At The Field II.

~Karl~

"You shouldn't have left when Fortuna told her about the wedding," Rowland kept saying. I almost regretted telling him what happened last night—now he was firmly on Princess Katrina's side.

"What did you expect me to do?" I asked, patting Marianne's side. She'd been my favorite horse since I took the throne, and I'd watched her grow into the strong mare she was now.

"Maybe explain it to her?" Rowland replied.

I chuckled, glancing his way. "You know I don't explain myself. If someone can't handle the situation, they deal with it. I didn't plan this wedding; it just happened. And I didn't know she was my Katrina."

"Your Katrina?" Rowland raised a brow, surprised.

"I mean the Katrina I met on the farm… the one who made my heart skip with just one look." I leaned against Marianne, and she nudged me gently, as if she understood.

"You can't stop the wedding now, my friend. You just can't…" he reminded me, bringing my dilemma back into sharp focus.

I didn't want to lose Katrina, but I also couldn't risk my people's trust. The citizens of Xylonia feared me.

They respected me because I kept every promise and brought achievements to the kingdom over the years. But beyond that, they saw me as nothing short of a devil.

"I can't break my promise to my cousin. The entire kingdom is preparing for this wedding tomorrow," I said with a heavy heart. "If I call it off now, it won't go well."

"Even if you don't stop it, at least apologize to Katrina. She is…" Rowland paused, grinning. "She's here."

"Here?" I looked up and saw her with Prince Elvin. My heart sank. What were they doing together?

"Yes, she came to see him," Rowland said, clearly amused. He knew the sight of them together was tearing me up inside.

"Seeing them together makes my heart ache," I admitted, gripping Marianne's reins. "What will happen to me after their wedding tomorrow?"

Rowland gave a sympathetic shrug. "I don't know, Your Highness. But it seems they enjoy each other's company."

My blood boiled as Katrina threw her head back in laughter. What was he saying to her? Was it some joke about me? Maybe even about my mask? Elvin always mocked me as a kid, telling everyone that I wore it because maggots were crawling under my skin.

Katrina glanced in my direction, laughing again, and my patience snapped.

"What lies is he feeding her? Why is she laughing so hard?"

"I don't know, Your Highness," Rowland replied.

I released Marianne's reins. "I have to stop this wedding, Rowland. If I don't, I might just kill my cousin."

"And what would you like me to do?"

"I don't care... come up with something," I said, voice tense.

"I'll try, Your Highness."

"For now, let's go find out what's so funny that Katrina can't hold back her laugh." I marched toward them, anger and jealousy boiling over.

If jealousy had a face, it was mine. I hated anyone touching what was mine.

**

I reached them, and as soon as they saw me, their conversation stopped. It was clear they didn't want me listening in.

"Greetings, Your Highness," they both bowed.

I nodded, eyes lingering on Katrina. She was why I came here. Her gaze briefly met mine before she looked away, clearly still upset about the marriage arrangement I'd made.

"Katrina… did you come to see the horses?" I asked, pretending not to know the real reason.

"No, Your Highness," she replied, avoiding my eyes. "I came to see Prince Elvin."

"I should have known," I said, casting a hard look at Elvin. "So, you wanted to meet before the wedding?"

"Yes. Isn't it a brilliant idea?" She finally looked at me, a challenging smile on her lips. "Since the person who arranged this alliance didn't bother to introduce us properly, I thought I'd take it upon myself."

The tone in her voice left no doubt she was talking about me. She was unafraid, and that boldness was something no one dared with me—not even Queen Fortuna.

"Let's say he thought well, too," I replied, glancing at Elvin. "Who would've guessed this alliance would be such a 'wonderful' idea?"

"Of course," Katrina said smoothly, moving closer to Elvin and standing at his side. "We're perfect for each other."

She glanced up at him, and he smiled back. My hands balled into fists, watching them. She knew exactly what she was doing, and it was working.

The anger burned through me as they exchanged their little smiles, daring me to react.

And no one would blame me for what I was about to do next.