Chapter Two

I remember when I first met John, he was a boy of ten and I a girl of eight. My father and Mother were invited for a dinner to his kingdom and I was taken with them. At first I resisted and threw tantrums over tantrums but all my tantrums were looked over and I was now sitting in the carriage with my parents and I still kept whining the whole ride and missed my chance of admiring the great beauty that prospered on the side of our way.

When we arrived at their castle, It was beautiful and I could see how different the two nations were. The castle stood tall, very tall in front of us, it was made by the finest hands, hands who knew what they were doing. I was very little to know much but still if I were to define the beauty of that place I would compare it to the finest toys in my room, even then the beauty of this place would excel.

We were welcomed by the human king and queen, my mother was a human and a citizen of the human land but she wasn't granted the permission to marry in the foreign land, enemies at that. She had to fight and rebel to marry my father and to marry my mother, my father had offered a peace treaty as well but that was for love opposite of my situation.

The king and queen were the previous generation who stood against it all but the rulers of this kingdom in the present respected my mother and father's decision and their bond and love for each other. My mother's marriage to my father was seen as an auspicious event that would end the hatred of generations and it did.

My parents were talking to the king and queen when my eyes fell upon the boy, who was the center of attention that day. The big celebration was held for the crown prince's birthday.

I looked at him and he was acting not like a child but a king to be. He stood straight and had this vigor in his eyes, he was only ten. He held his hand out to take mine when he saw me and I held my hand out to put in his, he took my hand and kissed the back of it.

It was a gentlemanly gesture but It was understandable that he was not taught it but observed it from his surroundings and seeing a kid my age following courtesies made me laugh, and I laughed out loud and when I heard my parents and his parents laugh as well I realized I wasn't the only one who found his ask amusing.

"I am sorry, please don't feel embarrassed, your gesture is very polite but very strange to me and it made me laugh. I am Loora, pleasure to meet you, and happy birthday Prince John." I said knowing my laugh might offend the little prince.

He replied with a "It's alright and thank you" adding my name with my title at the end.

He seemed like a quiet kid, who was busy training to be a king someday.

We hadn't taken interest in each other at first but our frequent visits to each other's nation and constantly bumping into each other led us to our first ever adult talk when I was eighteen and he was twenty.

He was visiting our lands and I was the one who wanted to show him around, he and I were friends and we loved each other's company but never had feelings for each other.

But that day in the forest, he talked to me not about the light things but about his visions of his rule. He talked like a ruler and his love for making the world better, made me fall in love with him. I found that we shared this same feeling.

I don't know when he fell in love with me or if he ever did but I knew I was meant to be with him and my human self made me believe in it even more. I didn't tell him anything at first.

We talked, I told him so much of myself that I hadn't shared with a lot of people, he listened and even appreciated a lot of things.

The more we met the more I fell in love with him. I don't know if he always was this way or if he became this way, perfect to my liking, to my heart.

I told him that I had fallen for him, he didn't run away and told me that he felt the same way towards me.

Since I was a human, our relationship would not be opposite in a way it would've if I were to be a werewolf.

We started spending more time together, we never crossed line. I told him that I didn't wanted to be touched in any way before we were married.

I had envisioned myself walking down the aisle and kissing my groom, whom I loved, for the first time.

Though our parents knew about our relationship but no marriage agreement was even proceed on. I was waiting for John to be ready someday and ask for my hand from my father but that day just never came. And I regretted it, I regretted giving him time, I should've had asked him myself if he wanted to marry me. We could've been getting married now.

I was to meet him today and tell him that we were over. but my heart hurt so much and I knew the moment I see him, I would regret ever saying yes to the Arnol's proposal and there was no going back now since the letter of my response would already have reached him.

I was in our favorite meeting spot in the forest and I knew he would come here. I was facing the tindall light cascading in the forest through the thick sheet if leaves growing on the tree branches. My eyes were closed but I still felt his presence approaching me from behind and I turned.

I smiled and slowly opened my eyes. I saw him but something was different about his demeanor. He seemed like a different person. His eyes held a look that was not affection. I wondered if he was angry at me for accepting the proposal but he spoke and proved me wrong.

"Princess Loora, Congratulations. The marriage will bring peace to the nations."

"John, what are you saying? Are you upset? You know, You know that I couldn't turn the offer down." I said feeling heartbroken.

"Loora, I know and I am happy that you made the right decision. I genuinely congratulate you. I know the marriage will bring peace and betterment." He said.

I knew something was wrong, It wouldn't have been so easy for him to just let go if it wasn't.

"What did he say to you?" He seemed confused.

"What did Arnol say to you? I know that you were also there when he offered for the marriage." I interrogated.

"Loora, look, I was there to discuss things about the peace of my land and my meeting with King Arnol has nothing to do with you. What you have accepted is necessary for your land and I will respect that. We were together but we were just friends and in the haze of the way of being adults we thought what we felt for each other was more than just friendship and I assure you that It wasn't more than friendship." He spoke so straightforwardly and each phoneme and morpheme took my soul apart.

I understood his reasoning, though I was the one who wanted to come and act as if it was all for the nation and I expected him to stop the world because he couldn't part with me. I knew what I felt, it was selfish of me and I only realised it when the tables were turn and he was the one acting the way I had thought I would.

I knew that this was the end and we were still too young to cry over our little life that was for one another, it was hard indeed it was, to part with him. But I guess the way he acted made it easy for me to let go and step in my new life.

"Crown Prince John, Though the things are ending between us for me and by your words it seems they never began, I would still like to remain friends with you. May we prosper wherever we are to be." I said to him after composing myself.

"Princess Loora, We will always remain friends. Now I must leave. Goodbye." and with that he left.

I was a strong person but I was angry and upset at how easy it was for him. Maybe he never loved me. It all came as a shock to me and I was left not only with a broken heart but plenty of unanswered questions. As he said our feelings to be the haze of adulthood. I was well aware of my feelings and I knew that my feelings for him were love. I loved him, my John but the man who I just encountered with was not my John. He was some other man. The John I knew had promised to never let me go no matter what happened.

Since I had already made a decision, I knew that I had to just let everything go and move forward.