The True Story of Love

Destiny's Rose - [7]

“I heard you call him,” the soldier pointed to Sam then Cole, “the Prince's name.”

Tension filled the air while Sam and Cole stayed silent.

“We need to tell him,” Cole said to Sam in a low voice.

“What? No! Do you have any idea what might happen to me?” Sam exclaimed in a whisper.

“Maybe he won't tell. We need his help,” Cole said, trying to convince Sam.

“No! Cole, you can't do this to me,” Sam pleaded. How could this be happening? He had tried so hard to conceal everything. He had been so careful.

“Why did you just call him Cole?” the soldier cut in, looking between the two boys.

“I am the real Prince Cole,” Cole said, stepping forward. To the soldier he looked brave, but to Sam he looked like a young boy hoping to escape punishment.

“Is this true?” the soldier asked, his eyes narrowed at Sam.

Sam gave a hopeless sigh and nodded.

“Why?”

both Cole and Sam were stunned. Why wasn't he questioning them? Why did he believe them so readily?

Sam spoke first, “Cole doesn't want to marry the princess, so I took his place.”

The soldier looked to Cole for confirmation. Cole could only nod weekly. How could this have happened? How did he not see this coming? He was so ignorant to think no one would find out. He should have just married the princess. He shouldn't have caused this much of a stir. He should call it off. Surely Sam would be relieved. They had to stop this pretending. Cole was too afraid of what might happen next.

“What a fine boggle you two have gotten me into,” the soldier grumbled, running his fingers through his hair. What was he to do now?

“Don't say anything, then,” Sam suggested. They had come too far for one soldier to ruin everything. Sam wasn't going to back down, nor let Cole back down. They were sticking through this.

The soldier shot him a disbelieving look.

“You want me to pretend I don't know your secret?”

Sam nodded. 

The soldier laughed at the simplicity of the solution, “No can do. I'm gonna help you boys.”

It was Cole and Sam's turn to give the disbelieving look.

After a quick moment of consideration, Sam nodded, “Alright, how are you going to do that?”

Cole turned to Sam in shock. He wasn't supposed to let anyone else get involved! It was only supposed to be Cole and Sam. That was it. How could he handle another person getting jumbled up in his ludicrous plan? 

Seeing Cole's nearly self-loathing expression, Sam turned to him, “Stop that. Stop that right now. You're about to say something utterly idiotic about not letting this man help or keeping this between us. You're going to claim that you don't want to hurt anyone else or bring another person in. Don't do it. Ever since you first asked me for help, we have been in this together. Now we need to let this soldier help us. I don't care what you have to say about your moronic 'plan' because you no longer have a plan. You know as well as I do that this was doomed from the start. Now I need you to put faith in me, believe that maybe I might be able to save both our skins. The only way I can save us, though, is letting this man help us.”

For the second time since Cole had been told of his engagement, Sam had left him speechless. Cole couldn't believe he had been so ignorant. Sam was right. Sam was always right. Cole only nodded. How could he say no? It was silly to think they didn't need help. Cole had no idea what he was doing.