Forbidden Mate Legacy

The Academy was vast, filled with grand halls, towering libraries, and training grounds that stretched endlessly, but no matter how much Amelia tried to settle in, she couldn't shake the emptiness that gnawed at her chest. The moon hung high in the night sky, casting silver light over the Academy gardens, filled with different kinds of flowers. She sat alone, her thoughts adrift.

She missed home.

It has been weeks since she left the Gilmoria, and the weight of her absence had begun to press down on her. The Academy was supposed to be a place where she would train, learn and become stronger–but some days, she just felt like a stranger trapped in the deepest dungeon.

Her mind wandered to the bustling streets of the capital, the warmth of the golden stone buildings, and the scent of freshly baked bread from the marketplace. She could hear the chatter of merchants, the laughter of children running between the stalls, the army training noise, and the distant sound of the palace bells ringing to announce the evening hour.

Most of all she missed the people she had left behind.

Her hand instinctively clenched the pendant around her neck–a small blue charm shaped like a crescent moon, a gift from Lara.

Lara.

Amelia's chest tightened at the thought of her best friend. Lara had been more than just a friend, she had been family, a sister in all but blood. They had grown up together, sharing secrets, dreams, and endless mischief. It had been Lara who comforted her on stormy nights, Lara who made her laugh when court life felt suffocating, and Lara who held her hand when she received the news that her mother had passed away.

She had come with Amelia to the Academy, accompanying her as her handmaiden, but it was only temporary. The arrangement had never been meant to last–Lara had her own duties in the palace and had to return. Still, saying goodbye had been harder than Amelia expected.

"Write to me often," Lara had said, squeezing her hands tightly before she left. "And don't you dare forget me."

Amelia wasn't surprised by Lara's words. She had always been possessive about everything she cared about and it wouldn't be the first time she had said something like this. It still warms her heart.

Amelia had laughed through her tears. "As if I ever could."

"And Princess, I find the Demon Prince fascinating, in case you haven't noticed he looks at you like he's about to do to you something sinister and he's so like the romance books you read all the time, let me put good words for him to your father, if you change your mind and fall for him." Lara winked mischievously

Amelia sighed.

She had sent letters home, but it wasn't the same. No amount of ink on parchment could replace the comfort of her friend's presence.

Her thoughts drifted further, beyond Lara, her father, King Aldric Ashbourne.

Despite their differences, Amelia loved her father dearly. He had always been a pillar of strength, ruling the kingdom with wisdom and an unwavering sense of duty. But he had never been the kind of father to express affection easily, the expectation he set, and the protection he had provided.

He had never once told her that he would miss her, but she had seen it in his eyes before she left for the Academy.

"Be strong, Lia," he had said, his voice firm yet quiet. "You are a Princess and my heir, the throne awaits you. Do not forget that."

She wondered if he ever thought of her now. If he worried about her. If he regretted sending her away like a little lamb amidst the wolves.

Then there was her younger cousin, Prince Elias. Unlike her father Elias had no trouble expressing his feelings. He had clung to her waist when she was preparing to leave, begging her to stay.

"Who will teach you how to sneak out of the palace now?" he had whined, his brown eyes shining with unshed tears.

"You're supposed to be learning how to be a proper prince, not a troublemaker," she had teased, ruffling his dark curls.

"But it's more fun being a troublemaker."

She smiled at the memory, though it quickly faded. He had looked so heartbroken when she left.

And then there were others–her tutors, the palace guards, the kitchen staff who always sneaked her extra treats, the nobles who vied for her attention, the stable master who let her ride her favorite horse–Onyx whenever she pleased and her favorite young general who teach her all the military tactics–though they were age mates he is way ahead of her–.

All of them were part of her life she had left behind. And now…she was here.

A place where her enemies walked the same halls as her allies, where every step felt like treading on a battlefield, and where she had to pretend that she was fine even as loneliness chewed her heart.

She let out a slow breath, hugging her knees to her chest.

Would home feel the same when she returned? Would Lara still laugh with her the same way? Would Elias still look at her as if she was his hero? Would her father still see as his daughter, or just as another piece in his political game?

She didn't know. And perhaps that was the scariest part.

A sudden gust of wind rustled the trees, sending a shower of golden leaves dancing through the air. Amelia closed her eyes, letting the cool breeze brush against her skin. Maybe she should stop thinking about home.

Maybe she should focus on the present, on surviving the Academy, on the friendship she was forming here. But no matter how much she tried, she knew that a part of her heart would always belong to Gilmoria. And one day she would return. 

She just hoped that when she did, it would feel like home.