Chapter 2: Lance.

I’m too shocked to answer, so I just stand and stare at Lilliana. She walks further into the room, allowing the door to close behind her. We are both thrown into darkness again momentarily before suddenly the lights flash on.

I squint against the glare and when finally, my eyes adjust I see that she is standing in the middle of my room watching me with a frown as she looks around at the destroyed room.

I’m wary of her intentions and a coldness enters my voice when I speak betraying my defensiveness.

“What are you doing here?”

“Always so cold and aggressive Lance. Did you ever consider that I was responding in kind?”

“That is just your way of shifting all the blame to me, you are hardly blameless in any of this Lilliana.”

Her eyes narrow at my response, and I can feel her power radiating off her in waves, I wonder what she intends to do, and I keep my guard up. She seems to sense this because suddenly the anger in her eyes fades and she looks at me strangely.

“Yes Lance, it is true that once I saw your violent side, I didn’t stop to consider your feelings on other matters. I chose to lock you out of my heart and for that, I apologize. Perhaps things may have been different if you hadn’t broken my wrist, but, as it is, we cannot take back past actions. All we can do is try to put it behind us and move forward with our lives.”

“I admit that I have difficulty controlling my anger, and I lash out physically without thinking, but you are still putting all of the blame on me, Lilliana. So, answer me this, who was it who betrayed who’s trust?”

She looks at me, wide-eyed, trying to figure out my intentions, I frown.

“Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that you didn’t run to the arms of another man the very night we became engaged. Tell me you didn’t intend to betray me, the moment you decided to leave the castle. TELL ME!”

All my hurt all my anger spills out of me with those last two words and I see her visibly flinch, but I remain standing by the window. She breaks eye contact with me and sighs deeply before looking at me again. Her stunning green eyes, that make me feel like she is looking through me, into the deepest parts of my soul, lock onto my own gaze.

I’ve always found it unnerving.

“I’m sorry Lance.”

I’m floored hearing those words leave her mouth, I never expected her to admit it.

“It’s true that I never accepted the engagement, and I was angry that the decision was made for me without my knowledge or consent. But I never wanted to hurt you, I reacted out of instinct and a need to preserve my independence. I was scared, and I sought the one person who I have always been able to rely on for comfort. But that night I discovered that my feelings for him ran far deeper than I ever imagined. However, I also made a choice that night…”

She pauses and looks down briefly before returning her gaze to mine, I hold my breath waiting for her to continue.

“I chose to leave him and return to the castle to honour our engagement. I chose to say goodbye to my only friend and resigned myself to never seeing him again. But fate and my father had other plans and I found myself in an impossible position, unable to choose between by heart and my duty.”

“Self-pity really doesn’t suit you, Lilliana.”

I choose to say that because I don’t want her to see just how much her confession has affected me. I prefer her anger to her guilt; it makes it easier to accept that she is now choosing another man over me.

“That’s not what I’m doing Lance! I just wanted you to understand that nothing that happened was anyone’s fault except for both our fathers.”

What?!

“That is ridiculous, do you even hear what you are saying? You are just shifting the blame, again.”

“No Lance. If they hadn’t signed that agreement in the first place, then none of this would’ve happened and none of us would have gotten hurt.”

She moves toward me, and I don’t know what to do. Should I move away? Or simply tell her to stay back.

Before I can decide what to do, she closes the distance between us and wraps her arms around me in a hug. I remain frozen in shock, my arms useless at my sides while she holds me tightly, then I feel her breath close to my ear.

“Don’t let what happened here prevent you from living your life, Lance. You will find your place and when you do, I hope you will also find true happiness. And may that happiness also be with your own soulmate.”

I feel a soft pressure and a warmth connect to my right cheek and my eyes widen in shock.

She’s kissing me willingly?!

The kiss is brief and soon she removes her arms from me and takes a step back, I stare at her dumbstruck, unable to speak.

“Maybe one day when all of this is just a memory, we can put it behind us and strive for peaceful cooperation. I would very much like it if one day there could be an agreement that will benefit both our Kingdoms. But until then I hope you will remember this; if you need assistance for any reason then all you need to do is ask me and I will help if I can. For now, though goodbye Lance.”

She gives me a kind yet sad smile, then turns and leaves the room. I am once again alone, unable to understand what just happened or why. I raise my hand to my cheek and touch the spot she kissed.

Why?

All the time that we were a couple not once did she kiss me, in fact, there were times when we touched, that I could tell she didn’t want me anywhere near her. I sigh and sink into the chair by the fireplace, with my head in my hands. As I think about it, I come to realize something, my anger towards her has lessened, but my resentment of my situation hasn’t changed at all.

I fall into a dreamless sleep and before I know it, it’s morning. Since I am still confined to my room, I take a shower and then dress in my travel clothes. I don’t have to wait long before someone arrives to escort me to the front doors.

The King is standing on the steps by the entry doors, waiting for me to leave. Next to him, I see Lilli and Drake, but not their child. The thought still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, and I turn away from them.

My few belongings have been loaded into a car that belongs to my family, ready to depart I address the Pendragon’s while gritting my teeth.

“Thank you again, your majesty, for your hospitality. I bid you all farewell.”

I bow my head and prepare to turn to leave.

“Goodbye, Lance. Remember what I said.”

My head snaps up and I lock eyes with Lilli, her face is passive, while her eyes are burning with an emotion I cannot name. But it seeps into me and fills my body with a resolve I did not think possible, I bow to her, and she smiles.

It still feels like she is stabbing me in the chest when she acts this way.

I climb into the front passenger seat and allow the driver to pull away out onto the capital city streets. Luckily, it is only a short time after dawn, so the roads are quite deserted, and we reach the city exit without any traffic trouble.

From here we travel through the vast countryside towards my home and a confrontation with my family I dread, more than the idea that I might be eaten by a fire breathing dragon.