There was a knock on her door.

Lumi opened it to find Marcos and several other guards standing there.

"Princess..." Marcos' voice sounded strained as he looked down at her, "We've..." he turned his head away, and to Lumi's astonishment she realized that he was looking up, his fists clenched in a tight hold.

Felix put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. But a voice behind him, caused both men to step away as Jodi presented herself.

"Hello Lumi," she smiled gently at the girl, "I haven't seen you enough."

Lumi felt a hesitant smile come to her face, still unsure of why so many were gathered outside her door.

Jodi turned and shooed the men, "I'll go in and tell her. You stay here."

Lumi felt something heavy drop in her stomach, her chest clenching tightly as she stepped aside and closed the door behind Jodi.

The woman seemed to be taking a deep breath of courage before she turned and took Lumi's hands.

"Princess..."

Lumi tilted her head and smiled, waiting expectantly.

Jodi cleared her throat and swallowed, "Word is going around that a council meeting is being held and...they are discussing you..."

"Me?"

"You and your...future..."

Lumi softly took Jodi's hands, smiling up at the woman. "It's okay."

Jodi gripped onto the princess's hands tightly, squeezing them between hers as she shook her head, "It's not right. It's not fair that they all treat you like this. When you've done nothing wrong and you're so bright and-," she inhaled deeply, looking up as Marcos had done to try and regain her emotion.

"I'm sorry. You should be the one crying. Not me."

"Jodi..." Lumi took a step closer, tilting her head with a sad smile in place, "I knew my life wasn't going to be easy the moment it was decided I would come here. I lost every right I had as a person when the King said yes and accepted me as his property. Whatever happens...happens...and I'll take it when it comes."

Without warning, Lumi was pulled into a tight hug.

"You're so brave," Jodi whispered, "But I think you'll need even more bravery when you hear about their decision. I think the King will tell you but he- I don't know if he even cares."

She pulled away, quickly wiping her tears off.

"They want to marry you off."

Lumi sighed, "It was going to happen to me eventually."

"I don't know where. But it's going to happen soon. I couldn't forgive myself if I didn't come here to say goodbye to you. You're the best princess I've ever met."

Lumi gave her a wry smile, "Am I the only princess you've ever met?"

Jodi laughed, "that's why you're the best. No other princess would dare come down into my kitchen."

Jodi turned to face Lumi's room.

"I came to help you pack. Me and Macy. She should be arriving soon."

True to her words, a few minutes later a tearful Macy entered, telling Lumi that wherever she went, she would follow and continue to be her maid.

"That's very sweet," Lumi said, giving her a tight hug, "but you'll be needed here, and I don't want to take you away from your family."

There was not much to pack. But Lumi noted with humor that she had more things now than when she had first arrived.

Before she could leave though- he came.

She had honestly not been expecting it.

She had been anticipating that she would never see him again. That last night would have been the last time, and she had not even known it.

But he came in, unannounced like always.

Macy and Jodi immediately went into a deep bow, giving one last parting hug to Lumi before tearfully pulling away and leaving.

He closed the door, leaning against it and staring at her packed trunk.

She didn't know what to say.

Goodbye?

But that didn't seem to be enough.

Before she could say anything, in three long steps he was across the room and in front of her. She had not even noticed that he had locked the door.

"No."

Her heart broke with that single gutted word.

He took her head between his hands, his eyes locking onto hers as his fingers twisted deeply into her hair.

"No."

It came out as a growl as he crashed his lips to hers. He pushed hard on her, pressing her aggressively against the wall. Her legs automatically came around as his hands ripped from her hair to lift her up.

His head fell against her chest, and the single blazing moment turned into a dim flame against the dark.

She stroked his hair, murmuring soothing words to him as his lips kissed the chest that was exposed to him. He shook his head, rubbing against her, his mouth pulling down the front of her dress.

She felt her sleeves slip away, and the front of her dress fall to expose her.

"It's okay," her lips grazed his ear as his tongue traced her shoulder. He looked at a pink scar that was on the top of her arm and kissed it.

He looked up. She pressed her forehead to his. His eyes closed.

A single tear fell.

Lumi felt a choked cry leave her as she watched it.

"I will be okay," she whispered.

"I won't," he replied. He shook his head, opening his eyes with a look of surprise as a realization dawned on him.

"I won't be okay."

Lumi felt her own tears surface. She put her hands to his cheeks, laughing as she took him in. His beautiful face. His glacier eyes. Golden hair.

It was a laugh so full of pain. Something that sounded watered down from her own tears.

"I'm leaving soon?"

He continued to stare at her, but slowly, painfully, he nodded.

He looked at her, a question in his eyes.

"Yes," she said. She knew what he was asking. Even if this was the only reason for why he cared about her, she wanted him to remember her by it.

She wanted to imprint her touch, her smell, her voice- everything to his memory.

Just as how she was doing the same with him.

How she was taking more notice in his body, and how it moved and felt under her hands. She noticed more about his face and the expression that passed when she touched him, or he touched her.

And softly as they laid together on the bed, she wrapped her arms around him, letting him hug her fully as he took in her body to be the comfort that he needed.

She stroked his hair, kissing the top of it and singing the same song that he had requested her to translate for him.

It felt like it had happened so long ago.

And it pained her how much the words fitted into her heart now.

She knew he recognized it. It was the song she always sang at the end.

Always her song of final farewell.

She remembered her translation of it, and recited the words within her head, "We are all stars, my love, and when you fell you came to me to be of this world, and when you are taken, my love, I guess you will rise again. The stars you have become, to the stars I will sing. Until we meet again. Until we meet again."

I have no excuses for why the update is a day late. You have full permission to shake your head at me. Nor do I have an excuse for why I did not post a chapter banner at the beginning #walkingdisaster #andidontcaaaaarreeeeee

Thank you for reading ♥