his strawberry hair seemed like it was glowing

She thought he was handsome earlier but his smile was in another league. Gentle yet devious. "I can understand why. You must be Princess Eleanor."

She was puzzled by what he meant by that. "I mean I heard the queen’s second daughter was a true gem. You are indeed as the rumours say. " He explained. A sad smile lingered on her face. So he knew her.

"Yeah, I am Eleanor." She muttered.

"The princess who is known only for her beauty which might fade one day." She added, sounding disheartened.

"Because something is withered doesn’t mean it wasn’t beautiful before." He mentioned, He then reached out for his jacket and pulled out a primrose. Almost dried and withered. Eleanor was confused, looking at the flower.

"What do you see?" He asked her. Her brows pulled together.

She thought for a while before answering. "It is a withered flower. Although I know it must have been a beautiful one, now the pink petals are weak. It is a far cry from its glorious past"

The stranger smiled. "But it still reminds you of the past. No matter how beauty fades, the past will never fade. I am sure years to come when maybe you are a queen or high-ranking noble woman, they would still talk of your past ." His words weirdly resonated with her

He gave her the withered flower she accepted. "What is important is enjoying your presence so that you can reminisce about it later. " Eleanor’s eyes went wide, but the glow faded immediately.

How was she going to enjoy the almost overwhelming presence? "It’s hard to savour the moment." Her thumb was rubbing the petals. "Why do you have dried-out primrose in your pocket?" She asked him.

Her curiosity about him piqued. Kaiden smiled softly, rubbing his head awkwardly. "I was meant to ask you for a dance. Father’s words were, Be nice to Princess Eleanor but I quickly got tired and even forgot about the flower," He explained.

He remembered his father’s harsh words. The king knew he could be pretty irritable. The trade talks were very important, so he had to be on his best behaviour and act nicely to the favourite princess.

Eleanor laughed, finding the teenage boy funny. They were almost the same age, with him being at most 2 years older than her.

He was puzzled by her laughter but didn’t comment. Eleanor twirled the primrose in between her fingers. A light glow surrounded it, and the withered flower came back to life. The dead pink petals slowly regained their beauty and radiant glow.

A gasp left his lips, and a look of astonishment filled his face. He looked genuinely impressed. "That’s wonderful." He praised her.

A feeling of accomplishment bloomed in her heart. "It’s a little tricky, I learnt," Eleanor said with a smug look then gave him the flower.

He accepted it, his eyes glancing between the flower and her smiling face. Eleanor stood up. In front of him, she was rather small in comparison. His frame completely enveloped her

He might still be a teenager, but he was an experienced soldier with a trained body. The princess drew in a breath before her lips parted. "You can ask for the dance now."

It was a silly request. He probably saw her acting ridiculous but she didn’t care. She just wanted to live in the present.

"Of course," he chimed. His fingers reached out for her ears, tucking the flower into her hair behind her ears. The pink petals contrasted with her black hair. "You look beautiful." He complimented.

A sentence she had heard a million times but from him it felt different. He bowed and asked for her hand. "May I?"

She smiled, her fingers reached out for his hand. "It will be my pleasure." Their hands linked and he pulled her close

Close enough to feel his breath against her face leaving enough space out of respect. His hand circled her waist while she held his shoulders.

The music was playing in the background. Low but still beautiful. They started to dance. Neither of them held the other’s gaze. When she tried looking in his eyes her stomach fluttered.

They Waltz through the night in the garden. It felt magical, it felt perfect. Fireflies surrounded them, and it looked like a scene straight from her dreams. She wished the dance would last forever.

His touch was gentle and poised. Her cheeks turned redder each second.

No words were said until the dance ended. He stopped and leaned in to place a kiss on her hand. His lips were soft against her skin

"It was an honour indeed. If you don’t mind, I still have official matters to attend to." He politely said.

She nodded, still feeling his touch linger on her skin. He didn’t wait for her reply and walked past her. She sharply turned; she didn’t want him to leave, but could not keep him.

"Wait." She called out. He stopped, then glanced over his shoulder. His brow was arched at her. "I didn’t get your name."

His eyes went wide in realisation. Then he answered, "Kaiden..." He hesitated for a while before he spoke his surname. "Von Drakkar.".

"Kaiden Von Drakkar," she muttered, finding the name familiar. She gasped, her hand rushed to her mouth. "Are you a prince from Draconia?" She blurted but he was already gone.

His footsteps had faded away

Eleanor never believed in love at first sight before that night, but what else could describe what happened?

She rushed into the ballroom. Her eyes searched for him until she found him speaking to her father. He sensed her gaze and glanced in her direction.

He nodded politely at her before turning back to Eleanor’s father. The conversation didn’t linger for long before he left ignoring every other person.

The room faded in his absence.

Years passed, and she never saw him again. Other princes were sent to Crystarium over the years, but not the strawberry blonde-haired prince.

During this period, no befitting groom was approved for Eleanor by her father

Until the opportunity came, an offer from the king of Draconia. In exchange for lands containing stone mines and a secured bilateral relationship, a bride would be taken.

Eleanor’s father agreed on the condition that his daughter would choose her groom and would be the crown princess.

The king of Draconia agreed without a second thought that it was a beneficial agreement.

Eleanor was asked to name her groom and in a heartbeat beat she said his name Kaiden von Drakkar