To Win the Prince's Hand

Chapter 29

 29.

It was three days after I’d come to that realization in the kitchen. Three long, anxious days. Everyone was confused as to why I had been acting so jumpy lately, and even I didn’t know why.

I guessed it was because I was always scared to run into Gabriel or I was scared the others might find out the truth. Either way, I was relieved to be left totally alone today for the first time in my room after dinner ended.

I had been sitting in my room trying to read a book for the last half hour to no avail. I hadn’t been able to focus at all. My mind kept returning to Gabriel, and that was when I made my decision.

I needed to see him for myself. So, that was how I found myself wandering around the castle. No one else knew where he went other than they’d checked the forest and tower and his room.

Martha was the only one who knew, and she refused to tell me other than saying, “Think, dear. You already know.”

And it had taken me until tonight to realize what that meant. I had a guess as to where he was, and my feet brought me to the garden even as my mind protested.

I didn’t truly know what being nervous or scared or whatever felt like until now. The hedge that I would simply have to push aside to enter was only a few feet away, but I was frozen in place.

Now that I liked him, I had double the rejection to face, and I knew it. I was more nervous that I probably should have been, and after staring at the hedge for several minutes, I took my first step forward.

I didn’t let myself stop to think twice, just walking until I reached the green wall. With one deep breath to steady myself, I pushed it back and stepped through.

Gabriel’s eyes snapped to mine as we stared at each other, much like the night of the ball. However, now, he looked different. The first word to describe him was tired. There were bags under his green eyes that didn’t look as bright as before. His hair was limp and his clothes seemed to hang off him.

Vacant. That’s what Ethan had described him as. It fit perfectly. He looked nearly dead. And this Gabriel looked so different that the Gabriel I left, filling me with guilt. It was all my fault.

However, I knew he was still there somewhere, and my heart fluttered and my mind pounded with nerves as I just stood there, once again frozen in place. I don’t know how long we stayed there just staring at each other, it could have been seconds or it could’ve been hours for all I knew.

“What do you want?” he snapped, breaking eye contact first. His voice was hoarse as if it had not been used in a while, and he cleared his throat. I opened my mouth to speak, snapping it shut after my brain could come up with no words other than “What am I doing here?”

He was looking down at the ground, still sitting on that bench. I picked at my dress, not looking up at him. What did I want? I guess I just wanted things to go back to normal. Or to apologize. Or get a second chance from him. But instead, I said none of those things.

“Why here?” I asked, my brain obviously not understanding the concept of an answer. He loosely shrugged and I took it as a good sign he hadn’t chased me out yet, giving me the courage to take another step forward.

“No one knows it even exists except you, and you were gone.” The last part was said with a slight amount of bitterness, and I winced.

“Uh… yeah,” I muttered. Is this where I said I was sorry? “About that—“

“How’s Serena?” he cut me off, changing the topic.

“She’s good. She’s back,” I answered. No reply. Step forward. Silence.