Later that night, when Rosalind had prepared to sleep, she found herself lying on the bed with her eyes open.

Even though she tried drifting off, sleep did not come easily to her, and she knew it was because her mind was occupied, which was why she could not sleep at all.

Rosalind had tried to convince herself that it wouldn’t be that difficult, but seeing him again made her realize that her feelings were still very strong, and although the distance had separated them for a while, it had done nothing to weaken those feelings.

It made Rosalind wonder because even though Nathan had been close to her, kind, honest, and respectful in every way, she could not understand why her heart had never reacted to him like this.

It was not that Rowan was none of those things because he was all of them and even more, and maybe that was why her heart remained so open to him. Perhaps it was simply because Rowan was Rowan...

Sighing softly, she turned around and closed her eyes, trying not to think about anything.

After a while it seemed like that worked, and she eventually fell asleep, however when she woke up and looked at the clock, she realized only forty minutes had passed.

Rosalind sighed again. This was not working at all, and perhaps she needed to take a walk.

She slipped a coat over her gown and picked up a candle since the castle lights had already been extinguished for the night.

Fortunately, Rosalind was still familiar with this place, and so she was able to navigate the corridors as she made her way toward the garden, hoping that a breath of fresh air would help steady her mind.

The door leading to the garden stood right before her, and as she reached out to open it, another hand pushed it open first.

Rosalind’s lips parted in surprise as she turned around.

"Rowan?" she asked, startled that he had somehow appeared behind her without her noticing.

He glanced at her, and she immediately corrected herself. "Your Majesty," she said.

"Can we drop the formalities now?," he asked, quieter now . "It feels unnecessary when it’s just us"

When Rosalind realized just how close they were standing, she swallowed quickly before turning away, opening the door fully, and stepping into the garden. "I didn’t think you were coming here," Rosalind said.

Rowan fell into step beside her, walking along the stone path that wound through the beautiful garden. The air smelled fresh and welcoming, carrying the scent of flowers that Rosalind immediately noticed.

The garden had changed since she last saw it, with even more flowers blooming everywhere. Tiny glowing insects flickered among the bushes and butterflies drifted lazily through the night.

Rowan noticed how calm she seemed and decided to ask, "You weren’t able to sleep?"

Rosalind almost asked how he knew, but instead she simply answered. "Yes."

"Is it uncomfortable up there?" Rowan asked, wondering if the room arrangements had somehow failed to meet her expectations.

"Not at all... I just wanted some fresh air," she clarified, and that seemed to ease the small concern that had resurfaced inside him. After that she glanced sideways at him and asked, "Did you also come here for fresh air?"

"Actually, it was for stargazing," he answered before adding, "I often find myself doing that now."

Rosalind’s lips curled into a small "o" as she nodded slowly. "I wouldn’t want to ruin your stargazing, so I’ll probably just come back some other time," she said quietly.

Rowan calmly looked at her as she spoke. "You’re not ruining anything, Rosalind."

The moment he said her name, she found herself holding her breath, and suddenly they were looking at each other again before Rowan finally broke the moment.

"Let’s take a seat." He led the way toward the swing, and Rosalind immediately remembered it, although it had now been rebuilt into something more like a porch swing and looked far stronger than the abandoned one she remembered.

Rowan waited for her to choose where she wanted to sit before taking the seat beside her, leaving a slight distance between them while an awkward silence settled in the air.

Rosalind focused on enjoying the cool breeze while Rowan gazed quietly at the stars above.

After a while, Rosalind glanced in Rowan’s direction and noticed how calm he looked while staring at the night sky.

She pressed her lips together, and just as she was looking at him, he turned and caught her staring. Her eyes widened slightly, although she did not look away. "You seem different." She said quickly.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "How so?"

"Your beard... it’s gone," Rosalind muttered, and his lips immediately stretched with amusement.

Since servants often kept beards while royalty usually shaved them, that was how Rosalind had become used to seeing him. "Do I look that strange?" he asked.

Rosalind paused as she looked at him, and although she fought hard not to blush, a faint color still rose to her cheeks. "Not strange, just different enough to seem unfamiliar," she admitted.

"This sounds like you don’t approve of being clean-shaven."

A small smile appeared on her face. "I like stubble better. You know, just enough to remind people you’re manly?" Rosalind asked as she gestured to her face.

That made him chuckle. Rowan could not believe she genuinely thought clean-shaven men looked less manly. To him it had never really mattered, but now it seemed Rosalind had preferred the way he looked before.

"And your hair is longer now," she added while studying him. He looked different, yet not entirely different, if that made any sense at all.

"I could say the same about you," Rowan replied as he looked at her. "You seem really pampered."

His gaze lingered on her cheeks, which had become slightly fuller, and before thinking about it he reached out and lightly pinched one. "They’re real."

"Tch." Rosalind muttered under her breath while a small laugh escaped her lips."I did tell you Mother was going to overfeed me. Now look what she’s done." She continued.

"You’re even more beautiful than I remembered," he said, almost under his breath.

The compliment came so suddenly that Rosalind froze.

"So she knew exactly what she was doing in that regard." He added.

Rosalind now wanted to roll her eyes.

"And you seem happier too. Merovia must have been fun."