{ Ehann: }
Chapter 28
The prince felt his heart stop beating, immediately he looked at his mother.
And then then he looked towards Agatha, she seemed to have the same thoughts as him.
Then he looked at the one person he feared looking at the most, Aelius.
He seemed, motionless. You couldn't read his face at all. Which only worried the prince more than anything.
Forget the grand ball, forget the unexpected marriage, forget... just everything.
The only thought that came to his mind was to get to Aelius and get things understood.
Quickly, when everyone was done talking. He moved away from everyone and followed Aelius outside in the hall.
Was he planning on leaving? Just like that? Who was the woman he was dancing with? His new lover? It all went to fast to process.
He felt like crying.
"Aelius." He called out.
And Aelius kept walking, even faster than before.
"Aelius!" He shouted.
Nothing.
So he did the only thing he could think of, grab his arm and pin him in a wall.
The prince stared at the person underneath him, he kept his eyes closed.
This hurt the prince even more.
"Please.." The prince pleaded.
"Look at me."
Nothing.
"..I'm begging you, even a glance will do."
"Just.. please show me you're listening."
And finally, Aelius opened his eyes. The moment he did tears started in his eyes, and droplets started to fall, but not a sound was heard.
This was the final straw, and he too. Started crying with him.
"I- i didn't know about it okay?.." The prince cried out.
"I barely even know of this, if i had known sooner i would have- "
"You would have what?" Aelius spat out.
"Stopped the wedding?" He questioned.
"...."
"You're a prince for god's sake Ehann."
"If anything I'm the one who's at fault, the difference between us is so obvious even a stray cat could tell the difference."
"I should have never gotten you to love me, i should have left you alone after the first confession. I should have-"
"Please stop-" The prince cut him off.
Aelius looked at him deep in the eye and furrowed his brows, then sadly looked away.
"I decided to love you, regardless of me being a prince. I just.. didn't expect this to go away so soon." He sadly smiled.
"I'll find a way." Aelius stated.
The prince looked at Aelius straight in the eye, then breathed out a laugh.
"Way to what?" He huffed out.
"To stop you're wedding."
"You're marbles."
They both tearily smiled at eatchother, Aelius quickly looked around the hallway, then looked back at the prince.
And swiftly, he kissed the prince.
The prince embraced the kiss like his life depended on it. It could be the last kiss they could ever share together, so he wanted to remember the feeling of it at least one more time.
With every movement the kiss got deeper. But it wasn't a sexual kind of deeper.
This one was different than other times, this one felt like if he was being protected, he could live with this feeling forever. And for a moment he forgot where they were all- together.
The prince was the first to break the kiss, he would love to continue on and do more. But due to the circumstances.
It wasn't ever the right time.
"Are you.. going to stay ?" The prince worryingly spoke.
"I.. i wasn't going to. But for you, always."
"Let's go back then."
The prince knew this wasn't going to last long, he's always correct with things or assumptions.
But this time, he wished he wasn't correct. It hurt him knowing he was correct, regardless the obvious fact between them.
The prince glanced at Aelius sadly.
He had to end it. He knew he did, he just didn't know how. With all the stuff that happened in seconds, he doesn't know how to picture everything yet.
His brain was fuzzy, and his eyes were blurry. He wiped away his dried tears attempting to hide any evidence of him crying.
"You alright?" Aelius stared at him seriously.
"Just thinking."
"I'll just stay with my family, if you don't mind."
"Sure, I'll just stay with mine as well." Ehann mumbled.
He looked around the place searching for a familiar face. It took him a while but he found his brother talking with Vincent.
At a distance, his brother looked dozed off. While Vincent just looked at him sadly.
It seemed like everyone was off that night, he hasn't even seen Agatha since the announcement. And he was secretly glad about that.
Not that it's a good thing. He just didn't want to see her at the moment.
"Timothy." He called out.
"Ah, dear brother what can I do for you?"
"Can I just stay with you for a while?
It's quite uncomfortable being here now." He awkwardly laughed.
"..Of course."
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Two weeks had passed now.
And the prince couldn't ever feel worse.
He'd been dozing on and off quite oftenly, and his lack of sleep hasn't been helping either.
He's getting married, but that's not what bothered him the most; he knew he was getting married one day.
Just didn't expect it to be so soon. And with Agatha nevertheless.
He looked at the view around him, he was at the field he had shown Agatha almost a year ago.
He doesn't know what it is about it but it just cools him off everytime something happens, he knows he should be inside the castle preparing for the wedding.
But he just couldn't face them at the moment, the night the grand ball took hold he told Aelius not to meet him anymore at night.
He had asked why, but the prince just couldn't answer that question. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't break him that easly.
He feels terrible about it, that's an obvious. He had to break it off, the wedding would take place in 4 months.
Plenty of time to figure out how to meet with Aelius. He would understand right?
Ehann looked out into the towns and houses ahead of him.
"Ehann?" A familiar voice spoke.
He slowly turned his head around, he had been silently avoiding this voice for a while. Ironic because he's engaged to them.
He didn't expect to meet with them here though, he just wanted to think of all of it before going back to the castle.
Agatha walked up to the sitting prince and stood next to him. He could feel her hesitation without even looking at her.
"Can I sit here?" She asked.
"Of course princess."
The two stayed there in silence, just staring at the cloudy sky. The prince had a million thoughts run through his mind.
But he had to ask a peculiar question.
"Did you already know about our engagement?"
He looked up at Agatha, she had a worried look on her face and she fiddled with her thumbs.
Looking at her he could already tell the answer. He wasn't mad, or disappointed. Not even sad.
He was just, shocked.
"Since when did you know?"
"The day we first came to you're kingdom."
"I think even before that" She sadly laughed.
She hesitantly looked at him before speaking again. Reaching for his hand.
And who was he to reject a lady's hand?
"Listen." She sadly smiled.
"I know that.. you've been avoiding me. Half the reason i came looking for you here."
"But.. i don't want, our relationship to be akward."
"We can be simple friends, we don't have to love eatchother."
Ehann looked at her questioningly. He only loved her as a sister, really. But their getting married, he has to try right?
"What do think of me Agatha?" He questioned her.
"What do you mean?" She avoided his gaze.
"I mean... Do you.. love me?"
Agatha turned her face around, he would feel guilty if she wanted something more when he didn't. So if she agreed to his question, he would be willing to give it a chance.
"I do... But i don't want to force you into loving me."
"I'll be willing to love you, Agatha. You don't need to worry about it." He warmly smiled at her.
Agatha smiled at him before laughing and looking down at the grass, the prince couldn't help but curiously laugh with her.
"What?" He giggled.
"Nothing! We're just.. were getting married!"
"I think that's very clear!"
"You're so beautiful, did you know that prince?"
That brought back memories of Aelius, which only made him ponder of how to break it off. Immediately, he felt like crying.
But he wasn't going to cry Infront of Agatha, that would be wrong.
The time he spent with Aelius went by so quickly, and everything was starting to blur, he hated it.
He knew this would happen. He knew it! And he hated the fact that he knew.. it was all like a very good dream you'll never remember again.
If only he could cherish the time they had together one last time, just once.
Just for a second.
What they did in the hallway that night at the ball was a risk, someone could have caught them.
Being together only makes them do crazy things for one another, which only gives another reason why they should stop it.
"Ehann?"
"Hm?"
"You dozed off for a second there." She giggled.
"Oh.. sorry. Just remembered some things."
Agatha seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if she were to say something to what he said.
She looked out into the towns, then looked at him with sad eyes.
"Let's go back Ehann, their probably looking for us right now."
"Anything for you princess."