The prince's carriage rolled into Evermore on a crisp morning dusted with sunlight. It was unlike anything the villagers had ever seen sleek, polished, and drawn by four white horses that moved as if they knew the world watched them. Children chased after it with wide eyes, while elders stood straighter, folding their arms with mixed awe and suspicion.
Lily stood on the porch of her home, her fingers laced tightly in front of her. She had bathed before dawn and braided her hair neatly, pinning it with a single silver clasp. Her dress was plain but clean fitting for a girl who had chosen simplicity once and now had to defend it in front of royalty.
Inside, her mother watched silently, her face unreadable. Her father stood with his arms crossed, a man prepared for whatever might come, even if it wasn't what he wanted.
As the prince's carriage stopped before their home, the footman descended quickly and opened the door.
And then he stepped out.
Prince Alden was younger than Lily expected perhaps only a few years older than Sam. His tunic was deep green with gold embroidery at the cuffs, and his boots bore the marks of travel. He wasn't draped in excessive jewelry or followed by fawning attendants. Only one guard remained close, a respectful distance behind.
When he turned to face her, Lily was startled by the calmness in his expression. He didn't smile like a man expecting admiration. He didn't look at her like she was a prize.
He simply bowed his head. "Lily of Evermore?"
She nodded, unsure whether to curtsey or speak.
"I hope I'm not intruding."
She found her voice. "You're welcome, Your Highness. Would you like to come in?"
He glanced at the doorway, then shook his head gently. "If you don't mind, I'd rather walk."
Lily blinked. "Walk?"
"Yes," he said. "I didn't come to show you a palace. I came to understand the world you chose over one."
They walked through the village side by side, a strange sight to those watching. The prince son of a ruler strolling quietly beside a village girl, stopping to greet the baker, nod at the blacksmith, and observe the repairs made since the storm.
"This village has a soul," he said thoughtfully. "A kind of spirit I rarely see."
Lily glanced at him. "And what do you see in me, Your Highness?"
He smiled, almost wistfully. "A girl who said no to everything people chase all their lives."
They paused by the stream. The same place she had sat with Sam. The memory of his words echoed faintly in her mind: You don't have to prove anything to anyone, Lily.
"I want to be honest with you," the prince said, his voice gentler now. "I didn't expect your refusal to stay with me. Most would have reconsidered after the gold."
"I'm not most," she said quietly.
"I see that now." He folded his arms. "Lily, I don't offer you a crown because I want to own you. I offer it because I believe someone like you could change more than just a village."
She hesitated. "You don't even know me."
"No," he admitted. "But I've seen enough to know that my world is full of people who live for themselves. And you… you live for others. For your family. For your home. Even your refusal was selfless."
Lily looked down at her hands. "It's not easy to keep choosing something that doesn't sparkle."
"No," he agreed. "But sometimes, the most precious things don't."
The sun climbed slowly. They continued walking until they reached the cliffs the same place Sam always watched the sea from. Today, he wasn't there.
"I won't beg," the prince said suddenly. "And I won't offer more gold. But I will say this: if you choose me, I will never ask you to forget who you were before you became mine. You'll be free to speak, to act, to hold on to your values."
Lily felt her breath catch. Not because of the offer, but because of how gentle it was.
No pressure.
No bribes.
Just… sincerity.
"I need time," she said softly.
He nodded. "I wouldn't expect anything else."
They walked back to the village, slower this time. At her door, he paused.
"Thank you for today," he said. "I'll remain in Evermore for one more day. If your answer changes, send word by morning."
And just like that, he turned and left.
Lily stood by her window that night, the stars clear above her. The village was quiet again, the world asleep. But her mind ran in circles.
She wasn't confused about her feelings for Sam.
She was confused about everything else.
The prince had been kind. Respectful. Gentle in a way she never expected. And she had seen truly seen that her decision wasn't a fairytale vs. love.
It was love… vs. something almost like it, cloaked in purpose and possibility.
She stepped out into the night air, her shawl wrapped tight. Her feet moved before her thoughts caught up.
Toward the cliffs.
Toward Sam.
She found him there, just as she knew she would, sitting with his back to her, staring at the sea.
When he heard her footsteps, he didn't turn.
"You met him," he said.
"I did."
"And?"
She sat beside him, the silence between them filled only by the rhythmic sound of waves.
"He's not what I expected."
"I figured."
"But he's also not what I want."
Sam finally turned, eyes meeting hers.
"I don't want a crown, Sam. I don't want halls filled with people who bow. I want mornings that smell like fish and salt. I want children who run barefoot. I want you."
He didn't speak. Just stared at her with something between disbelief and hope.
"And this time," she said, her voice firmer, "I'm not just saying no to a prince. I'm saying yes to you."
Sam closed his eyes, exhaling a breath that sounded like it had waited in his chest for weeks.
Then he opened them again and smiled.
It wasn't a big smile.
Just a quiet, deeply grateful one.
The kind that whispered: finally...