Conquering The Throne...And His Heart

Chapter XIII

Late that night, I awoke from bed, feeling as though I could not breathe. I decided to take a walk around the castle.
I found myself back at the balcony where I had formally met Dario for the first time.
The thought of our kiss burned through my mind.
The thought of me marrying Guillermo was like a nightmare. I did not want to marry him. He was a monster.
And my father, looking down from heaven, did he still wish for me to marry Guillermo?
I looked up at the stars.
"Father, give me a sign that you are still watching over me" I said, my eyes searching the sky for a gleam, a flash, anything!
A warm breeze hit me, sending comfort into me.
"I know this was what you wished for, but I do not love him, and he does not love me" I whispered to the sky.
"I love another man, his name is Dario father, he is tall, handsome, brave and strong. He knows me better than Guillermo ever will and respects my opinions" I continued resting my elbows on the railing of the balcony.
"But I do have a fear father," I said sighing.
"What if he does not love me the same way?" I whispered, full of fear.
"But I do" Dario's voice came from behind me. I turned around and saw him, standing tall and proud, his eyes fixed on me. I hurried towards him and without hesitation threw my arms around him. I buried my face in his chest and sobbed, feeling calmer with his warm embrace.
"You cannot marry him Cornelia" Dario said, kissing the top of my head.
"Report him for what he has done to you" he said pulling away from our hug and staring into my eyes.
"I cannot" I whispered, shaking my head.
"Why is that?" He asked me, holding my face in his hands.
"What if he hurts me again?" I asked Dario, my eyes wide.
"I will not let him" Dario promised me. He kissed my forehead softly and hovered the bridge of his nose over my forehead. "You will always be safe with me" he whispered, his warm breath sending my heart racing.
"I believe you" I whispered back. His warm embrace was all I needed to stay sane. It was as if we had gone to a whole other world and Guillermo had never existed to begin with.
"If you report him, you will not be queen, Amelia will..are you aware of that?" Dario asked, pulling his face away from mine and looking deep into my eyes.
"I do not care for the throne, Dario. It was never my intention to marry for power" I told him. He stared at me hard and then shook his head and laughed softly.
"Of course not, but you went along with it" he said. I nodded.
"It was the only way I could marry" I said. Dario frowned.
"I do not understand," he started. "Why would a woman as beautiful as yourself be so worried about being married?" Dario asked me.
"My father," I said and swallowed hard. "He was on his death bed when he promised me to Guillermo. It was his last wish that I marry well so that I would never struggle to live" I explained. "If my father had not chosen my husband before his death, I would never have the chance to be wed" I said. Dario nodded.
"After you report him, do you plan on staying in Agea?" He asked me. I sighed and walked to the balcony.
"No" I said softly. "I wish to go back to Spain, my beautiful country"
"I am sure the queen would be fine with you staying in Agea, in the castle even!" Dario said, his voice low.
"I would not be able to" I said turning to look at him. Dario stepped forward, his body inches from mine.
"Why not?" he asked.
"I would have to live with the temptation of being with you, and that would be seen as unacceptable" I said shaking my head. Dario cupped my face with his hands.
"No one would have to know" he said softly.
"Someone would eventually" I reminded him. "No secret can last forever" I pointed out.
"But this would be just between you" Dario paused and moved closer to me. "And me" he finished, his hands sliding down my arms and wrapping around my waist. I swallowed hard and looked up into his beautiful eyes.
"What if we were to be discovered? What of us then?" I asked him seriously. He opened his mouth to speak when suddenly someone cleared their throat behind Dario.
My heart dropped.
Dario instantly let go of me and turned to face the person. Eduardo.
"Eduardo" Dario said cooly, placing his hands on his hips.
"What is wrong with Cornelia? She looks pale" Eduardo said crossing his arms and studying us closely.
"She was feeling dizzy" Dario said quickly.
"Perhaps we should take her to the medic?" Eduardo said. I held onto the railing of the balcony and shook my head.
"No, it will not be necessary" I said quickly, feeling winded. "I will just return to my bedchamber" I finished.
"But my ailing beloved sister in law" Eduardo said suspiciously. "If you are feeling ill-" he started.
"I will be fine" I cut him off, looking intently at him.
"Very well then" Eduardo said, a smirk on his face. "It just concerns me" he paused. "What made you so lightheaded my dear Cornelia?" He asked mockingly. I swallowed hard and did not break our intense stare.
I would not cower down to Eduardo, because then he would suspect more than he already did.
"I will take Cornelia back to her bed chamber, please, ask a server to bring her a glass of water" Dario broke the silence, holding my elbow.
"Of course" Eduardo said and turned on his heels, walking back into the castle haughtily. Dario turned to look at me, concern all over his face.
I reached up to hold my head, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. My heart was racing and my head was spinning. How much had Eduardo heard?