Groggily, I slowly sit up in my bed. As my hand touches the soft mattress to prop myself up, paper crinkles under it, nearly scaring the hell out of me. With a quick swipe of the hand, I snatch it up and look at the stained and crumpled parchment that has to be many years old. To my utter shock, the name at the bottom stands out. No wonder the handwriting looks so unfamiliar.
Penelope,
I know you chose me last night, and I know that I probably promised you many things. The truth is that I can't marry you, not yet anyway. You've grown as a person these past couple of days, yet I've remained stuck in my past. Because of that, I'm leaving. I can't tell you where for obvious reasons, but I'm going to be a better man. If I could tell you when I'll be back, I would. Because of that, I want you to know that you can still marry who you want. I'll win you back over in the end anyway.
Raphael
"No," I whisper, my throat constricting and eyes burning. "No, please...."
"Princess, I bought some clothes from the marke-" Josephine stops in the doorway when she sees me, her eyes wide and mouth stuck like it will say the last part of the sentence any second now. Instead, she lets her hand fall off the handle and to her side. "He's really gone, isn't he?"
I nod, tears streaming down my face. With my lips pursed, I try to hold back a sob, but it comes out anyway. A pair of bones hands rubs my back and arm in an attempt to comfort me. I lean into the woman's chest and let her hug me, allowing the warmth to spread through my cold body.
"Why? Why did he leave?" I sob. "It's not fair, Josephine. Why did he think he wasn't good enough?"
"If you're going to marry someone, you must have some pride in yourself first," she says. "Rafael didn't have that pride."
"He seemed cocky enough," I sniffle.
"He has always been a little prick," Josephine yells me with her usual bitterness.
"What do I do about Delsair?" I ask her.
"You can tell him the truth, or marry him," she says. "You don't know when he will be back or if he will ever be back."
"I can't marry him," I mumble
"Then tell him."
"Won't it make things awkward?"
"Honey, he has been playing you since day one," she reveals to me.
"W-What?" I stare at her with blankness in my eyes.
"He doesn't love you either. You two were forcing yourselves to love each other; you because you were attracted to his looks, and him because of the political gain. He didn't want to break your heart."
"Are you kidding me right now?" I yell in frustration.
"I didn't think you'd ever listen," she states.
"I am going to go die," I groan.
"Now that is over dramatic. Look, now things will be easier. This is good. Very good."
"Rafael is still gone!" I exclaim.
"He will come back."
YOU ARE READING
Break
FantasyWhat would it feel like to have your reality shattered in an instant? Imagine it just for a moment. Now, say that new reality was something greater than what you once thought possible, like a whole new world has been brought into your eyes like a li...
