Fragile Desires (18+)

Twenty-Two | Flowered Jewels

The weight of the cool metal against my skin was a thrilling sensation.

It wasn't heavy, but it settled there, a tiny declaration of growing up.

Unlike the chunky plastic beads I usually wore, this necklace was delicate, a whisper-thin chain adorned with a single, solitary diamond.

It caught the sunlight, fracturing it into a rainbow that danced across the room.

My parents watched me, their smiles brighter than the moon reflected on a calm lake.

This wasn't a birthday present, nor a Christmas gift.

It was my first real royal jewelry, a symbol of the path that lay before me.

It wasn't just a pretty trinket, but a promise.

A promise that I was not just their little princess, but a princess soon to be Queen in the years to come.

I traced the cool stone with the pad of my thumb, mesmerized by the way it seemed to hold the entire sky within its tiny depths.

I twirled, the diamond catching the light and showering the room with a kaleidoscope of colors.

In that moment, I wasn't just Azura.

Instead, I was every fairytale princess I'd ever read about, brave and beautiful, ready to conquer any dragon or climb any tower.

The weight of the necklace was a promise.

A promise of a future sparkling as brightly as the stone around my neck.

It was a secret pact between me and my reflection, a vow to live up to the magic the diamond held.

That night, I clutched the necklace in my sleep, the tiny star against my chest a reminder that even the smallest things could hold the whole world within them.

- Azzy

♛Chapter Twenty-Two: Flowered Jewels ♛

The auction room of the venue was even bigger than the previous one which was designated for mingling.

And as everyone took their seats, I couldn't help but notice Renata taking her seat by me.

I looked up at her, narrowing my eyes slightly as if to say this seat was not an option for her.

But my narrowed stare alone only sparked Renata's amusement, causing her lips to drift up in a subtle smirk.

And as she sat down, Alvaro sat beside her—while my father and mother sat on the other side of me.

I drew in a tight breath as I settled my eyes on the front of the room, trying my best to avoid Renata's entire presence.

But when her hand gently brushed my leg, the act of ignoring her seemed to feel impossible.

Especially with the heat that came from her barely even touching me.

"My apologies," Renata murmured as she rested her hand strictly on her leg—her dark eyes now locked with mine.

Why does this feel like payback for yesterday with Elle?