Laurent, sitting in the carriage that will take him home, opened his palm. The necklace Victoria wore dangled between his fingers.
It was a circular pendant, the metal a faded silver, with a single outline of a wave in the middle. His fingers shook as he opened it. Inside was a picture of the two of them, his arm around her shoulder as they gazed at one another. Even through the picture, he could see the admiration glimmering in his own brown and red eyes, the happiness shining in her turquoise ones. They both had genuine smiles on their faces, looking for all the world like they cared about nothing and no one else but each other.
Laurent remembered the exact moment the picture was taken: it was the first time he realized he loved the Princess of Water. He liked her for a long time before, but when he saw the hope and joy in her eyes, he knew.
Closing his hand around the necklace, Laurent pulled his legs onto the seat and bowed his head between his knees. He did not need his father seeing him cry.
He will forever cherish the necklace, wear it every moment of every hour every single day for the rest of his lonely, miserable life.
Without her, that is what his life was: a miserable darkness.
After their dance, when Victoria had kissed him, he felt as if he were the prince in the tales he loved to read. He imagined he was the warrior the princess had chosen and they would have a happy life from that moment on. No more battling to prove his strength and love. He was the one she wanted as her prince.
He felt as if he had finally found heaven on earth.
But it was no heaven.
It was hell disguised as heaven.
And his life was no fairy tale, he was no prince. He was the villain who ended up with the worst, most painful punishment ever imaginable.
His life was no fairy tale.
In the tales, the dark overlord falls, revealed as the villain and the king is made a hero.
In the tales, the prince valiantly battles the villain, swinging his sword with ferocity, gracious like Bellona's bridegroom.
In the tales, the princess never dies.
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A short chapter to end part 1. :)
What do you guys think so far?
Part 2 is on the way!
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Prince of Fire
FantasyOne day, he is only a Prince. The next, the future of their continent depends on him. In a world blessed by the gods, an identityless conqueror usurps the thrones of Inahar one by one. It all started in the kingdom of Mora ten years ago. The roya...
