14: Eyes Of Tears

Heather’s POV

I woke up with a knot in my stomach, feeling too lazy to stand up. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to push away the thoughts that constantly plagued me. I had so many questions about this place, about Prince Keith, about my future. I wanted to know what was going on in the palace, especially after what Molly had told me. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going to be my fate in this place, I was scared if I was going to survive or if a time would come when I need to run away.

Just as I was about to get up and make myself useful, Lucinda entered the room, I figured she was here to serve my breakfast, as she always did but I noticed that her hands were empty.

“Good morning Princess Heather,” Lucinda said softly.

“Good morning, how was your night?” I asked.

“It was fine. Prince Keith is in the garden, waiting for you. He wishes to have breakfast with you.”

“What?” I froze, my eyes a bit widened out of shock.

Prince Keith? Why would he want to meet with me? I know he hates me and wants to stay away from me just the way I want to stay away from him, why did he suddenly changed his mind and wants to have breakfast with me.

“I should get you ready to go and meet him,” Lucinda said taking a step closer but I moved back, unconsciously shielding myself away from her.

“Why does he want to see me?” I asked, my voice a little shakier than I intended.

Lucinda’s face remained unreadable, but her response was quick. “I don’t know, my lady. He just asked to see you.”

I couldn’t help the wave of confusion that swept over me. Why was he suddenly showing interest in me? I didn’t have time to analyze the situation further, though. I needed to go. I didn’t want to be late, or worse, leave him waiting for too long then he would end up lashing out at me.

“Alright,” I said quietly, “I have to change into something better.”

Lucinda waited for me to change what I was wearing before she led me to the garden, which was very beautiful, it was surprising I was only finding out about this place now and it looked like somewhere I don’t mind visiting often.

I noticed the table set up and Prince Keith was sitting there already, his dark gaze fixed on me as I approached. “I will take my leave,” Lucinda said and turned to leave, leaving the both of us.

The moment I sat down, I felt his eyes on me, and it made my skin prickle. I couldn’t help wondering, what was going on in his mind.

“Please, join me,” Prince Keith said, his voice was calm, this was the calmest I have seen him to be ever since I stepped into the palace.

I sat down warily, looking at the breakfast laid out before me, there was an array of fruits, pastries, and eggs. It looked lovely, but I had no appetite. I was too preoccupied with trying to figure out why I was here in the first place.

For a while, we sat in silence, the only sounds around us being the rustling of the leaves and that of the cutleries. I stole glances at him, unsure of what to expect next, wondering if he was waiting for me to speak first.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“I hear your birthday is in two months, Lucinda said you will be eighteen by then, right?”

I almost choked on my drink. Why was he interested in my birthday and why didn’t Lucinda tell me he had such a discussion with him, I gently hit my chest as I cleared my throat.

“Yes my birthday is coming up soon but I will be twenty not eighteen “ I forced a laugh, pretending it was all just a joke. “I was just messing around with Lucinda.”

“How come you haven’t met your mate yet, Heather?” he asked, his voice casual, but the question felt like a knife aimed directly at my chest. “You are nearly twenty. You should have found him by now.”

I felt the blood drain from my face, and my heart pounded in my chest. He couldn’t possibly be serious.

I stared at him, my mouth going dry. Was he really asking me that? Was he really going to bring that up, of all things? The one thing that I had been quietly ashamed of? That I hadn’t found my mate yet, that I was somehow unworthy of that bond? The fact that I had waited for years, thinking that maybe, somehow I would finally meet the person who was meant for me. But that had never happened.

I glared at him, my anger rising and I could barely hold back. “And how come you haven’t found your mate yet?” I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended. “You know considering your age. Or is it Nyles?”

There was a brief moment of silence, and I could see the surprise flash across his face. He hadn’t expected my response. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Heather, I was just…” I cut him short, unable to hold his gaze any longer. I stood up, my chair scraping loudly against the stone floor.

“I’m full, I will go back to my room,” I said curtly.

I turned away from him and walked off before he could say anything. My heart pounded in my ears, and I tried to swallow the tears that threatened to spill. Why did he have to bring that up? Why did he need to humiliate me like that?

I didn’t stop walking until I was back in my room, slamming the door shut behind me. The anger and frustration boiled over, and before I could even stop myself, tears were spilling from my eyes. I collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow, and sobbed. I should have met my mate by now.

I had spent years thinking that when I turned eighteen, my mate would appear. That there would be someone who would accept me, who would make me feel whole. But it never happened. Instead, I was here, in this palace with a stranger I knew nothing about but he earned the husband title.

I don’t know how long I lay there, crying before I finally wiped my tears away. When I had gathered myself, I decided to leave the room. I needed to distract myself and get my mind off everything. Lucinda had shown me where the library was, and I figured I could spend some time there, lost in the pages of a book, away from all of this chaos.

I walked quietly through the halls, my footsteps echoing loudly. Remembering I had the intention of finding and knowing everything going on in the palace, I decided to look for a book that would tell me anything about the old emperor and the history of the palace.

I searched through the shelves, my fingers brushing against the spines of the book until I found one that seemed to promise the answers I needed. A smile graced my face knowing that I had something that was going to occupy my time for now.

Just when I wanted to walk out of the library, one of the guards approached me. “Princess Heather,” he said, his voice polite. “You have a letter from your family.”

My heart skipped a beat. A letter? From home? Eagerly, I took the letter from him, no one had cared to ask about me since I moved into the palace and it almost seemed that I was forgotten, the fact that my family remembered to send me a letter made me happy and also filled me with anxiety at the same time.

“Thank you,” I said and he nodded walking away.

I quickly made my way out of the library and made my way back into my room, I locked the door and sat down on the bed, my hands trembling as I was ready to open the letter.

I sat frozen in place, as I read the words that were scribbled into the paper, my hands shaking as the tears began to fall again. Finding it hard to believe my family could have sent this to me.

The words blurred in front of me, and the paper softly fell from my hand, my body shook as I burst into tears wondering what have I done to deserve this ill treatment from the very people I call family.

Just when I was wallowing on my sorrow, feeling pity and at the same time hating my very existence, I held someone called out to me, “Heather?”