9: A miserable Love

Heather's POV

Prince Keith was waiting outside the garden for me. He had a displeased look on his face and I knew that he wished he were anywhere else but with me. I loathed him too. It was not like he had done anything to me but him having problems with all the important people in his life for a woman that clearly didn't like him as much was not a good sign.

"Well, that took you long enough!" He yelled at me as I got close to him.

"Look, Prince Keith, I know you would rather not be here right now, I also share a mutual feeling. I don't care what you choose to do with your life. This is the first real time I can say that I am really free but even that, I am still saddled with responsibilities that I do not want to bear" I said in one breath, barely able to catch it when I was done.

He stared at me, his mouth half opened. I could get that he was stunned since he had not been expecting me to say all of that to him. I was shocked myself, I didn't know that I had that fire in me but if there is anything that I have come to learn in the last few days, it is that you are the author of your own life. So this was the only life I got so I was going to do my best with it.

"Never knew you had it in you. Might I ask you, fairest of them all, why you are not head over heels in love with me? I am the most perfect man that there is, if you ask me" he said, his ego sounding bruised.

"Are you serious right now? That is what you are concerned with in all of this? For someone who pretends to be crippled and has half of his face destroyed, you do have some nerves!" I retorted angrily, I was shocked that my rejection had gotten to him.

"Humor me, Princess Heather," he said, insisting that I answered his question.

"Look, I'm not interested in you or any other man for that matter. I simply wanted to be allowed to live. My life has to be mine and I am learning to make better choices for myself" I said and he shook his head.

"So you don't want me at all? Like if I ordered you to strip for me now, you won't gladly do it?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"Why the hell would I do something that ridiculous?" I asked him, amused by his trail of thoughts. He didn't seem flustered, merely held my gaze looking at me like I had grown two heads.

"You are sure?" He said and even pouted a little.

"Yes, I am," I said and scrunched my face in disgust.

"I would like to say I don't believe you and you are the first person to have such a nasty thought about not wanting me. Every woman I have met has swooned over me" he gloated.

"Well, Prince Keith, how many women have you met in this state of yours?” my eyes darted over his whole features, what kind of woman will be head over heels for a crippled man with a half-destroyed face.

“You might never know my dearest princess Heather but I am a man you can’t meet and not swoon,” his ego! Piss! It pisses me off the more.

“Oh, I see… I can imagine how perfect you must have thought you were,” I mumbled but he heard me and burst into short laughter, I was shocked to see him laugh over something I had said.

Was he drunk?”

He said nothing after and for a while I just stood staring at the cloud, I got tired and decided to sit on. A chair close to his wheel. I noticed Prince Keith kept looking at me, his eyes narrowing at me with every move I made.

“Do I annoy you that much?” He asked and I tilted my head to look at him.

“Yes you do, you are the most annoying person I have ever met.”

“I have to admit that, everyone says the same.” He replied and looked at the sky. A lot of questions swirl in my mind at once. I wanted to ask him why he had a disguise, I wanted to ask why he was so rude to almost everyone, I wanted to ask what is his relationship with the king and why was he put in the neglected section of the palace.

A lot of questions swirled into my mind at once but I knew better than to ask them. “Do you have a dream?” He suddenly asked and I cleared my throat.

“I do have a dream to be free away from you,” I replied narrowing my eyes at him but not for once did he turn to look at me.

“A real dream, Heather,” he replied and I let out a sigh.

“Well… I don’t know, I am not sure.” I was never really allowed to dream, I have lived in Debra’s shadow, my father didn’t care enough about me nor did my stepmother, I was just a bonus to the family.”

“What about you? Do you have a dream?” I asked before he could respond, I didn’t want him to ask why I didn’t know a bit about my dreams.

“I do have a dangerous dream, Heather,” he replied with his gaze locked on mine, I felt my heart skip a beat with the way he looked at me. I knew whatever was in his mind was no good.

“I am not surprised you have a dangerous dream, you are already dangerous,” I replied and he smiled faintly saying nothing. We sat down in a comfortable silence and I was shocked that it didn’t feel as bad like the way I had expected, his presence wasn’t annoying. Of course, it wasn’t annoying because he wasn’t speaking, the moment Prince Keith opened his mouth, it was all gone.

“So… how come I got Heather instead of Debra?” He suddenly asked, breaking the silence between us and I shrugged

“My family thinks I am the best person to acquire this princess position,” I replied sarcastically and he was quiet, looking at me, it felt like he could open me up and see what was going through my mind.

“Acquire the position of a wife of a crippled ugly-looking prince?” He asked and I nodded. I understood the look on his face, the look that showed that he doesn’t find my family interesting, and neither do I. I didn’t fancy them also.

“Why do you decide to do this, I mean deceiving everyone in your family that you can’t walk and you have your face damaged,” I said and he looked away from me. “I mean, it’s surprising that your woman knows nothing about it too. I’m just curious.”

“I am sure you are not ready for what the answer is,” he replied and I burst into laughter, lolling my head back. He found my reaction amusing as I saw the lingering smile at the corner of his lips.

“I can assure you that no one is as ready as me,” I replied and he gently rested his cheek on her palm, his gaze on me.

“Are you always like this back home?” He asked and I shook my head.

“Of course not. I was never allowed to express myself freely,” I replied and stood up stretching my body while his eyes were still on me, he looked like he was trying to read me but I certainly do not care.

“Why don’t we take a walk around the garden and we can return to the palace, I am already tired,” I suddenly said and he nodded.

He rolled his shell while I gently walked beside him, I wondered how he felt so comfortable rolling the wheel every day, or have he was able to keep up with the pretense for a lot of years. If he was this good keeping the truth of his identity to himself that means his family never really cared about him. I wanted to ask him questions again but I knew I had to respect his wish since he wasn’t okay with it.

I noticed he suddenly stopped his wheel and I tilted my head to look at him. “Is everything okay?” I asked and he turned to look at me.

“Do you mind… let’s be friends?” His words caused shock to freeze me for a moment.

“Oh! I thought we were husband and wife forcefully, so why friendship?” He rolled his eyes at me.

“It doesn’t mean anything Heather, the friendship will help us live without interfering in each other life, regardless of what our packs want.

“True,” I smiled and pulled ed out my hand. “I will be your friend,” I muttered and his smile grew bigger.

Never knew Keith could smile.