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A tear slid down Ella’s cheek. “If you knew who I was in the Dreamworld, why didn’t you say anything?”

Aurora’s gaze dropped to the shoes at the foot of the mirror. “Your sister made me promise never to tell you where she was.”

Ella’s curiosity persisted. “Why not?”

Aurora's heart tightened as she recalled the painful memory. “Your sister saw you in the garden from the top of the tower. She saw when the guards caught you trespassing. She screamed at them to let you go. I had to hold her back so she didn’t throw herself out the window after you. I had never seen her so distraught. And then…”

Ella’s eyes widened, realization dawning. “She heard of our father’s death, didn’t she?”

Aurora nodded, her heart heavy. “She blamed herself for what happened. And for that reason, she didn't want you to know she was still alive. She didn’t want you to keep risking your life to save her. Letting you think that she died was her way of protecting you, of giving you permission to move on with your life.”

Ella turned away from Aurora and began to pick up scattered fabrics from the floor. “If that were true, she would have found me after she freed herself from the tower.”

Aurora thought back to when she’d woken up in her father’s castle with Tristan. She looked for Rapunzel before she left. She was nowhere to be found.

“I don’t know what happened to her after I left,” Aurora admitted. “But I can assure you that you are the person she loves the most in this world.”

Ella wiped her tears away, her voice trembling as she spoke. “I have on good authority that my sister is alive and well. She showed herself to Killian when she thought he was going to die. Perhaps she was hoping he would take her secret to his grave. She underestimated him. His strength. His love for me.”

Aurora knew Rapunzel well enough to know that she rarely underestimated anyone, but that wasn’t the time to analyze her sister’s intentions. She sensed that Ella needed reassurance more than facts in that moment.

“Whatever the reason that has her away, it doesn’t matter anymore.” Ella tossed the pile of fabrics aside and sat next to her sleeping baby. The weight of the years of longing and pain seemed to hang in the air. “If my sister doesn’t want to be part of our life, of our children’s lives, then that will be her choice. I have carried the weight of her absence for far too long. I owe it to myself to move on. I owe it to my kids.”

Aurora nodded. “I’m sure she would want that for you, too.”

Ella was quiet for a long time, the silence interrupted only by the soft breathing of her baby. “I’m feeling a little tired. I think I’m going to try to sleep a little before the baby wakes up.”

“Of course.” Aurora turned her back to Ella. “Would you help me out of the dress?”

“Actually, you can keep the dress on. It looks beautiful on you. And there’s also something I want you to have.”

Aurora watched as Ella retrieved a piece of parchment from a drawer and handed it to her. As her fingers brushed against the paper, she found herself tracing Tristan’s name. It was an invitation to Tristan’s coronation, a formal acknowledgment of his ascent to the throne.

She looked at Ella, surprised. “How did you know?”

Ella offered a soft smile. “I worked in the palace for many years. I’ve seen the King of the Shores introduce many women to Prince Tristan. But not once did I see Tristan’s eyes light up the way they did when he talked about you.”

Aurora’s heart lifted as she remembered their conversations, the moments they had shared. It was a bittersweet reminder of the connection they had forged, even amidst the challenges and secrets that had surrounded them.

“What did he say?” she asked, her curiosity overwhelming her better judgment.

“Not much,” Ella admitted with a small shrug. “He seemed very intrigued with the sundrop flower and the Dreamworld. But then he asked about you, and I saw a glint in his eyes. It was the same glint I saw in yours when you talked about him a moment ago.”

Looking at his name on the parchment, she felt her heart tighten in her chest. The thought of not seeing him again, of letting him go, made her ache deep within her soul.

“I could never make it on time,” Aurora murmured, her gaze fixed on the invitation.

Ella’s voice was gentle. “You see that white horse out there? That’s Azul. He’s a special horse, capable of not only incredible speed, but flying. If you want to go, he could get you there on time.”

Aurora’s heart fluttered at the mere possibility of seeing Tristan one last time, of explaining her actions, of seeking forgiveness. The thought of his presence, even if just for a fleeting moment, was both exhilarating and terrifying. She felt as though her heart were caught in a whirlwind, her emotions tumbling in a storm of conflicting desires.

But reality settled in, a heavy weight on her chest. She had broken his heart, shattered his trust. The pain in his eyes when he walked away was etched into her memory. She couldn’t bear to see that pain again, to witness the love and hope drain from his gaze.

“No,” Aurora finally whispered. “As much as I want to see him, I can’t. Not after what I’ve put him through.”

Aurora crumbled the invitation in her hand. “Remember the paper I gave you before you left the Dreamworld?” she asked Ella. “I asked you to keep it safe for me?”

“Ah, yes.” Ella went to retrieve it from another drawer, then handed it to Aurora. “What is it?” she asked.