audrey belle rosewood i gulp in excitement, my breath coming out shakily. it's really happening. i'm really doing it. i glance over at adelaine and oliver, who look seemingly unfazed by the fact that we've left the kingdom. parting with leah hadn't been easy. she'd been the closet thing to family i'd ever had, and we weren't even very close. so when i watched adelaine embrace the king like family, i could feel the twinge of jealousy in my chest. and i almost don't regret feeling it either. i shake my head slightly, clearing the thoughts from my mind. it didn't matter anymore. instead, i take in my surroundings. lush green forest surrounds us, and i faintly hear birds chirping in the distance. the dirt path we're walking on splits into two, and we stop. i turn to adelaine, who's holding the map. "well? which way first?" she studies it, the worn parchment crinkling quietly as she shifts it with her fingers. finally, she looks up. "left." oliver grins cheerfully. "left it is." he jauntily walks past us, his long legs carrying him farther, and adelaine and i trail behind slowly. i glance over at adelaine, taking in her curly hair that bounces with each step, and her bright blue eyes that scan the wilderness around us, and wonder why i've never met her before. i clear my throat, breaking the silence between us. "so," i start, in an attempted conversation. "did you grow up in the palace too?" adelaine looks over at me, a thoughtful expression on her face. "well... sort of. i traveled to the kingdom a long time ago, and i've lived here ever since." she flings out her arms and twirls around. "it's really a beautiful place." i glance up at the sun, which is directly above us. "yeah," i say softly. "it really is." a/n:: srry this is short, i kinda ran out of inspo lol collab w the beautiful and talented lyss <33