9: The confrontation

~Laith~

"Wipe your tears and learn to hide your feelings. It's a dangerous world to wear your heart on your sleeve, Laith," Prince Zephirin advised.

His concern melted my heart. It was unforeseen coming from him and it meant much more than all the adoration I've received as the Incirion.

I broke out of his embrace. I held up my eyes to the sky, to blink away the happy tears that welled up in my eyes. The Evil One veered around what was to be the worst dawn into a magical one.

"You aren't as evil..." I twirled to speak to him. He was gone like the breeze. "Aren't as wicked as I've been made to believe," I whispered under my breath.

Wiping my tears away I strode away. I broke out into tears in front of the Saint and Rhon. Heretofore explaining anything the deposed crown prince pulled me away from the scene. They must be concerned and I need to assure them that I am alright.

To ease their worries and to explain my strange reaction. "Why did I think that I could watch him with someone else," I scolded myself.

"Laith!"

Caelan called out angrily.

"What were you doing with my brother? What did he say to you?"

I glanced at the second prince astounded. He had dismissed me since the previous morning. Pretended as though I didn't exist and went about his business. The instant he comes before me, he is more inquisitive about the conversation I had with Zephirin than explaining his newfound relationship with Princess Zakishi.

"My older brother hasn't come out of his palace in over a decade. He hasn't spoken to anyone and suddenly he seeks you out. There has to be a reason," he rambled on.

His words fell on deaf ears. Considering all the words he could say to me, his choice of words was the least of my interest.

"The conversation I had with Prince Zephirin is confidential. It's between us," I declared openly to end his inquiries.

Prince Caelan shot me a surprised look. Shocked that I refused to divulge the information about my conversation with his brother.

There was nothing to tell anyway. The only secret of the deposed crown prince that I kept is that he is the Evil one. Other than that, I had nothing on the man.

"Inciri... I mean Laith," Caelan inched closer to me. Lowering the tone of his voice to sound more intimate.

"It's me Caelan, you can trust me," the prince assured.

I choked up. His words sounded warm however, his intentions brought tears to my eyes. I never thought I'd see a day when he'd try to use me.

He trailed his fingers over my bare arm. His fingers lingered not too long to be miss interpreted, long enough to leave an impact on me.

If anyone were to see us right now, they might be under the impression that we were joined at the hip. The truth was far from that.

"You and I see eye to eye on a lot of things, Laith. We can both acquiesce that whatever my brother is up to isn't good for me or the crown," he made his case. "I ask that you think of the well-being of Liradia and tell me what he spoke to you about."

Prince Caelan's voice always sounded ethereal to me. Precious and almost heavenly, for the first time, he sounded rusty. He usually fashionably carried himself. With his best foot forward at all times except today.

"Is that what you are doing with Princess Zakishi? Thinking of the well-being of Liradia?" I wept bitter tears at his cruelty.

"You are my friend, you should understand what I've done is for the best," he uttered.

'Friend,' replayed like a broken record in my mind. A term I didn't expect to hear come from his lips as he referred to me. Considering the fact that friends don't do the things we did.

He spoke out seeming neither conscious-stricken nor remorseful. My misery and the pang in my heart that causes me so much discomfort mean nothing to him.

"It's for the best, Laith," Caelan assured.

I should have never let him catch my eye. Sway my heart and mark my soul. Tears flowed down my eyes.

"Best for whom?" my heart ruptured. "Best for you or me?" more tears streamed down my cheeks.

Watching him use me as an excuse to hurt me was draining. He understood the choice he made would break me and he made it anyway without a second breath.

"What did my brother say to you?" he inquired persistently.

"Had your brother not sought me out. Would you...would we be having a conversation at all?" I dared to ask a question that discombobulated my mind.

He went silent. The cat got his tongue. His silence was the loudest response he had ever given me.

"Were you ever going to explain your actions to me?" my voice broke. My heart squeezes in pain. "Am I even worth an explanation in your eyes?"

His continued silence hammered my stance in his life to my soul. I was drowning in the blood that coursed through my veins. A chilling feeling ran through my body.

"Why did Prince Zephirin seek you out? Why now?"

"Get lost!" I barked. "I never want to see you again."

"I'll get out of your hair as soon as you tell me what my brother wanted with you."

In one swift movement, he pinned me to the bark of the tree. Caging me in between his arms. Prince Caelan acted contrary to his usual way. Prince Zephirin made him nervous.

"That ring, when you showed it to me I thought how perfect it would look on my finger. Then you turned around and gave it to another right before me," I cried out. "At that moment I thought 'That should be me' but it wasn't me, was it?" I gazed into his eyes in search of answers.

His behavior and lack of reaction twisted my insides into knots. A cold shudder ran down my backbone. My heart sank.

"Get lost!"

I broke down and sobbed like a child. Prince Caelan stumbled back and walked away. My knees gave out and I dropped to the dirt. Leaving me on the ground in tears.

I began to bawl uncontrollably when I watched him leave.