1: Helpless to his charm

Laith's p.o.v

I stared at the ring he held out in front of me. The diamond was perfect and huge. The moment was perfect. He was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I felt it in my heart.

"Well," he let out. "What do you think?"

"She will love it," I ignored the pain in my heart as I responded. He gave me a friendly hug before he left to go and find her. To propose to her. Leaving me confused and hurt.

I followed his movements with my eyes. Watching the one who owned my heart run off to go and find another. It was the worst feeling.

Loving him from a distance was hard but nowhere close to watching love someone else up close. The truth was that I wasn't up to the mark for the man I love. To avoid things getting complicated I have made up my mind to thread a new race once he is engaged.

"Why do you look blue?"

I knew I should have refused the dance. Recanted when his hand slide down under my dress. The moment he ignited a flame of love in my heart. But I was helpless to his charm.

The moments meant so much to me. Sadly, it was one-sided as he turned around and acted as though it never happened.

"The arrival of the new princess will change everything in the palace," I remarked. My words were true and most of the people in the palace shared the same opinion.

"I agree."

I averted my eyes from the love of my life. It hurt too much to gaze at him. He was determined to get married to someone else. Believing her to be his one true love.

"Her majesty the queen was asking for you," the queen's handmaiden informed me. "I fear she too doesn't approve of the new princess," she added.

I flashed her a fake smile. Life was becoming more and more complicated in the palace. The royals were at odds over the upcoming alliance forcing people to pick sides. It was an all-out battle.

Turning away from her I walked in the direction of the queen's room. My mind was filled with thoughts of the engagement. As much as I tried not to let it affect me the harder it did.

I'm not in the habit to cry over split milk however in this situation I couldn't help it. On the way to meet the queen, I pondered over the situation I was in.

It was hard to admit to myself that I misread the signs he sent in my direction. I read too much into every time he smiled at me when our hands would brush against each other. I thought too much and without asking him, I assumed it meant he felt the same way.

The thoughts captivated my mind. So much so that I failed to realize when I arrived before the queen. "We are here," the handmaiden yanked me awake from my thoughts.

I blinked to clear my mind. Within a blinking and twinkling of my eyes, the room became silent. The silence that growled at me.

I raised my head and met the queen's intense gaze on me. I gulped nervously. "Your majesty," I bowed in greeting.

"What is wrong with my son? What is this nonsense about him being in love?" she bombarded me with questions.

I asked myself the same question. I too wondered when the madness of love began. I stealthily approached the queen, surprised to find that she was as upset about everything as I was.

"I wish I had answers for you," I expressed.

"Don't give me an excuse, Laith. I can't stand the thought of my son falling for my enemy's daughter," she harshly conveyed. I rubbed my palms against each other nervously.

Times in the palace wasn't good. Everyone was tensed and confused by the behavior of the second prince. His decisions of late puzzled the people around him including me.

"I need you to tell me that this is a joke. Prince Caelan isn't the type to fall in love so suddenly. Something doesn't add up," the queen expressed her doubts.

For once I found her feelings aligned with mine. Since the day the king announced the second prince will marry princess Zakishi, the second prince started acting strangely.

First, he set a date to meet the princess. Once they had met, she was all the second prince ever spoke of. I couldn't recall a conversation that didn't result in her being a subject of discussion.

"Your majesty, I sincerely wish I had better news for you. But I fear princess Zakishi has truly won over Prince Caelan's heart," I admitted bitterly.

"I don't care. The prince has to fall out of love with her. This task I entrust to you," the queen bellowed the words at me. I stood aghast with my eyes popping out of their sockets at her insane demand.

I serve the second prince and am loyal to him to a fault. There was no way I could stand in the way of his happiness. No matter how badly his new relationship affected me, I had to be the bigger person and accept that his happiness lies with another.

"Of course your majesty. Consider it done," I claimed confidently. Going against the queen would be stupid. It was better to have her believe that I was on her side, to stop her from finding someone else to do the job.

"I'm confident that you will drive that princess out of my palace before she overstays her welcome," the Queen grabbed my arms. Looked at me like her favorite person before letting me go.

She turned around, and her handmaiden approached her with a wooden box. The queen opened the box revealing more gold coins than I have ever had the pleasure of owning in my life.

"You will get more once the princess leaves Caelan's life," she informed.

"The king will simply find another princess for Prince Caelan to marry if it doesn't work out with princess Zakishi," I pointed out. "Instead of throwing princess Zakishi out of your son's life perhaps I could interest you in a better idea," I proposed.

The queen flashed me a devilish smile that made my skin crawl. "I'm listening."