It was the first night back without Nina by Ayaka's side... and she couldn't sleep at all.

Ayaka laid in her bed alone, her body shaking and trembling from fear as she hugged a pillow, pretending it was Nina. But it was not the same. It was not the same at all.

She cried, wishing desperately that Nina had accepted her offer and was laying next to her in bed. But instead, Nina decided to continue to risk her life in the army. She may not even come back alive. 

Ayaka was more than ready to get married to Nina. She was so sure that she was exactly who she was looking for. Nina was exactly her type — kind, adorable, and generous, but also strong and powerful. Ayaka only spent a week with Nina, but they spent every second with each other and never got sick of it. She wants no one else but Nina to marry and to carry her heirs. 

Ayaka wondered if her deceased mother was watching over her. Maybe Nina going back to the army was for the best. Her mother definitely had plans for her... right? She would make sure Nina came back to her, right? Even though Ayaka did not remember her at all. She only knew her from pictures and the stories Queen Aina would tell her.

Thinking about her deceased mother, who she remembered smelled distinctively of lavender, instead of her fears, Ayaka ended up slowly falling asleep. It seemed like she was watching over her after all.

Her dream was far from pleasant, though. It was a nightmare. That same intruder that tried to kill her that night was still alive and made her return. Ayaka laid in the bed with the intruder looming over her, waiting for her time to strike. Ayaka screamed in her dream as the intruder stabbed her repeatedly with a sword. 

Then, Ayaka woke up screaming, sitting right up in the bed.

She was relieved it was only a nightmare, but her heart was still pounding like crazy. Her whole body was shaking from fear as tightened so much that she could hardly breathe. But this time, she had no one to comfort her. All she could do was lay there in silence and try to find a way to comfort herself, which was not easy.

Ayaka cried, holding her hands up to her face. 

"N-Nina... I miss you..." she whispered under her own breath. Everything could've been perfect. But nope, Nina cares more about hersel