Chapter 41 Turns

-"Am, my sweet! I craved to see you."- Prince Alasther moved to greet more affectively, but Am remained still. She showed no emotions. Her hand still held her grip on the duke's. The prince stepped back astonished. -"But... Am... What is happening here? I came to take you with me... your place is in the castle... in the courts..."-

-"No, you are mistaken your highness... my place is here... with my charming duke."- Now, Am was caressing the duke's arm with tenderness as she spoke. Lord Roderick just stood beside Am, smiling. For him it was better to play Am's game. I was a back door move, but a forward move yet. That overwhelmed the prince, but trying to compose himself, not pretending to lose this battle he talked again to the maiden.

-"Am, I know you are still hurt for what happened with Maik. You are certainly confused. I've tried to talk to you but you rejected me... I... I... Am... I love you... and I know that you loved me, because you told me so that winter day, behind your cottage. Don't you remember? "- Tears filled the prince's eyes. The duke's body shook as he heard what happened between them. Am's body shivered too as she recalled the prince's confession and that ardent kiss they shared that day.

-"I remember perfectly, Prince Alasther. But that love ended the day you let Maik die. I can't love you for that... Fortunately, mistakes can be amended. Time cures all pain... and being with the person you love..."-Am tried to look sincere, but she avoided the prince's gaze with every word that she uttered. She shivered by the duke's side when she met the prince's bewilder stare. However she managed to keep her head lifted, trying to convince the man in front of her... and herself.

-"Am, my sweet, you can try to hurt me with this nonsense, but... Why don't we go somewhere else to talk? This tomfoolery would not take us anywhere but to suffering and repentance."-

-"This is not nonsense what I speak... And I would not go anywhere with you. I told you that what I felt for you, I am not feeling any more. I will stay here forever, for I am going to marry Lord Roderick!"-

Both men jumped with the last sentence Am produced. The prince opened her eyes wider than ever and his face paled as every muscle in his body tensed. The duke immediately turned his face, almost breaking his neck with the sudden and rapid movement. Lord Roderick was about to have a heart attack... - did she just said married?Woa! - The duke thought.

-"Am, Please. You can't be serious!" - The prince spoke now with anxiety. His voice was broken. He looked lost.

-"I cannot be more serious, your highness. Isn't that true, my love?"- Now she addressed to Lord Roderick, who was left in shock with how things had turned... He reacted immediate to reassure Am's words.

-"Yes, my dear. In fact we were about to start planning the wedding during breakfast, when you arrived... and interrupted us. But I think it is better this way. Now you know how things turned to be right now, Prince Alasther... and if you said everything you came to say... I beg you to leave, for you had upset my betrothed."

Am's gazed was buried in the marble stones of the floor. Now she couldn't look back to the prince's face anymore. The prince looked at Am, but he realized she was not going to give a step back... for now. He knew this was not the place or the moment to continue this talk and try to persuade her was going to be useless. So he decided it was time to go.

-"Oh, I see. Well If that is what you want... if you are truly in love with Lord Roderick and you plan to get married, there is nothing I can do. I am an honorable man... It is my turn to retreat."- Prince Alasther gave his best in acting, bending in reverence and turned immediately to leave the mansion.

Am exhaled the moment the prince left the room. She felt somehow relieved. The duke was now in front of her, directing a fixated stare. Her relief ended. She had to face Lord Roderick, a.k.a. "betrothed". Am lifted her eyes to meet the duke's. He was giving her a pry look as he spoke to her.

-"Am, I remained silent, because I thought it was a conversation between you and the prince. I was surprised when he brought up certain moment when... well... it is something that I don't want to know about unless you tell me. However, you had just reject him and told him we will marry... Am, I am not going to force you to do nothing you don't want to... I promised that I was going to give you a space, and I kept my promise... but you know that I love you. My commit is to make you happy. I would keep every promise that I make to you and I will protect you and love you if you allow me to do so..."

-"I know. I thank you for backing me up with this. I just needed him out. It hurts me to have him near. I didn't know what else I could come up with to make him leave... Roderick... I..."- Am was crying. The duke understood he had to be patient with her, and not force the conversation any longer... for the moment.

-"I am totally aware of what were your true intentions. You were not talking seriously about any wedding between us. Am, I told you I was not going to force you to anything you don't wish... But nothing would make me happier that to make you my wife."- The duke gave her a kiss in her cheek and left the room.

-What have I done? I have told the prince I was going to marry Lord Roderick... Oh, my prince... I love you with my heart... but we cannot be together. All this had happened because I placed my eyes on you. A war, Maik's death... I t is better this way... But now, what I am going to do with Lord Roderick? ... Maybe... After all, he is handsome, charming... he loves me and he had kept all his promises... Oh, my God! I think I need some time to think... - Am thought to herself as she walked straight to her room. Yes... she needed to think.

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Prince Alasther was in his dormitory. He laid on his bed staring at the ceiling. His fists clenched and his eyes red with tears. The queen entered the room without knocking. She knew her son needed someone to talk with.

-"My love, son... I can see things didn't go the way you expected. What happened?" - The queen asked.

-"Oh, mother... she rejected me... She still hates me... She said she was going to marry Lord Roderick"- The prince moved to sit up beside his mother. The queen embraced her son and caressed his abundant brown hair as she tried to comfort him.

-"My son... you have to be patient. If she loves you the way you love her, time and destiny will join you. True love never dies. Death, hate, fate... nothing... Listen to me my son... nothing overpowers love...You just need to wait... watch and wait..."