The Messenge (Iva and Nick) novel Chapter 417

The walk back to the castle was slower than the walk to the lake.

Iva’s legs felt heavy, her body weighed down by something she couldn’t quite name.

The warmth that had begun as a gentle flush during the picnic had spread through her entire being, a slow-burning fire that made her skin tingle and her thoughts hazy.

She attributed it to the sun, to the long walk, to the exhaustion that had become her constant companion since Youssef’s birth.

But deep down, a small voice whispered that it was something else entirely.

Caleb walked beside her, his hand occasionally brushing against hers as if he wanted to hold it but

was afraid to overstep.

His presence was both a comfort and a torment-the warmth of his body so close, the way his eyes kept drifting toward her face with an expression she couldn’t quite read.

They passed through the castle gates, and Iva immediately felt the weight of a hundred eyes upon her. Servants paused in their duties to bow, their heads lowering as she passed. Guards snapped to attention, their postures stiff and formal. Even the nobles who lingered in the corridors stepped aside, their gazes filled with a mixture of curiosity and reverence.

Iva’s skin prickled with discomfort.

She leaned closer to Caleb, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Why are they all staring?”

Caleb glanced at her, his expression softening.

“Because you are the Crown Princess,” he said simply. “They are showing you respect.”

Iva shook her head, her brow furrowing.

“I don’t understand. I’m not… I’m not anyone special. I’m just… me.”

Caleb stopped walking, turning to face her. His amber eyes were serious, intense, and they held

hers with an unwavering gaze.

“You are more special than you know,” he said quietly. “And whether you remember it or not, you are their princess. Their future queen. They have been waiting for you to return.”

Iva’s throat tightened.

She didn’t feel like a princess. She felt like a fraud, an imposter wearing someone else’s life. But she nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and they continued walking.

The corridors stretched before them, endless and winding. Iva’s body grew warmer with each step, her skin flushing, her heart racing for reasons she couldn’t explain. She pressed her hand to her forehead, feeling the heat radiating from her skin.

“Are you alright?” Caleb asked, his voice laced with concern.

Iva nodded quickly, though she wasn’t sure she believed it herself.

“I’m fine. Just… tired.”

Caleb didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press.

They walked in silence for a while, the only sounds the echo of their footsteps on the stone floor.

Then, Iva spoke.

“I have a question,” she said, her voice soft.

Caleb glanced at her. “What is it?”

“Why…” She hesitated, searching for the right words. “Why have you avoided meeting your mother?”

Caleb’s expression flickered-surprise, then something that looked almost like pain.

“My mother?” he repeated.

Iva nodded. “She’s here, isn’t she? She’s been asking to see you, and you’ve been avoiding her. I just… I don’t understand.”

Caleb was silent for a long moment.

“It’s complicated,” he said finally.

Iva waited, sensing there was more.

“I know about the divorce,” she said quietly. “The way she left my father.”

Caleb stopped walking, turning to face her. His expression was unreadable, but there was a tension in his jaw that spoke of old wounds.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify