Arden and Lysandra met one fateful summer night by the edge of the sea. She was a village girl, wild as the waves, with a laugh that danced across the water. He was a prince, stoic and bound by duty, whose heart had always belonged to the sea but never to another person. From their first conversation, it was as if their souls had been waiting for this moment their entire lives.
They shared stolen hours by the shore, under the cover of moonlight, away from the prying eyes of their worlds. Together, they dreamed of freedom, of a life where their love was not confined to the shadows. But as summer faded, so did their time. Arden was called back to the palace, bound to an arranged marriage that would seal the alliance his kingdom needed.
In their final moments, Lysandra gave him a piece of sea glass, whispering, “Whenever you hold this, remember me. My love will be with you in the waves, always.” With tears in his eyes, he promised her that one day, he would return to the shore to find her.
Years passed. Arden became a king, a husband, and eventually a father, but he could never forget the girl by the sea. The years wore on him, the weight of duty bending him under its weight. Every night, he would sit by his chamber window, holding the sea glass close, haunted by memories of a love that had never dimmed.
Then, one stormy night, Arden received news: Lysandra was dying. Without hesitation, he fled his palace, ignoring the dangers, abandoning his kingdom. When he finally reached her, she was lying on the beach, her frail body barely clinging to life. But her eyes lit up as she saw him, just as they had all those years ago.
“Did you think I would break my promise?” he whispered, choking on tears as he held her hand.
With a soft smile, she whispered, “I knew you would come.”
In the last hours before dawn, he held her, telling her all the things he had never been able to say, his voice breaking as he confessed his love that had outlasted empires and years. As the first rays of sunlight touched the horizon, she took her last breath in his arms, her heart at peace, knowing he had returned.
Years later, as an old king, Arden would still walk along the shore, speaking to the waves, hoping they would carry his voice to her. And whenever the wind whispered her name, he knew she was there, waiting for him on the other side of the ocean.
