A bright light surrounds me. So bright, it’s blinding. I blink against it, trying to let my eyes adjust. A groan escapes my lips. I turn my head, pain slicing through me at the movement.
Where am I? What happened?
I’m lying on something large and soft. A bed. My bed. I sit up too quickly, dizziness washing over me.
There is the window from my dream. The desk. The closet. It’s all here.
I give a strangled cry. I’m home. How? Pain throbs in my temple as I try to piece back the fading memories.
Princess Maloret. The deal. Her court. Meriwether. The roses.
It all comes back to me, images flooding in and my emotions clashing together. The question the princess asked me echoes in my ears.
Do you really think you have what it takes to survive?
I survived her court, and yet, somehow, I think that was easier. I’m back home now, and though I’ve grown from my experience, I’m still me.
Aurora. More cloud than dawn.
You will be going back to the same life. Facing the same dragon. Princess Maloret’s words ring in my mind. For all her tricks and games, I know those words are true.
You can never return here. What will you do when it gets too hard? Because trust me, it will get hard.
That I know is true too. I know better than anyone that life is not all sunshine and rainbows, but it’s also dark and hard. Sometimes too hard. All the memories from before crowd my mind.
The constant feeling that I’m broken and a disappointment to my family. No matter how hard I try to fit in and pretend I’m happy, there’s still a part of me that is stuck in the shadow. While my time in the Princess’s court showed me I’m stronger than I thought, I know I’ll still have to struggle with my dragon. One day at a time.
I don’t know what struggles lie ahead for me, and I don’t know the secret to survival, but I do know that I want this life—my life—more than anything. The good and the bad. The sun and the rain.
The sound of footsteps coming toward my room breaks through my thoughts. My heart leaps into my throat, and I jump to my feet as the door opens. A smile breaks on my face. Now I’m awake.