Chapter 2

The evening was a grand affair, and the house was packed to the rafters.

Alexander made his entrance looking every bit the dashing heir in a pale, silk waistcoat. He looked the part of the perfect gentleman as he approached me, wearing just the right amount of feigned guilt and longing.

"Charlotte, do take care on the Northern Frontier," he murmured. "I shall... wait for you."

His words were heartfelt, as if we were still that perfect couple everyone admired.

I looked him in the eye, but I wasn't reflected there. I simply raised my crystal flute in a silent toast.

"Your Highness is too kind to worry," I replied, my voice steady.

Alexander looked taken aback. I suppose he expected me to make a scene, to weep, to wail, or to demand answers. But I did no such thing.

I simply drained my glass and turned on my heel to mingle with the other guests.

He kept watching me as I walked away, his gaze lingering long after I'd turned my back.

I could feel his eyes burning a hole in my back, filled with confusion and scrutiny.

Later in the night, I spotted him slipping away toward the gardens. A moment later, a delicate silhouette followed in his wake. It was Isabelle.

I found a reason to slip away and quietly followed after them.

Behind the tree, under the pale moonlight, Alexander was holding Isabelle's hands, his face etched with aching tenderness. "Isabelle, I am so sorry for the position this puts you in."

Isabelle kept her eyes downcast, her voice barely a whisper. "I would endure anything for you, Alexander. But... are you quite sure Charlotte won't cause trouble? She has such a fiery temper. What if..."

Alexander laughed with a touch of disdain and confidence. "She wouldn't dare.

"Her father is a man of honor, loyal to the Crown to a fault. She's been bred to believe that serving the king is her highest calling.

"This 'decree' is a mark of prestige in her eyes. She has no choice but to swallow it.

"Besides, she is head over heels for me. A few sweet nothings about waiting for her and she'll happily go to the ends of the earth to do my bidding."

Isabelle finally offered him a coy, relieved smile. "You really have thought of everything, haven't you?"

Alexander pulled her into his arms. "Just a little longer, my love. Once she's gone, I'll petition the king to bring you into the palace as my lady-in-waiting and eventually my bride.

"By the time she crawls back in three years... well, she'll be lucky to settle for being a mistress."

I stood in the shadows, listening to every word, and felt my blood turn to ice.

So, he had even graciously reserved the spot of "mistress" for me. How... utterly charitable.

I didn't stay to hear another word; I simply turned and slipped away into the night.

*****

Back in my chambers, I began to pack my trunks. My lance, my light armor, and my tinctures for wounds were all the tools of my trade.

Halfway through, my eyes fell upon a velvet jewel box on the vanity. I opened it to find a crystal hairpiece.

Alexander had given it to me for my birthday last year, saying its flawless surface mirrored the purity of our love.

I picked it up. It felt like a shard of ice in my hand. I stared at it for a long, long time before walking to the window and throwing it open. Outside, the bonfires were roaring as the staff celebrated my "glory."

I reached out my hand and tossed the crystal piece into the flames. I watched the fire swallow it whole until it cracked and turned to ash, just like my ridiculous, one-sided devotion.

From that moment on, Alexander and I were dead to each other.