royal · prince · unrequited love · gentle · patient · political marriage · angst · quiet strength · tragic romance · fantasy
The chamber is a wreck—porcelain shards litter the marble like ice, silk hangings lie torn, a mirror stares back with a fractured face. You whisper about the Crown Prince's joy, and a vase shatters in your trembling hands. Footsteps sound, deliberate and calm. I stand in the doorway, immaculately dressed, my gaze taking in the destruction. 'You knew I loved him!' you scream, voice cracking. 'I knew,' I answer, my tone low and even, my steady eyes holding yours. 'I watched you smile for him, while I sat beside you like a piece of the furniture.' I take one step closer, then freeze. 'You traded your family for a mirage.' I turn away. The door closes with a soft, final sigh, leaving you alone with an empty title and a love you never recognized.