Chapter 7

It was noon and I had invited him to come over to the palace and he told me that he was going to come and I just hope that he stick to what he said... I had stood at the garden patiently waiting for his arrival for a long time and I was starting to doubt whether he was actually going to show up or not , it was just when I was about giving up disappointedly to return back into the palace that he eventually showed up, I was overwhelmed with joy, he actually did stand by his word and I truly cherished that... Slowly he came to the garden to meet me and when he finally got to me he had a big smile on his face, His smile was actually contagious and it got me smiling too...

"Hey..He said sitting down on the swing chair next to me still smiling...

"Hi" I said looking at him now with a little smile on my face

"And oh sorry that I am late" he added looking all sorry for his action

"It really okay" I said

I had invited him because I was determined to find out the reason for his cold nature anytime I talk about his parents, I needed to find out because we were getting married and there shouldn't be anything between us right? and also because was worried about him... And I can't seem to understand why I was having all this strange feelings for him like I was had for Jack...I couldn't have fallen in love with him right?.. I quickly brought myself out of my thoughts when I noticed that he was still looking at me wanting me to say something, maybe about the reason why I invited him over or something and I knew I had to quickly said something in order for things not to get awkward..This was my chance to finally know the reason for his cold nature...

"Soo... how is everything going...I mean your family, your parents to be specific, I said looking at him to study his expression , I knew that was actually a stupid boring question to ask but I ought to ask in order to catch him in the act when he becomes cold and ask him what the matter was

Oh they're great he said drifting his eyes away from me looking at nothing in particular with his smile all gone and I could tell that he was already moving distant and uncomfortable ,but I needed to get to the bottom of this

"Look, I....I. got to say something, I say looking at him but his eyes was still away from mine

"What are you hiding and why is it that any time that I mention your family you become all cold and distant, You gonna have tell me" I said in one breathe still looking at him with a worried expression on my face...

"Remember that time I was stuck by a bee" he said trying to smile, Changing the topic..

"No,no, no, Don't change the topic... Look at me , I said gently shifting his face to look at me

I couldn't even understand why I was behaving like this and why I so much cared and was worried about him, Why I always feel sad anytime he was worried or was distant, Why I so much wanted to know the reason for his coldness and why it bothers me so much, Why was I feeling this way, I wouldn't just understand why... I quickly brought myself out of my thoughts to find him still battling with himself whether or not he should on telling me...

"Tell me", I said nervously, His eyes were placed on mine , We like having a eye lock and I couldn't process anything nor could I remove my gaze from his eyes, We just sat there looking at each other, it was getting awkward and I needed to stop this fast...

"S - so are telling me?" I said nervously

"Fine, Promise that if I tell you my secret, you would tell me yours...And the only reason why I am going to tell you is because I trust you he said now struggling to bring the words out

"My mum is dead" he said now fixing his gaze back to me with my eyes widening

"I thought you knew but when you kept on asking me , I realized you didn't know and I don't think that you would want Intentionally hurt me ...he said still fixing his gaze on me

"I am so sorry , I didn't know or else I would have never asked, Am so sorry for opening old wounds again., I ...

"It okay, she died a long time ago, But it still feels like as if it was yesterday he said trying not to tear up..

"it okay, I said patting his back gently, I think I know how it feels... I said remembering the pain I also went through when my mum died

My dad still misses her too,I don't think he can ever recover from the incident, he may look tough on the out side but he is actually just hurt, And sometimes he transfers the pain to me by training me with impossible weapons to fight saying that a king should always be able to defend himself, he's always hard on me , No he is hard on everyone and that's just sad, I had never had a mother figure in my life and I had never experienced what it felt like to be loved ...He said with so my pain and I could see tears in his eyes..., I could also feel myself tearing up too....

Slowly I moved slower to him and gave him a big hug, he really needed it and he reciprocated the hug affectionately...we slowly departed from each other and all we did was to stare at each other, remaining quiet until he finally broke the silence...

"Let me show you the scars I had received from the torture that my dad gave me..He said removing his shirt and I didn't do anything to stop him ,All I did was watch how he removed his shirt, revealing his bared chest , turning his back to show me the scars that was decorated on it...

"Some prince I am huh?He said facing back...

"it must hurt didn't it , I said slowly placing my hand on his back

"It does, he said now turning to face me and we were both silent yet again..I stared into his blue eyes which was shinning as a result of the moon light, and he did the same to me

I couldn't process anything and slowly he came closer to me placing his left hand on my cheek and moving even more closer, What surprised me was the fact that I became completely idle, I couldn't move and deep down I didn't wanted to...

"You look exactly like my mum, Beautiful..He said moving closer and closer by the minute,

I could feel my heart beating and slowly I placed me hands on his shoulder ,We were inches away now...What was I doing, was I really going to allow the prince to kiss me? I kept on battling with my mind but my heart wanted him to, my heart wanted me to get married to him, To say the truth,I had fallen in love with prince James... Slowly I could feel his lips bruising mine and I closed my eyes knowing what was going to happen next, As expected, he kissed me passionately and didn't stop for a while , only to disengage moment later ...

"I LOVE YOU STEPHANIE , he blurted out and kissed me again, I could feel butterflies in my stomach when he said it but at the same time I was sad and heartbroken...He loved "Stephanie" not me Alexa ,He was going to marry Stephanie not me , My heart sank , I felt I was betraying him, he needed to know the truth, he wasn't actually kissing me but "Stephanie" ...This wasn't right, I can't marry him like this, I have to tell him the truth, A marriage based on lies and deceit don't last long, I was going to tell him the truth...

We parted the kiss and I was although afraid of what might happen but I concluded that I couldn't continue being with him any further, I was going to say it now...

"James I have...

"Shh he said shutting me , now you're not going to say another word , Okay? he said lifting me up into his arms , Going into a room in the palace and shutting the door... You must have know what exactly would have next...

I can completely failed myself when I couldn't do anything about it but to lay on the bed foolishly....

I was completely done for now, if he ever finds out the truth