Chapter 2

The Enchanted Garden

With Emily getting ready for her dinner with Prince, the air was charged with expectancy. Her hands quivering a little, she straightened her clothes in front of the mirror, her emotions whirling through her head.

When she asked herself, "What am I doing?" her mirror gave her no response. This is absurd.

But she couldn't get rid of the image of Prince's smile, the way it had lit up his face and sent chills down her spine, even as doubt bit her. Something about him drew her in, a kind of magnetic pull.

Breathing deeply, she forced her fears aside and headed for the restaurant where their meeting had been scheduled. Her favorite smells of spices and herbs flooded over her as soon as she entered, enveloping her in comfort and familiarity.

Already there, at a secret table in the corner, was Prince, waiting for her. As she drew near, he stood up, eagerness in his eyes.

With a thrill down her spine, he said, "Emily, you look magnificent,"

Her emotions still raw with anxiety, she gave him a hesitant smile. No problem.

With obvious tension between them, they sat down in their chairs. Emily battled to find the right words, her thoughts racing a mile a minute as she looked for anything, anything, to break the ice.

Before she could reply, though, Prince reached across the table and took her hand in his, his touch electrifying her.

He expressed his happiness that she decided to dine with him, locking eyes with her. Ever since we first met, you have been constantly on my mind.

When he said it, Emily's heart skipped a beat. Maybe he felt the same way she did. That their bond lasted longer than a single instant?

But uncertainty was there, murmuring warnings in her ear, even as hope blossomed in her breast.

She added, "I don't know whether this is such a good idea," her voice almost audible above a whisper. "I'm not positive I'm prepared for this."

With a softening of his demeanor, Prince drew little circles on the back of her hand. "I get it," he said in a sympathetically measured tone. But Emily, you are the one I feel the most about. We had something special between us from the first time I saw you."

At his words, Emily's heart shook, her resolve weakening by the second. Could it be that she'd found someone who understood her? Someone who looked inside her spirit and behind the barriers she had built around her heart?

But as she gave herself permission to consider a future with Prince, a shadow fell over their table and a familiar face with blazing anger in her eyes stood in the doorway.

Jennifer, that was.

Watching her friend walk in, her footsteps booming like thunder in the suddenly deserted café, Emily's heart sank. Though she knew Jennifer would be upset, she hadn't anticipated this—a hurricane-force torrent of hate and anger.

Why are you here, Emily? With trembling in her voice, Jennifer demanded. Who then is this?

Prince got to his feet and faced Jennifer's incensed look, his demeanor cool. "I'm Prince," he said, toneless and unambiguous.

Jennifer, though, was not duped. She could feel it in the air, the unsaid bond between Emily and Prince that was about to break up their friendship.

Jennifer sobbed, "I can't believe you would do this to me, Emily." Her voice broke. "In light of all we have experienced together."

A million pieces of Emily's heart broke at her friend's remarks. Though she had never tried to hurt Jennifer, she had unintentionally pushed her away in her quest for happiness, a painful reminder of the costs she had paid for love.

Muttering, "I'm sorry, Jennifer," her voice was almost audible above the bustle of the restaurant. "All of this happened by accident."

She knew, though, that words would not be enough to heal the wound that had grown between them even as she spoke. Though they had tried friendship before, this time it felt different, irrevocable, like a vase broken into a thousand pieces.

Emily was left alone with Prince in a world that felt alien and chilly as Jennifer turned and fled out of the restaurant, tears streaming down her face.

And Emily wondered at that same instant if she had made the biggest mistake of her life as the weight of her past descended upon her once more.

Prince leans in, his gaze determined, just as Emily starts to doubt her decisions. "I'm here for you Emily, whatever happens," he says in a whisper that is just audible above the din around them. "Nothing can come between us."

Emily is overcome with uncertainty even as his words provide a ray of hope. Then, her voice faltering, "But what about Jennifer?" "I'm not going to just leave her."

Prince grips her hand more tightly, his countenance unflappable. "We'll work it out together," he says, looking directly into hers. "I swear," he said.

And Emily can't help but worry if Prince's pledge will be enough to get them through the storm that lies ahead as they wait in the aftermath of Jennifer's departure, facing an unclear future full of hurdles and obstacles.

Emily shivers involuntarily when a sudden chill hits the air as she muses over Prince's pledge. When Prince senses her discomfort, his eyes narrow with worry.

A worried-sounding "Emily, is something wrong?" he asks.

A shadowy individual with their features hidden by the restaurant's low lighting appears before she can answer. A single word they say, sounded like silk drenched in ice, chills Emily to her core.

"Emily."

Her head whirling with questions, she turns to face the stranger, her heart hammering in her breast. They who? Wanting what from her? Crucially, though, how do they know her name?

Fear paralyzes her, though, as the stranger approaches. And Emily can't help but wonder at that same instant, as everything around her goes out of control, if she's walked into a dangerous and fascinating web from which she might never be able to get out.