Hidden at Starshine: A Cinderella Retelling (The Incandescent Kingdoms Book 2) by Leialoha Humpherys

Author:Leialoha Humpherys [Humpherys, Leialoha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781959157106
Publisher: Hokulani Press
Published: 2023-06-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Sachi

As I sat in my shop, I couldn’t help myself from smiling. Ryoku had come by a few days after our first kiss, and though I was still nervous and giddy around him, being with him filled my soul like nothing else.

Much to my surprise, I talked more than usual as I became more comfortable with him. The last time I talked so freely and with cheer was with my best friend, Chiyo. But though I laughed and shared a few things about my life with Ryoku, my favorite part was listening to him.

Ryoku had a whole collection of stories… stories of taking an army to help in the Pirate Wars, despite Starshine Kingdom not having any part of it. He had stories of training in the Secret Guard. He even had stories of the times he and Sen went to visit their Obachan in her hidden lagoon, and all the explorations they’d go on together. They were all so adventurous, daring, and brave. It only made me fall in love with him even more.

Yet, despite the lovely afternoons we spent together, there was always an underlying tension. It was like a string that was being pulled too tight, and if I said the wrong thing or let something slip, the string would rip and whip back. What if Ryoku found out the truth… the whole truth? Would he still love me? The anxiety, combined with the excitement of new love, was dizzying.

But as I sat there, working on yet another rose quartz pendant, a knock on the door roused me from my daydreams of the prince. I turned, hoping to see Ryoku. Instead, Kaito, Sen’s fiance, stood there.

He bowed. “I’m sorry Miss Sachi. I hope I’m not interrupting something.”

I stood and bowed back. “Not at all. How can I help you?” I didn’t know Kaito well, but the way he and Sen looked at each other spoke volumes. They were truly in love.

He rubbed the back of his head, his gray eyes darker in the evening light, and sighed. “Well, this is sort of embarrassing. The wedding is a day away and I still haven’t found an engagement ring for Sen.” He corrected himself quickly. “I mean. She has a ring. But it’s just a band. I kept putting off the engagement ring because I couldn’t find a jeweler who had what I pictured for her.”

Kaito was truly cutting it close. The wedding was less than a day away! But I didn’t blame him—he was probably stressed with all the wedding plans going on… and not to mention, I imagined he and Sen were dealing with a lot of emotional and mental heaviness from the lack of parental support. That in itself was a burden… and I would know.

“I’m happy to help.” I said, already pulling out my chest of gems. “What did you have in mind?”

Kaito stepped in and folded his arms. He was tall and had a lean build, like Ryoku, but his hair was cut short.

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