Lmao I'm writing this while I'm in my uni lecture.

Clara hummed softly to herself while she organized Victor's papers on his desk so it'd be easier for him to focus. She made a few mental notes to tell him as well, knowing it could probably help with the situations mentioned on the papers.

Victor walked out from behind his changing screen with a new shirt in place of the one where Clara had accidentally splashed with water.

Whether it was actually an accident or not, we may never know.

Clara noticed a distressed frown on his lips, and she furrowed her eyebrows, silently debating if it was proper to ask him what had him so down. Finally deciding that she'd rather have a happy Victor than be polite, she walked over to him. After the banquet, she had a newfound respect for him. She lifted her hand and softly smoothed out the crease in between his eyebrows with her thumb. Victor's eyes shot up to hers, widening in surprise. His chest tightened as he looked into her deep brown eyes. He didn't notice himself leaning into her touch, finding comfort in the warmth of her skin.

"You don't want wrinkles so soon in life." she smiled softly, hoping it lifted some of the weight. "What's got you so stressed?"

He let out a shaky breath when Clara removed her hand, letting it fall back to her side. He averted his gaze, feeling overwhelmed by her action.

His mother used to do the same thing whenever he was sad or angry.

"Nothing-" he rolled his eyes at the unamused look she gave him, as if she were telling him to tell the truth. "Hugo hasn't replied to any of my letters."

Clara found herself mirroring his frown and she backed away, feeling guilt seep through her. It was her fault that their friendship now had cracks in it. 

"I'm sorry." her voice was small, something Victor never heard.

His eyes softened, seeing her look so regretful, looking down and avoiding his gaze. For once, she didn't stand with her head held high in confidence, instead she seemed to want to crawl into a hole and hide.

"Why are you sorry?" he asked.

"It's my fault he's angry with you." she spoke with sadness. "I shouldn't have-"

"You had every right to confront him." Victor stated with a firm voice, the same one he used as a prince to prove his power and authority. "What he did was wrong, and I would never let anyone lay a hand on you."

His face paled when he realized what he said, so he quickly added: "Or any woman."

Pink dusted Clara's cheeks and a smile graced her soft lips. But then another thought crossed her mind.

"How come you believed me over your friend?" she asked.

"I've spent enough time with you to know you never say anything without reason." he sent her a playful smile.

"Oh so you admit I'm right whenever you annoy me?" she chuckled, her head held high once more as she matched Victor's wit.

"I have to have fun somehow, don't I?" he smiled and shrugged, going to sit by his desk.

"Making my life hell is fun now, is it?" she laughed in disbelief.

"Oh please," his laughter got louder. "it's not like you don't make mine any easier."

"Touché."

The air was light again, and smiles were present on both their faces.

"I've been meaning to ask," Victor started, watching his maidservant move around the room to do her chores. "how did you end up being Edwin's ward?"

Clara had made peace with the situation long ago, and had no trouble talking about the attack on her village. 

"Bandits attacked my village when I was fourteen years old." Clara spoke softly, her hand touching the faded scar on her shoulder. "It all happened so suddenly, and by the time the knights arrived, everything was destroyed."

Victor leaned forward in his chair, listening intently to her story, noticing the slight crack in her voice and the way she subconsciously rubbed her right shoulder. 

"One of the bandits was about to attack me...but my father stepped in. He fought the man to protect me. He gave his life for mine."

"I'm sorry," Victor said with sadness pooling in his eyes. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay." Clara flashed him a subtle smile and took a deep breath, clearing her throat. "Edwin was my father's friend, so he knew us, and we knew him. He took my little sister and I in without any hesitation. Lila had been born only a few days earlier..."

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but she wiped them away before they dared to fall. She refused to cry in front of anyone, much less the prince.

"And your mother?" Curiosity had gotten the best of him.

"She..." Clara's voice broke off and she turned away, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to steady her breathing with her hand on her heart, feeling it tighten with pain.  Once she composed herself, she turned to the window, her cheeks stained with tears.

"You know, today's a beautiful day." she changed the subject, and Victor got the hint. "We should go to the town; I have to buy some things from there anyway."

Victor couldn't find it in him to argue; not that he would have said no to going out of the castle in the first place. His father never allowed him to leave the castle ever since his mother passed away, so he took every chance he had to explore his own kingdom.

Victor suggested they walk instead of taking horses, and Clara agreed easily, preferring walking to take in all the beauty Wisteria had to offer.

They made a quick stop by the kitchen so Clara could get a basket and ask Molly if she needed anything from the town market. Of course, all work seemed to pause when Victor's laugh was heard after Hazel joked with the pair. After getting a list and a short talk with Hazel, the two continued their way out of the castle and into town.

"It really is a beautiful day." he said while admiring the now-orange-and-yellow Wisteria trees. Clara hummed in response, also breathing in the fresh air.

"I love walking around town this time of year." Clara smiled. "The breeze of fall is so relaxing."

"I wish I could come out here more often." he said, playing with some leaves as he passed by it.

"You don't go on walks?" her eyebrows furrowed when he shook his head with a sad smile. "Why not?"

"My father has become really strict with me after..." he trailed off. "After my mother passed."

"Oh, I'm sorry." she didn't mean to reopen wounds, as she knew how hard it is to deal with it.

"It's okay." he nodded. "She and I used to walk to the market a lot, but when she died, my father never let me out of his sight."

This time it was Clara who listened intently, sensing that Victor just needed someone to hear him let out some of the weight in his chest, just like she had done earlier.

"I was no longer allowed to leave castle grounds, or train in combat, or anything really."

Clara was finally able to understand why he never spent time with his father. Victor held some resentment towards him, even if he still loved and respected his father. he had been hurt by him, and she understood that more than he knew. She felt the same resentment towards her mother, yet she still loved her nonetheless.

"Well then," she nudged his arm with hers to grab his attention. "I'll make sure to take you with me every time I've been assigned for shopping."

"I'd like that." he smiled at her.

Victor followed Clara around as she purchased the needed items, and he was able to meet some of his people which made him extremely joyous. A wide grin adorned his face.

Suddenly, Clara handed her basket to him and she lifted her skirt and jogged over to an older woman, helping her carry some things to her small shop. Victor watched them talk with smiles on their faces, and it made his own smile grow even more if that was possible. 

When Clara walked back to him and took ahold of the basket again, Victor's eyes never left her. He'd never seen this side of his maidservant but he really liked it. It was nice seeing everyone in town so happy and at peace.

The pair then heard music not far from them, and Clara grinned, practically running over to where the sound came from, and Victor followed after, his own footsteps getting faster. When he reached her, he saw that a group of people were playing instruments and dancing; there were lots of kids dancing between them too. 

"Let's dance!" she turned to him.

"Oh no," he chuckled. "I can't, it's not proper."

"Suit yourself." she shrugged, handing him her basket with a smirk before she joined the dance. Some people cheered her name, which came to Victor as a surprise. He didn't expect so many people to know her.

He watched them dance to the music and he wanted nothing more than to join, but he was a prince, and had a reputation to hold. At least that's what he's been told by his friends.

After a while, Clara waved goodbye at everyone and walked back to Victor, breathing heavily from all the movement. She had some hairs stuck to her forehead from sweat, and her face was red, but her smile was so vibrant that it made her look like a little child. She took the basket from him and started walking towards the castle, Victor by her side.

"You look ridiculous." he laughed teasingly.

"Worth the memories." she laughed along, patting down her hair.

As soon as they arrived to the castle doors, Lila rushed towards Clara, crying her name. Instantly, Clara bent to her level, wrapping her arms around her, the basket forgotten next to them. 

"Shh, I'm here." she whispered into her ear. "What's wrong, Lila?"

"Katy was mean to me." she cried into her older sister's shoulder. "She said I don't have a mommy."

Clara's heart broke, and she tightened her grip on her, keeping her own tears at bay. She pulled away just enough to be able to wipe away her tears and smile at her.

"We do have a mommy." she said, softly threading her fingers through her hair to calm her down. "Come here."

Clara moved them so that she sat on one of the stairs, and placed Lila in her lap, continuing to play with her hair as she held her close.

"Remember when dad told us how everyone gets an adventure?" Victor was confused by her statement, since she had told him their father died a few days after she had been born. "One day, we'll all reach the end of our adventure."

"So mommy's adventure ended?"

"Yeah, honey, it did." she said softly.

"Why doesn't she come back to us?" Lila sniffed.

"She's waiting for us to finish ours." Clara answered. "Oh and she's gathering flowers for our arrival. She loves you so much, Lila. Never forget that. Mommy is always here with us, she's just invisible until we get to the end of our adventure, and we'll have a big party together!"

Lila giggled when Clara tickled her tummy, and Victor smiled. His heart ached for the little girl, knowing what exactly how she felt. He walked over to them and sat down next to Clara, looking at Lila with a charming and friendly smile.

"My mommy finished her adventure too." He took her small hand in his.

"She did?"

"Mhmm." he nodded. "And you know how I know she's still there for me?" 

"How?" Clara was grateful that Victor was helping her cheer her up.

"Every night, when I look at the stars, they twinkle, and it's like they're singing." he told her. "Those stars are the ones who finished their adventure. So both our mothers watch over us, every night. They're there to protect us when we're sleeping."

"Can we see mommy tonight, please?" she turned to ask her sister.

"Of course we can Butterfly." she smiled warmly down at her, rubbing in between her eyebrows before she planted a soft kiss there. "We can see her every night if you want."

Victor watched the exchange with a soft smile, admiring the way Clara was with her little sister. He could clearly see the love they had for each other and it warmed his heart.

"Thank you." Clara mouthed to him with a grateful smile.

Victor felt as if that day changed him, since he'd seen so much more than he ever had. He'd seen so many emotions, and it made him start to let go of his own, no longer keeping them in a cage. He allowed himself to be happy again.

So? 👀
What do we think of this chapter?

Gah I love writing this book so much.
 I seriously hope you guys love it just as much as me.

Genuine question though, do you think I could make it as an author?
Because I'm really trying to make it into my career, but since I don't get any feedback, I don't know if my writing is good enough.

So please do not hesitate to tell me what you think!