Fragile Desires (18+)

Forty-Five | Confessional Booth

They say the crown is heavy, to expect the weight that it carries on your head.

But it feels lighter here, outside its velvet case.

Maybe that's the problem.

Maybe the weight isn't the metal, but the shift it brings.

It's like trading a compass for a crown.

North used to be simple, a yearning for the sea, the freedom of incognito walks along the Seine.

Now, north is an endless maze of protocol, every step measured, every word weighed.

The crown, they say, is a symbol.

But symbols can be suffocating.

It promises a life with a bright, yet somehow dimmed future.

I see the reflection in the mirror—a princess, yes, but one I barely recognize.

Will I become a statue, frozen in the pose of royalty?

Perhaps the weight isn't the burden of a nation, but the loss of self.

Maybe being Queen means burying the girl who dreamt of freedom under the weight of a crown.

But maybe, just maybe, there's a way to wear it without losing myself.

A way to be both Queen and compass, charting a new course, a new north.

Renata is my new north.

- Azzy

♛Chapter Forty-Five: Confessional Booth♛

"And this is our room," I said, throwing my arms up in exaggeration with a wide grin.

It had been the last stop on the brief palace tour that I had given Renata, and to say I was excited would be an understatement.

I was practically grinning like a maniac throughout the entire tour, showing her all my favorite spots—like the palace kitchen or the library.

Renata smiled down at me as she reached out for my waist, drawing me closer to her warm body, "I like you like this," she said, running her hands up my covered back.

I slid my arms around her torso, "Like this?" I repeated back to her, wondering what she meant.

Renata hummed, leaning down to press a soft kiss to my lips, "Happy," she murmured in clarification, "You seem really happy to be home," she explained, which made my smile grow.

I don't think I had ever felt so complete, especially with being back on the soil that my physical home resided on.

But what felt like my other home, seemed to be right in front of me, wrapped in my arms—standing in a palace where everything began for me.

"I'm so happy you're here," I whispered, my tone holding a level of honesty as I stared up into her eyes.

Renata's lips twitched up slightly, drawing me in even closer to her body, "I'm happy to be here," she murmured back to me, pressing a brief kiss to my temple.