The palace was buzzing with life for the Annual Moon Garden Festival, a tradition Gerah vaguely remembered writing—but now it felt far too real.
Every lady in the kingdom was expected to present a gift to the prince—a symbol of admiration, and, secretly, an act of courtship.
Gerah didn’t plan to participate. She was a side character, after all.
But the universe had other plans.
Mara, draped in silver silk and jewels, prepared a rare black rose grown in her family’s garden. "The prince will remember me this time," she whispered to Hannah, her eyes gleaming with confidence. “It’s only a matter of time before Gerah fades.”
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Later, during the festival…
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The garden glowed under moonlight. Laughter, music, and perfume danced in the air.
Gerah wandered alone, away from the crowd. She picked a small, imperfect white flower growing near the palace wall. It wasn’t royal. It wasn’t rare.
But it felt real.
Just as she turned to leave, she almost bumped into Xavier.
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“Princess Gerah?” he said.
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She blushed, hiding the flower. “Sorry—I was just—”
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“You weren’t going to join the gift offering?” he asked gently.
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“I don’t think I’m the type of girl who... gives princes flowers.”
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He chuckled. “Then maybe I’ll give you one.”
He pulled a rose from the garden and tucked it behind her ear.
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“You’re different,” he said.
“And that’s what I like.”
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From the distance, Mara saw it all—and her hand crushed the rose she had brought.
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Meanwhile…
Jiru and Marco watched the interaction unfold from the balcony above.
“She’s changing everything,” Marco muttered. “Gerah wasn’t supposed to matter.”
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“She always mattered,” Jiru replied without looking away.
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Later that night, Gerah writes in her hidden notebook:
“Dear story, you’ve gone rogue. But maybe…
that’s okay. Maybe, I needed to stop writing, and start living.”
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