The prince turns away from me and shoves open the door before stepping into the windy night across the bridge.
I shudder at the way he dismisses me. Heavy layers of dread drag through me that something else is wrong here. I look over to the guards, who glance away at my stare.
I don't even wait for the door to shut before I rush out after Ahren, fury burning me that he'd treat me this way.
"Hey!" I call out.
He pauses on the bridge, keeping his back to me.
Night drapes the kingdom around us, the sky bright with stars where the clouds have parted.
Hair blows in my face, and I push it behind my ears. My skin ripples from the freezing wind buffeting into me.
"You want to tell me what's going on?" My steps toward him are awkward as I hug myself. The skirt whips around my legs, and despite the cold, my insides are on fire with emotions.
"There's nothing to tell, Guendolyn. Don't make this harder than it is."
The words slice into me like blades. "What are you talking about?" I grab his arm, but he pulls away. My heart splinters, the ache in my chest deepening. "You don't have to go through the loss of your stepfather alone. Please Ahren. Let me in."
He keeps his head low, his breaths deep and ragged. The dull ache rising through me deepens, and I know in that moment without a shadow of a doubt that his reaction has little to do with the king's demise. It's about us. I feel it in my body.
"Did I do something wrong?" I whisper, hating that I sound so hopeless. Except this isn't anguish, but the tearing of the bond I thought we shared. In those few moments when he doesn't respond, a storm of feelings sweeps over me.
Sorrow that I'll lose him.
Pity for myself.
Fury at him for pulling this shit.
And most of all how I want to force him to look me in the eyes and tell me the damn truth of what's going on.
"Over the coming weeks, there will be changes in the court. I'll take the throne, and..." His voice fades, and at first I don’t think he’s going to respond. Then he says softly, "I can't do this, Guendolyn."
I tremble, fighting the panic clawing at my chest. I lash out and snatch his arm, forcing him to face me. "So you won't have time for me? Is that what you’re worried about?"
"I'd rather you hate me. That I can deal with, but your tears will destroy me."
I stare at him, bewildered. I want time to stand still, to pause everything and let myself catch up on what's happening. But my mind is melting, and the words slip past my lips like unstoppable lava from an erupting volcano.
"Are you breaking up with me?"
Does he even understand that concept? I don't know, don't care as everything inside me starts to fall apart.
"I have a responsibility," he says, like I'm his guard or one of his servants.
"Fuck responsibility," I snap. "I thought we had..." My eyes prick with the tears pooling and rolling down my cheeks. "What's happening, Ahren?"
He doesn't move to take me into his arms as I expect him to. It's only us two, the wild weather roaring around us, and the crack of my heart.
"Look around to where you are," he starts with a frustrated tone. "I'll be in every council meeting, visiting other courts, dealing with Ash Court, the Bloodcursed, never being home. I’ll have to make hard decisions that I already hate myself for, that you will hate me for. Fuck, this isn't what I want, and I wish I could tell you we'll make this work, but I won't break your heart by keeping you in the shadows. You deserve so much more."
The anger fades from his face, his eyes shining in the moonlight. This gorgeous fae captured my attention from the first time we met. He shared with me his past struggles, his agony, his dreams, but maybe I was a fool to believe anything could happen between us. I had known he was destined for the throne as the heir, but everything happened too fast to truly acknowledge what that meant.
He’s already made up his mind.
Clouds slide over the moon, stealing the light and darkening his expression. He looks angrier now. My stomach clenches as he draws in sharp breaths.
"You are wrong," I whisper. "Because you've already broken me."
"Oh, Guendolyn." His voice shakes. But a split second is all it takes for the stoic prince to return in front of me. He straightens his posture, standing stiff against the strong wind tugging on his coat and long white hair. It flutters in the air like a flag. "You'll understand soon enough. And then you’ll hate me."
My chest clenches at his words. As much as it kills me, I do nothing as he turns and marches away. Desperation blooms through me once more, stronger this time. I curl my hands into fists, refusing to be the one who runs after him. I may not make sense of his reasoning, but he's made his choice, hasn’t he?
My first instinct is to leave this realm, but I've given my heart to three fae. And I refuse to lose Luther and Deimos because Ahren is being an asshole. They mean the world to me. And today… well, today is just too much for me.
I’ve lost my father and one of my men.
I rush across the bridge and make a line for my bedroom, tears blurring my vision, my throat tightening to the point where I can barely breathe.
Chapter 4
Ahren
I lean against the wall outside Guendolyn's room. No idea what time of the night it is, but there's not a soul in sight. It's too late, but I can't sleep or silence my mind. Add to that my gut aches and twists
