''Landing''

Prologue

Alexis watches him leave, tears in her eyes, before turning back to the Castle, refusing to accept that this is the end. "This can't end like this. It just can't.", she thinks, as tears begin to fall and sobs rake her body.

***

Henry rides away, back to where his men are waiting, his heart broken by having to leave Bella and Alexis behind. He signals his men forward, wanting to return home and leave this pain behind.

As he rides down the tree flanked dirt road that eventually will lead him to the border between both Kingdoms, Henry wonders what his life could've been like if he and Bella had had a fair chance at being together, if things didn't get as messy as they did.

He knows that with his reputation it would be an uphill battle, but knowing Bella, it would be one that she would be more than prepared to fight, if it meant they could be together.

Maybe he should turn his horse around and do exactly what Alexis had asked him to do. Maybe he could fight for Bella, show her that the man that Alexander wanted her to believe he was, isn't the man that is so deeply in love with her. Maybe it isn't too late for them.

Henry kicks himself mentally. He knows he's wrong, the damage Alexander did can't be so easily undone. Because of it, Bella will always doubt him, even if it's just a little, when it comes to him and his reputation. There's nothing he can do about that.

He shakes his head and decides that all he can do now is try and forget Bella, allowing time to get things back to what they were before he decided to try to court Bella, no matter how much it hurts.