A Crown of Dreams, A Love of Reality

Previously

…As she stood to help Liam, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this locket wasn’t just a piece of antique jewelry. It was a key. A key to a world she’d only ever dreamed of, a world that was suddenly, bewilderingly, beginning to bleed into her own. And as Liam offered her a reassuring smile, Elara couldn’t help but wonder if the prince’s charming clumsiness was any match for the quiet, steady presence of a real man. The question, however, was far too complex to answer amidst the hushed aisles of the Elmwood Public Library. For now, she had dusty pages to retrieve and a dream to re-examine.