Chapter 6: _ The Forgotten Princess
Juana caught my agonized demeanor. "Mi amor," she said, pulling my cheeks into her palms. "You can't let them get to you. You're stronger than this. One day, maybe... maybe there'll be someone who'll come and sweep you off your feet. A prince charming of sorts, who'll save you from all this."
What?
She gave me a hopeful smile, but I could hear the pain behind her words. She still thought there was some kind of fairy-tale ending for me.
"This isn't a fairy tale, Juana. This is real life. And real life doesn't have happy endings for people like me."
"Hmm, have you forgotten so quickly? That Beta at the Luna Hunt Gala. He sure seemed like a prince charming to me, didn't he?"
I froze. That night. That beautiful, confusing, awful night. The night Axel had stood up for me, had defended me against the crowd. My breath gave a pause. Was it possible? Did Axel care? Or had he just been some momentary knight in shining armor?
I found myself lost in thought, imagining his face—his eyes... they were powerful and protective.
Where was he now? Would I ever see him again? Would I ever get the chance to thank him properly?
Juana's voice broke through my daydreams, and I snapped out of it, my cheeks suddenly hot. "Oh, you're looking dreamy now. Tell me, were you thinking of Axel just now?" She leaned forward with a cheeky smile, clearly enjoying the flustered expression on my face.