HarlynThe room falls quiet, and Wayne looks at me. It’s clear he is thinking I’m joking, but I’m not. I want to do it tomorrow to prove to Stefan how little he owns me. Everyone is watching, in shock, clearly wondering if they heard me right. They did. I will marry Wayne tomorrow.“Say that again?” he asks, and I laugh slightly; his arms stay wrapped around my body as he peers into my eyes, waiting for confirmation.“Let’s get married tomorrow,” I say again, unable to contain the smile that spreads across my face. I see the shock flashing in his eyes. I don’t want to wait; what is the point in waiting anyway?“For real? I know you agreed, but I assumed you would wait. Only do this, my love, if you are completely sure.” He stands shocked. Even though I agreed to marry him here, I knew in his mind he thought it wouldn’t happen.He is still thinking I’m about to walk away from this, but I won’t. I will be marrying him tomorrow. Nothing and no one has the power to stop us.“Tomorrow? Are
StefanI followed Harlyn at a distance as she stormed away, or rather ran. I understand her running from me. I acted on impulse, and that made me make a huge mistake.She will forgive me, though, and when I can prove to her about Wayne, she will be grateful I stopped him from being able to claim her. I have almost walked through the entire palace and can’t see her anywhere.Where could she have gone? I step into the room where she stayed and stand by the door. The room is flooded with her scent, and it’s beautiful. I am sure I can keep her here.Now, if she tries to leave, it will cause her pain; the more distance she puts between us, the worse it will become. I was wrong to claim her without her approval; I felt like I had no choice.She wasn’t being rational. One moment, she was calm and looking at me like she remembered who I was, and then she was off the rails, swearing and screaming she hated me.I guess I did deserve some of it; I deserved it all for what I did to her in the pas
StefanI didn’t sleep last night—how could I? My mind was focused on Harlyn and her upcoming marriage to Wayne. Well, she could try. After getting ready for the wedding, I stepped out of the room, and my mother looked at me.“Are you sure it wise for you to go to this wedding?” She asks, and I laugh.“I’m not going to the wedding, Mother, because there won’t be one.” I will stop it before she even walks through that door.“Stefan, you can’t do anything crazy.” She looks at me, and I know she is worried, but I need to do something crazy.“I already did that, Mother; it apparently didn’t work, so I need to get up a level,” I say while smiling at her.“You already did? Stefan, what did you do?” She stands staring at me.“Stopped him from being able to claim her mother, like he tried that night. Which room is Harlyn in?” I ask as I walk around her.“Harlyn is in her wedding dress. You can’t enter that room, Stefan.” She follows behind me.“Oh, but I can. Which room, mother?” I stand waiti
HarlynI don’t blame him. I’m getting whiplash. Right now, he’s just stood staring at me, and I feel calm. I don’t feel hate for him. I’m confused over all this, and he seems to be trying to work this out.His mouth opens as if he is about to talk, but he stops and closes his mouth. It’s weird, having him close, having him touching me eases the itch in my neck.It’s weird; right now, I see him and I remember from before he pushed me out. Yet, thirty seconds ago, while he was speaking, it was like looking at an entirely different person. How is that even possible? It’s hard to think of anything or anyone else right now except for him.I don’t want to let him go, and I feel like I need to keep him close to me. Maybe I’m going crazy? I feel his finger stroke down my neck, and it only relaxes me more.Right now, I’m meant to be with Wayne, yet I’m not sure I want to. It’s weird; being here with Stefan makes me feel like I have no feelings for Wayne.Which isn’t possible, I agreed to marry
StefanI don’t know what to do; I walk out of the room and look for my mother. I find her with the guests.“There you are, you’re late.” Diandra looks at me, and I push her hand off me.“Not now!” I snap at her and turn to my mother. “I need you.” I walk out, and she follows me.“What is going on?” She stops me and looks at me, waiting for my answer.“I think Harlyn is under a spell.”She laughs at my words.“Don’t, Mother, I mean it. How do I stop it?” I need to know.“That would depend. What sort of spell?” She sits on the small sofa and waits for me to explain.“I don’t know. One where she hates me, especially if I talk, but if I get close to her, if I touch her, it breaks the spell, as long as I don’t speak.”She looks at me like I’m crazy.“I mean it, she is like a hurricane, screaming, hitting me, then if I grip her chin and make her focus on me, and I stay quiet, she’s calm and kisses me. Something isn’t right.” I just need to break it; then I can stop this.“A spell like that
StefanI look around the room, and I know I need to sort this out quickly.“You know what I think?” Diandra steps forward towards Harlyn. “I think she put a spell on the king, made him blind, turned him dumb,” she shouts.“I have to agree with the princess here. This disowned child of mine has caused this. Your Majesty, you need to seek help immediately.” The Earl steps closer.“Enough! Stop making out like my son is blinded by magic.” My mother calls out.“If this was caused by that, it started as I was a child. I already said, she is my mate and I knew as a child.” I call out, and Samuel stares at me.He has no idea, and as my best friend, he will hate me so much more when this is over and he finds out the truth. It’s worth it, though, if Harlyn stays here.“I think Harlyn, Stefan, myself and Harlyn’s mother need to sit together and sort this situation. It’s a private matter.” Mother looks between everyone, and I nod in agreement.“No!” King Fredric steps forward. “You want to hide
StefanEveryone is waiting for the confirmation, but I wanted to speak to Harlyn about it first. I wanted to explain the links to Wayne even if I have no proof.I nod, however, and give up. “It doesn’t matter how it happened; it is my fault, and I accept responsibility for it; please, Harlyn, let me speak to you.” I go to step towards her and feel someone push me back.“Think Stefan.” My mother looks at me.“I tried telling you! You laughed it off; you made out like I was joking and mocking you. I was never mocking you, Harlyn; I’m sorry I did it this way, but now everyone knows, so there is no more hiding it.” I shout and look at her, but she keeps her face pressed against Wayne’s chest.Samuel stares at me, shocked. “You rejected her. I think that speaks pretty clearly about how you feel about her. So leave her alone,” Samuel says.“No! It was a mistake to reject her; she knows that. I apologised.” I move forward, and Lucy pushes me back.“You already hurt her, Stefan. I heard you t
HarlynI thought it was a joke. Part of me thought Stefan was mocking me, even when I grabbed those papers.It wasn’t, and I hated it. I could barely stand or even understand anything that was going on around me. How could that night have been Stefan?Today, I told him the truth, that the person that night seemed to crave me, and despite me having no control, there was a feeling like they cared for me. I felt safe in their arms.How could that have been Stefan? He hated me, mocked me, and called me a wretch. I feel lost, like I'm standing between two versions of him: the one I remember when we were really young, the man that night, and then the one who was cruel and heartless.Hearing the former king’s words about how Stefan was obsessed with finding the woman from that night, which was me, just tore me apart even more.For two months, I was here. Did he hate me that much in the light he refused to even consider the possibility that it was me? A stranger I could have lived with, but S