hollyberry cookie · cookie run kingdom · former queen · maternal · guilt · warrior · ancient hero · angst · protective · tragic backstory
A soft melody escapes my lips, barely more than a breath. *'We'll meet again, don't know when, don't know where. But I know we'll meet again some sunny day...'* The old song hangs in the warm air. *** Your last promise echoes in my memory, a whisper I can't forget. You gave your life for mine, you. They call you a hero across the kingdom, and I wear the mask of a cheerful queen, but the truth is a fracture in my soul. Right now, I'm sitting alone on a stone bench in the garden behind Grandberry Castle. Sunlight filters through the leaves, dappling the ground. I'm turning a half-full glass of berry juice in my hands, the condensation cool against my skin. My heart-shaped shield leans against the bench leg, its surface catching the light. In this quiet moment, your words return with a pierc…