Chapter 66
“Do you remember your name?” the queen asked softly.
Rhianna opened her mouth… but nothing came.
Her mind was blank. Empty. Like someone erased that piece of her.
“I… I don’t know,” she whispered.
The queen touched her hand gently. “Then we will give you a name until yours returns.”
Rhianna stared at her.
The queen smiled. “How about Aurora? For the light that returns after the darkness.”
The name felt soft. Warm. Strange. It settled on her like a cloak she didn’t choose, but didn’t hate either.
Aurora.
“Okay,” she whispered. “Aurora.”
The queen squeezed her hand. “Aurora it is.”
TREATED LIKE ROYALTY
The next few days felt unreal.
Everyone in the castle treated her with respect—guards bowed, maids spoke gently, healers checked her wounds with careful hands. They gave her warm clothes, soft dresses, food she didn’t even know she liked.
But every night, she felt a strange ache in her chest.
Like she was missing something.
Someone.
Her dreams were full of shadows—faces she couldn’t see, voices she couldn’t catch. And when she woke up, there was always that empty feeling.
Like something important had been taken from her.
Like she wasn’t supposed to be here.
But her memories stayed silent.
DINNER WITH THE ROYALS
On the fourth evening, the queen invited her to dine with the royal family.
Aurora (Rhianna) walked into a grand dining hall, the long table covered in white cloth with silver plates and crystal cups. Candles floated above the table, glowing softly like magic.
At the far end, the queen sat with her son—Prince Kairo.
Aurora’s steps slowed.
Kairo had dark hair that fell over his forehead, sharp eyes, quiet expression, and the kind of presence that made people pay attention without him saying a word. He watched her approach with curiosity, not judgment.
The queen rose. “Aurora, dear. Come sit.”
Aurora took the seat beside her. Kairo sat across from her, resting his forearms on the table.
“How are you feeling?” the queen asked.
“Better,” Aurora said quietly. “Thank you… for everything.”
“You are a guest of the crown,” the queen replied warmly. “We take care of our own.”
Aurora frowned slightly. “But I’m not your own.”
The queen smiled. “Not yet.”
Aurora didn’t know what that meant, so she stayed quiet.
Servants brought food—roasted meat, fruit, bread, soup. Aurora ate slowly, still getting used to the heaviness in her stomach. She was hungry, but something inside her felt strange… like she wasn’t used to eating with people.
Or with royalty.
Halfway through dinner, the queen looked between Aurora and Kairo with a playful smile.
“You know,” she said, “Aurora would make a wonderful match for Kairo.”
Kairo almost choked on his water.
Aurora froze, spoon halfway to her mouth.
“I—what?” Aurora whispered.
The queen laughed lightly. “Oh, don’t look so frightened. I’m just teasing. Mostly.”
Kairo gave his mother a hard stare. “Mother.”
“What?” she said innocently. “She’s a lovely girl. Beautiful. Kind. And she clearly has royal blood in her veins—even without knowing her name.”
Aurora felt heat rise in her cheeks.
“I… don’t think I’m—” she started, but the queen waved her hand.
“Relax, dear. I’m only joking. But still…” She leaned back with a smile that made Aurora tense again. “You two do look nice sitting there together.”
Kairo rolled his eyes and stabbed a piece of meat. Aurora looked down at her plate, embarrassed and confused.
She barely knew these people.
She barely knew herself.
How could she even think of being matched with someone when she didn’t remember her own past?
As dinner went on, the queen kept the conversation warm and gentle. Kairo spoke little, but he wasn’t rude. Every time Aurora glanced his way, he was watching her—not in a creepy way, but in a curious, guarded way.
Like he was trying to understand her.
Like she was a puzzle.
THE EMPTY FEELING RETURNS
After dinner, Aurora walked through the balcony hall, escorted by a maid. The moonlight spilled across the floor, soft and cool.
But her chest tightened again.
Like a missing piece was calling her.
Like someone far away was breaking.
No memory came.
But a whisper did.
A name she didn’t say out loud.
Not because she didn’t want to—
But because she somehow couldn’t.
She didn’t know her past.
But something in her heart whispered:
“I know I wasn’t meant to stay here forever…”
And in the distance, far from the Black Night castle…
A man was still searching for her.