Prince Maverick's POV
"Mother, I need to return to Erthesia," I said the moment I found her in the garden, her hands gently tending to the moon lilies that only bloomed under the twilight sky.
She paused, her fingers stilling over a silver petal before she turned to face me. Her expression was calm, but her eyes held the weight of a thousand unspoken concerns.
"I understand your longing, Prince Maverick," she began, her voice laced with softness only a mother could possess. "But you know how difficult it will be to convince your father. The Spring Festival draws near, and as heir to the Eternal Realm, your presence is expected—no, required. You are immortal, my son. Born of this land, destined to lead it."
Her words, though gently spoken, struck me like a cold wind. She didn't need to say more—she was reminding me of who I was, of what I was bound to.
