10 Years Time

Chapter Nine

"I didn't mean to hurt you then, and I'm not going to hurt you now," he answered.

"You not answering it is hurting me now," she said squeezing his hand to make him look at her. "Tell me. I won't be mad at you."

"That's not what I'm worried about." He muttered.

"What?"

He took a big sigh before looking back at her big Y/E/C eyes. That was all it took. It broke him seeing her hurt, and no matter the consequences he needed her to know. She needed to know. To find that inner peace she so long needed. Fuck this secret.

"10 years ago right before dawn, I was getting around to go and meet you." he started. "It was probably around half an hour before everyone was going to see you off, and I was going to the bakery to go get your favorite treats for the trip. On the way, I was stopped by your father."

Y/N's eyes shifted from interest to concern. She was catching on and Steve knew, but he couldn't stop now.

"He basically told me that he had noticed our relationship blooming. You were taking interest in me in ways you shouldn't have, and though I may not have seen it at the time, which I hadn't, I was taking on that same interest." Y/N's lips pursed as she processed the story. Her hands gripping his more without her knowing. "As a future knight, I would never be what the kingdom needed. Sure it was a noble position, and my father was greatly appreciated and admired as one himself, but it would never bring the wealth or alliances that we would need down the line to keep the country striving."

"So he told you to break it off," she whispered looking down.

"He told me not to show. If I didn't show you're heart would be broken and the likelihood of you moving on would be easier," Steve continued, leaning a little to see her face more. "I told him I couldn't do that to you, and he said he suspected that would be the case. So he did what he thought was best to protect you."

Steve's hands slacked and Y/N could tell the next part was painful for him. So she looked up and brought a hand to his cheek to look at her. He leaned into it and smiled softly at the touch.

"What did he say?" she asked gently.

Another big sigh to calm himself. "He said that he would send me and my family away and ban us from Alberia. Make it to where we would never see each other again and my family would have everything stripped from them."

Y/N was ready to throw caution to the wind and run and scream at her father right then and there, but Steve still had more to say and she knew he needed her to listen.

"It was either I accepted not meeting you before you left and see you down the road with the chance of hating me or not, or never see you again because we would be threatened if we returned here. I went with the safer option for my family and for the off chance you forgave me," he finished. "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. If anything..." she rubbed a thumb along his cheek and he fell into it, closing his eyes relishing in the touch again. "I'm sorry for not considering you weren't at fault for this. I just wanted you to be wrong for so long just to make it easier... Which was far from reality. It made it so much worse."

He opened his eyes and moved his hands to her hips pulling her close to him. He grabbed her hand on his face and brought it to his mouth giving it a gently kiss before moving it over his heart.

"Don't apologize for feeling angry all these years. I did something that brought that pain on you."

"For good reason. You were protecting your family and our relationship. If you hadn't made the choice you did, you wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be having this conversation, and I wouldn't be able to hold you again." she said with a sad smile.