44 Reason #25: it would be the beginning to my doom (6) A

Reasons Why The Prince Was Upset

Prince P.O.V

A Few Hours Ago

These couple of days has been wonderfully blissful. Though both of us were busy with our duties, sometimes, if I'm lucky, I could catch a few moments with her when I see her running around the palace. Our time together was short but having the experience of accidentally bumping into her was also not a bad feeling.

A few hours ago, after finishing my training, I tried to look for her to have dinner together, but the maids told me that she had gone to the library.

I was happy because I knew she had been secretly trying her best to knit the present I requested, and I find it really cute that she didn't want me to see it.

I didn't really want anything from her. I just wanted to keep her preoccupied as much as I could so that she wouldn't think about her family.

But seeing her so seriously working at it now makes me think if it's ok for me to have a little more expectations?

Just the thought of it makes me feel like seeing that flustered face of hers again, and so I ran to the library as fast as I could to meet her.

But to my surprise, he was there.

I caught seeing him covering his coat over her while she was sound asleep on the sofa.

Knowing that she is a deep sleeper, I asked him quietly.

"Why are you here, your majesty?"

While he continues to cover his coat over her, making sure that she stayed warm, he said

"She is an interesting girl, isn't she? Your little fiancée. I've enjoyed her company very much these couple of days. She is a very bright and kind young girl."

He then slowly moved away and poured the tea on the table. After that, he calmly sat down and explained.

"We promised to have tea together, so that's why I'm here."

As he quietly sips his tea, I thought this would be the time to make my announcement, and so I mustered up my courage and say

"I'm glad you like her because I like to honor our engagement with the Duke's family. I planned to officially ask her hand in marriage once I come of age."

He turned quiet, and I couldn't help but gulp and feel nervous about what he is going to say.

After a moment's consideration, he puts down his tea and said

"It doesn't seem like you are asking for permission."

"I'm not. I've already made my decision to marry her, regardless of what you say, and I think it's only natural for us to keep our promise."

I thought he would be angry that I spoke to him that way. We have never talked to each other like this. The only conversation I would ever have with him was all only about official royal business.

However, to my surprise, he suddenly mentions her.

"Your mother ...

"Your mother is the one who requested this engagement. Before she passed, she was afraid that you'd be alone once she's gone. So she wanted a friend for you, and she thought that the lively Duke's family would be perfect for someone like you."

Then for the very first time, I saw him smiled.

"Seeing you like this, it seems she was right again. Your mother is very good with her intuition. But the arrangement was only till you come to age."

"What do you mean?"

"It was also her wishes that you find true love, if in any case you wish to love another, you may freely choose so and officially speaking, a crown prince can only choose his bride to be after he has come to age. So your engagement with her has never been an official engagement."

I let out a small laugh, feeling relieved that what he said was not a serious matter after all.

"There will be no problem then because I will not have any other as my bride other than this girl."

"However, the other Kings will not easily accept this arrangement, and all of them have requested that each of their princesses have an audience with you at the royal ball. You, as the crown prince, are to at least make your acquaintance with them."

I was surprised. It seems like he was trying to give me some fatherly advice, and it makes me feel very uncomfortable.

"ok, I'll take note of it."

Then both of us became silent, and the air between us turn a little awkward after that.

This was the most interaction we have as long as I could remember, and usually, I just exit the room after I received a royal decree from him. I thought I was nothing but a tool under his command, so I was curious about what made him suddenly change this way.

"Good morning."

The sudden morning greeting from the girl who I thought was sound asleep gave me a shock.

<She's awake? How long? much has she heard?>

"What are you two doing?"

When she asked that question, I felt somewhat relieved. It means she hasn't heard our conversation.

Suddenly a thought came to my mind, all this time, I had the royal engagement to tie her down, but now if she ever learns our engagement was not official, I couldn't imagine what she will do.

Without the royal engagement, I have less control over the situation and less possession over her.

Without the royal engagement, we are only lovers, and if she chooses to leave me for someone else, she can do it without my permission.

If she wants to, she has every right to do so. Because she is no longer my fiancee. I

Urgh! Just thinking about it makes my heartache.

No! She can never find out about this.

I won't let her leave me.

I'll lock her down in the dungeon even if I have to.

I'll need to make her mine as soon as possible.

After that, when Gregory came in with the sudden news, my mind went blank.

I couldn't think straight. All I wanted to do was to get her out of there. I don't want to have any more risk of her finding out.

So once I got the chance, I just grab her hands and pull her out as quickly as I could.

Just when I thought I was safe and I managed to buy a little more time to work things out. In the end, I would have never thought that she would find out about it this soon.

*******

A Few Hours Later

She Was The Reason

While his mind was preoccupied with the thought of her finding out the truth about their engagement, he hadn't noticed that they have finally arrived at the front door of her room.

"Leon? Leon??? Did you hear what I said?"

Ivy wave her hands in front of the dazing Prince.

When her voice finally brought back his consciousness, he asked.

"Yes? Sorry I wasn't paying attention."

"I said we're here at my room already. You can let go of my hands now."

Because no matter how hard she tried to shook his hands away, she couldn't get him to let go of her hands at all.

"Ah... yes."

Although he noted and understood what she said, he didn't feel like letting go because he was worried about how she feels since she has just heard the truth about their engagement, and his head was full of what-ifs scenario of her leaving him. So he just continued to hold her hand tightly and silently look at her.

"Leon? Why are you not letting go? Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?" She asked as she was baffled with the way he is acting right now.

He couldn't hear her because his mind was full of insecure thoughts of her leaving him.

He has tried so hard to come so far, so he wasn't going to back down easy without knowing for sure how she feels after learning that they are not engaged anymore, and so he took in a big gulped and asked her,

"Ivy, I need to know. About what you heard earlier about our engagement, how do you feel about it?"

"Huh? You mean the part where King Trevor said it's not an official engagement? So it's true?"

"What if it is? How would you feel?"

Then the Prince turned his gaze away from her, he didn't want her to see how he look right now, but even if she couldn't see his face, she could feel that his hands were shaking, which makes her even more puzzled about what exactly is in his mind right now?

<Why is he asking me that? What does want to know? His hand shaking. Is shaking because happy? He doesn't look happy, though. So the nervous? But nervous about what? Would it be possible that worried thought I might leave him? even have thoughts like Even though eventually will one who dumps me?>

She had a lot on her mind, and there were too many unanswered questions that she couldn't focus all of them at once.

Now that the Prince raised one of them, so she began to ask herself,

"How do I feel if we are not engaged?"

<I should feel happy, right? Isn't this what I wanted? If it's true that we are not engaged, means bounded by royal decree, so could leave him anytime want, So why do have mixed feeling inside of me?>

While she still couldn't see his face, she felt that he was feeling a little bit more nervous than before, so his actions made her think.

<Even though I'm not sure why you ask me such a question, can I believe little that it is because hope for to stay? Even if your true love like what the story says, ok stay here just while longer?>

After she gave a thought about it, she honestly answered and said, "To tell you the truth, I think I would feel a little happy if that is true."

The Prince immediately grip her hands a little tighter. Ivy didn't know about this, but secretly in his mind, he was already planning to lock her in a room and never plan to let her go until she says she loves him forever. Even until this very moment, he dare not show his face to her. This is because he was afraid that she might get scared if she ever sees the man's face in front of her, going insane because of her right now.

While she felt his grip grew tighter, thinking that he might be sad, she continued to share her thoughts with him.

"I always think that we are only together because our parents had us engaged, and we are together out of obligation and not love. That is why I always feel a little sad when I thought about our engagement because it was a choice made by our parents and not by us.

That is why I wanted to propose annulling our engagement in the first place so that we can find our true love.

But then you confess to me, and everything changes. So even if we are not bounded together by our parent's agreement, we are still bounded by our own agreement, and to me, that's a lot more important."

Once he heard her words, he immediately turns his face around and asked,

"Our own agreement?"

"Yes, didn't we agree that we'd be lovers on a trial period? Because I was still unsure about my feelings? The agreement was we can keep being lovers until my social debut, and the agreement will end if either one of us falls out of love with each other or don't love each other anymore. Then we end this relationship peacefully. You see, I remember every single detail. I'll be sure that both of us will honor our agreement."

After that, the Prince suddenly went into deep thinking, then the moment he showed a sinister smile, it made Ivy shrieked.

She tried to run, but she forgot that he hasn't let go of her hand.

"Why are you running?"

"Because! You look like you are scheming about something again!"

The Prince worries had just been blown away by a great idea, and it was all thanks to her.

His gloomy face now has to turn into a charming smile. Seeing his sudden change of expression made her curious, so she asked.

"You looked so anxious just a moment ago. What happen?"

"I had a sudden change of perspective, I never thought of it that way before, and it's all thanks to you."

"Huh?" She completely has no idea what he is talking about and seeing his smug face now made her doubt her earlier thoughts on whether he had really worried about her leaving him.

"Well, I'm glad you are feeling better, so if you could just let go of my hands because I really like to rest in my room now."

"Before you go."

The Prince kissed her on her forehead and said, "I love you, Ivy. Sweet dreams."

She immediately touches her forehead while her whole face blushed, and then she yelled.

"Leon! I told you not to do that kind of stuff on me suddenly!"

Then she immediately ran into her room and shut it tight and said, "GOOD NIGHT!"

Then the Prince stood outside the door and said

"Ivy, I'm pulling out all the stops now, so prepare yourself."

Author:

I know this is an extra super long chapter. I was thinking about how I want to play with my new characters, so it took a little while. I hope you enjoy it! Like my story? Comment down below!