CHAPTER 164: CHAPTER 164 PRINCESS AERIS

My heart paused for a beat, stunned by the familiar scent that drifted through the air. Then it spiralled into a crazy beat, I even thought it was going to jump out of my chest.

Then I saw her.

She stood at the top of the grand staircase, her silver-white hair pinned up with delicate threads of light that shimmered softly under the golden chandeliers. The deep blue sapphire gown she wore glowed like it had been woven from stardust, fitted perfectly at her waist, and cascading to the floor. She didn’t just look beautiful... She looked otherworldly.

She descended the stairs slowly, each step as graceful as it was deliberate. The music softened, and the conversations quieted down. Heads turned towards her, like she was the most beautiful creature they had ever seen.

Everyone saw a princess, but I didn’t. I saw Ember... My mate.

I saw the girl who once chewed my lips because she thought I was a mutton. The one who once looked at me like I was the only one she loved the most. The one who is always dramatic and always claims she was a genius. The one who broke through the walls of my heart, and stole it... even when I refused to acknowledge it.

But as I watched her now, I felt she had changed. Her eyes didn’t sparkle the way they used to. Her expression was calm and composed. There was not a hint of mischief, and not a trace of the warmth I remembered.

Then our eyes met. And for a brief second, something flickered across her face. It could’ve been confusion, or hesitation, or maybe even recognition, I wasn’t sure. I held my breath believing if I breathed... time might pass and she would look away.

But whatever it was, it disappeared as quickly as it came. She looked away, completely unbothered by me, her face returning to that unreadable stillness, like I was just another face in the crowd.

Like she didn’t know me at all.

My body tensed. I took a step forward before I even realized what I was doing. I had this crazy urge to get closer to her. I needed to hear her voice, to see if even a crack in that calm mask would prove what my heart already believed.

But I didn’t get the chance.

Two guards moved in front of me. They didn’t speak, and they didn’t raise their weapon or make a scene, but the meaning in their stance was clear. I wasn’t going anywhere near her.

They turned without a word and fell a few steps behind her as she crossed the ballroom. The guests greeted her with deep bows and smiles, all unaware that I was standing there, barely breathing, watching her slip out of reach again.

She was right there close enough for me to reach but I couldn’t get anywhere near her.

My jaw clenched. My hands curled tightly at my sides.

Theo stepped up beside me, pushing his glasses back as if he wasn’t seeing clearly enough.

"She really doesn’t remember me," I said under my breath, the words meant more for myself than anyone else. But as the ache settled deep in my chest, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was wrong.

.........

(Aeris POV)

I sat in front of the vanity table, a maid combing my hair while the others were powdering my face. My ocean blue eyes stared back at me.

I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of the man I met earlier today. He had raven black hair and his eyes were dark as night. His sharp jawline and well-chiseled body were the epitome of a man of my type.

I didn’t know why I ran. But I just... did.

The moment I fell into his arms, everything in me screamed to get out of there, like my body was remembering something my mind couldn’t.

But why does it feel like I knew him?

A frown formed on my face. ’Why did he call me Ember? Who is that?’

My mind was a total mess, and I couldn’t figure it out. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would see him at the ball.

He was the only reason why I was looking forward to attending the ball. Attending balls is not really my cup of tea, that’s why I always run from home when my uncle the king of fae, and my mother the princess try to make me attend one.

They all claimed I was too brazen for a princess, they had always sung it in my ears. A princess should be gentle, loving, kind, and graceful.

But I believed this life wasn’t cut out for me. I just wanted to roam the world and maybe find a lover who I would mean the world to.

As a fae I was a little weird, of course I had the pointed ears... but my wings... they had not awakened yet even when I turned eighteen.

My mother claimed that it was because I had been sick for the past years, and my body was still weak, which was why my wings hadn’t come out yet.

I turned my neck slightly to the side, and a golden tattoo shimmered under the light. The tattoo was half completed so I couldn’t make out what it was actually, but my mother said I was born like this. She had told me that the tattoo would be completed after I found my mate.

And she advised me to always cover it whenever I go out... I had a magic makeup for it.

"You look so beautiful, princess Aeris, you are like a beauty goddess." One of the maids commented, smiling widely at me.

My lips pulled a little. "Thank you for the compliment Green."

She squealed, almost bursting my eardrum. "You remembered my name."

I looked at her with an awkward smile. ’You are the only one who has green hair in the palace, isn’t that easy to remember?’

"Princess, it’s time." One of the maids said with a small bow.

"Then, let’s not keep them waiting," I said, rising from my seat, my deep blue sapphire gown flowed down beautifully.