Chapter 165: Letters Through The Distance (2)

Even so, none of it stopped Rowan from writing.

He continued sending letters, writing about Eryndor, the council, matters within the palace, and sometimes even how he was feeling.

He kept asking about her, writing everyday despite receiving nothing in return.

Most of the time, he buried himself beneath endless duties and work, pushing himself from one responsibility to another in the hope that exhaustion would keep her out of his thoughts.

Sometimes it worked. Sometimes an entire day would pass without him dwelling on her.

But nights were different.

Whenever he was finally alone and lying in bed, his thoughts always drifted back to Rosalind. He would think about her until sleep eventually claimed him.

What a pathetic man he had become.

The realization always left a bitter taste in his mouth.

At the moment, Rowan was seated outside, feeding corn to the white bird that had become his companion. He carefully divided the grains into two separate piles.

The pile on the right meant Rosalind would send a letter back.

The pile on the left meant she would not.

"Choose whichever side you like," Rowan told the bird as he folded his arms. "The right side brings blessings."

The bird tilted its head before waddling directly toward the left pile and pecking at it.

Rowan’s expression darkened immediately. "The right side?" he prompted.

He even picked the bird up and placed it near the right pile.

The bird stared at it for a moment, then calmly walked back to the left side and continued eating.

Rowan released a long sigh. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Somehow, even the bird had chosen disappointment.

Meanwhile, several miles away in Merovia, Rosalind sat with the stack of letters spread neatly across the table in front of her.

It was not that she hated Rowan. In truth, she did not think she could hate him even if she tried. He still affected her in ways she did not fully understand. Yet her new life in Merovia had made it easier to believe she could live without him. The warmth of her family, the comfort of home, and the happiness she had found here had all helped.

Still, deep down in the quietest corner of her heart, she knew she missed him.

She had read some of his letters before. Some annoyed her. Others made her emotional. Yet despite herself, she had kept every single one.

Some days, she even found herself waiting for the next letter to arrive.

And it always did.

If there was one thing Rowan was, it was consistent.

Her fingers brushed over the first letter.

I hope Merovia is treating you kindly. I know you wanted space, but I still wanted to know whether you’ve settled in well.

Rosalind smiled faintly before setting it aside. Then she picked up another.

There are many things I should have said when you were still here. Unfortunately, I seem to realize them only after you left.

That one annoyed her.

Only now? She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and moved on.

The council meeting lasted for hours. You would have hated every second of it.

A laugh almost escaped her. That much was true.

She grabbed another letter. I hope you are eating properly. I know that sounds ridiculous coming from me, but I still worry.

Rosalind nearly scoffed... If only he knew that her mother had practically declared war on starvation.

Continuing down the page, she read:

Some days I convince myself that giving you space was the right thing to do. Other days I simply miss you.

Rosalind raised an eyebrow at that. Then, realizing she had lingered too long on those words, she quickly placed the letter aside.

Another caught her attention.

I told the council something today that I normally would have hidden. It felt uncomfortable, but I remembered what you said about trust being a choice.

Rosalind paused... She had not read this one before.

But that was bound to happen. There were simply too many letters now.

Her eyes continued downward. You once accused me of deciding what people needed to hear. I disliked hearing it then. I think I dislike it now because you were right.

A long sigh escaped her. At least he could admit it now. That was something. Then she reached for another.

Today I almost told Cedric something and then realized I was looking for you instead.

This time she actually rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable," she muttered.

Then another letter caught her attention.

I know you asked for space, and I intend to respect that. It made me finally understand that caring for someone does not mean deciding what is best for them.

Her expression slowly softened as the words lingered with her longer than she expected and she picked up another.

I used to think my favorite part of the day was sunrise over Eryndor. It turns out it was finding you somewhere in it.

Rosalind immediately felt warmth spread across her cheeks. Before she could stop herself, she reached for another.

If I could change one thing, it would be the moments when I chose silence instead of honesty.

Her gaze lingered there, then she unfolded another letter.

The distance has not made me lose feelings for you. It has only removed all the distractions that kept me from admitting how much I do.

Rosalind released a heavy sigh and leaned back in her chair.

For some reason, she found herself rereading those particular letters more than once.

Surely, Rowan had not actually written things like that. The thought seemed impossible. Yet she immediately dismissed it, because he would never allow anyone else to write something so personal on his behalf.

That much she knew.

Which meant Rowan had truly written those words himself.

And perhaps, for the first time in his life, he was genuinely trying to communicate how he felt.

Rosalind could see that he was making an effort. With every letter he sent, Rowan seemed to be trying, little by little, to become better than the man he had been before.

Could she ever get rid of this man?

The thought crossed her mind unexpectedly. Then another followed right after.

Did she even want to get rid of him?

Rosalind pressed her lips together before continuing to read.

...You once told me that carrying everything alone is not strength. I think I finally understand what you meant...

Her eyes lingered on those words before she reached for another letter.

...I used to think that if I carried every burden alone, I could protect the people I cared about. It turns out that keeping people in the dark is not the same thing as protecting them...

Sometimes Rosalind found herself rereading certain letters repeatedly, just to make sure she was not imagining things.

Yet every time she did, she came to the same conclusion.

He was trying... Genuinely trying.

Her fingers moved to another letter.

You asked me once what I wanted after everything was over. I never answered because I was afraid of sounding selfish. The answer was always you.

Rosalind immediately froze.

For a moment, she could almost hear Rowan’s voice speaking those words directly into her ear.

The answer was always you...

Her heart skipped.

"No," she muttered under her breath as she quickly lowered the paper. Heat rushed to her cheeks and she covered part of her face with one hand.

This was not what she had intended to do today. Not at all.

She had only planned to read the letters. Instead, she was sitting here blushing over words written by Rowan of all people.

After several moments, Rosalind finally released a long breath.

Fine. Maybe she would send a reply after all.

She prepared a sheet of paper and slowly began writing. Then it dawned on her that she had never lacked words. She had only been avoiding them.

I received your letters.

And before you start feeling proud of yourself, no, this does not mean I have forgiven you completely.

However, I suppose it would be rude not to acknowledge the effort.

I am doing well.

Mother is still trying to feed me enough for three people.

Hannah says hello.

I hope you are taking care of yourself too.

Rosalind stopped there and waited for the ink to dry. She then read over the letter several times, wondering whether she should add more.

Eventually, she shook her head. No. This was enough... For now.

Before long, the letter was sent toward Eryndor.

Queen Catarina gently ran her hands through Rosalind’s hair as they watched the messenger depart. "Did you manage to write something?" she asked.

"I did," Rosalind answered without hesitation.

Then she smiled slightly. "You give really good advice, mother."

That earned a laugh from Catarina as the two women began walking back into the hall together.

****

Eventually, the letter arrived in Eryndor.

The royal attendant practically rushed through the palace searching for Rowan the moment it reached his hands. When he finally found Rowan, he nearly stumbled right into him.

"Your Majesty," he said breathlessly. "A letter arrived. From Merovia."

Rowan’s eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Hand it over." His voice remained calm as always, but internally he felt something entirely different.

The attendant immediately handed it to him.

Rowan unfolded the letter and began reading. Then he read it again. And again.

A faint smile appeared on his lips before he could stop it.

To anyone else, it was a short letter. To him, it felt like the greatest gift he had received in months.

He had honestly been prepared to receive nothing at all.

Yet here it was.

A reply.

And strangely enough, that small piece of paper made him happier than his coronation ever had.

After that, Rowan continued sending letters.

Rosalind continued receiving them.

At first, she replied only occasionally, while he wrote far more often than she did. Yet every time she read his letters, she noticed more growth, more honesty, and more effort than before.

Weeks turned into months, and although Rosalind still replied less often than Rowan wrote, her letters gradually became more frequent.

And while Rosalind continued building a happy life in Merovia, Rowan found his own days becoming easier to endure in Eryndor.

Neither of them realized it yet, but with every letter exchanged between them, they were slowly finding their way back to each other.

The End.

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Of Book 1.