Doubt

Maria could not sleep at all last night.

She spent all night tossing and turning, thinking about how when the sun came back out that everything would be different.

She would tell Henri that they would be getting married, and she would say goodbye to Arthur and Julien.

She should have been excited because, after all, she had gotten what she had wanted-- her parents agreed to let her marry a man that she truly was starting to love.

So then why did she feel like she was doing something wrong?

Maybe her father's questioning had placed doubt in her heart that she was doing the right thing, she thought to herself.

The fact of the matter was that both Henri and Arthur would have been great choices for Greece as they both were set to become the kings of their prospective countries, so maybe her father was just hoping she would pick Arthur for that reason?

But he kept asking who the right choice for her was.

It had to be Henri, Maria kept telling herself, it was just easier that way because she was always so sure of him and never doubted his affections.

Arthur seemed to go after what he wanted and what he wanted only, but Henri was the more secure option because he would always love her and her people unconditionally, right?

Maria was starting to question if pushing Arthur away was actually the right choice.

As much as she wanted to pretend as though she was not also falling for Arthur, she knew that she had.

She really had seen a different side of him these last few days, not to mention that he was the only one that made her feel that bizarre magnetic pull whenever they were around each other.

Should she just go to him and admit her feelings? Could she fix the damage she had done? Did she even want to?

The fear that he hated her made her ache, but then she remembered the glance they shared at dinner last night, and how she just knew that at least part of him still wanted her, even if he did hate her.

She was spiraling into mental turmoil with her racing thoughts and self-doubt.

Maria thought about going to Jason to ask for help, but she knew that he liked Henri so much more than he liked Arthur, and since Alexandria didn't know either of the men, it felt strange to ask her for her opinion on the matter.

She wanted a simple fix to a very complex situation, and she drowned herself in her lack of confidence as she got herself dressed.

It was still early enough where Alexandria had not barged in to wake her up yet, which is why Maria was surprised when she heard a knock at her door.

Her heart skipped a beat as she walked over and opened the door to see that it was Arthur.

His eyes were red and his face looked pale, his black hair was disheveled, and he looked as if he also had not slept all night.

He didn't even look at her as he asked her in a soft voice, "Is it true?"

"Arthur, what are you--" she started but her words caught in her throat when he pushed past her into her room and walked straight to the balcony doors.

Maria shut the door and slowly watched him as she walked over to where he was standing.

She didn't know what to do or what to say because she had never seen him like this.

She couldn't tell if he was about to throw something or cry, and the look in his eyes was terrifying.

Not only that, but he was eerily quiet; usually, he had tons to say and Maria was the silent one, but suddenly it seemed as if the places were about to be reversed.

She stopped right next to him and faced him as he continued to look out the balcony doors that overlooked the gardens as the sun started to rise and change the color of the sky.

She yearned to reach out and hold him, but she figured that he would not want her to touch him with how tormented he seemed to be.

The nerves she had made her feel as if she was going to burst, so she tried to speak again and asked, "What's going on?"

Arthur blinked twice as if her voice brought him back from wherever his mind had traveled to, and he turned to her and looked at her with his tired eyes before he asked in a strained voice, "Is it true? Are you going to marry Henri?"

Maria had been taken off guard by his question, and took a step back as the shock spread across her face.

She hadn't even had the chance to tell Henri yet, so how did Arthur find out? Did Jason tell him out of spite?

Her words seemed to be trapped in her throat and she made incoherent sounds before she finally was able to say, "What?!"

"After dinner, I waited in the hallway so that I would be able to talk to you because I felt like we had some things that we needed to discuss since I had walked out on you in the library. I only left because I was upset and needed space, but I didn't feel fine with leaving things the way we did. As I was waiting, I heard you telling your family that you wanted to marry Henri. So, is it true? Are you going to marry him?"

Maria felt her breath hitch and her heart drop to her stomach.

She had no idea he had been out there waiting for her.

Had she known, she probably would have talked to him, and maybe she wouldn't have made such a quick decision on talking to her family about choosing Henri.

Maria's face turned hot and she felt her heart beating loudly in her ears.

She tried to take a breath, but his eyes that were fixed on hers seemed to stop her from being able to breathe properly.

Arthur took a step towards her and his face twisted into an expression that looked like it was dancing on the line of anger and sadness. "Maria?" he asked.

"Yes. It's true," she finally said as a tear fell from her face.

His head dropped and he made a sound as if he was gasping for air before he pleaded, "Don't marry him. Please, Maria".