WRONG #complete

Chapter Twenty Eight

The door shut firmly behind him and he leaned back against it as his tears blurred his vision. Had he been wrong to turn her away? He ran his hand through his golden locks and sighed. The look on her face when he asked her to leave broke his heart so much, he could hardly stand. While he was left with no other choice but to send her away, it had taken everything in him to turn his back and walk away.

He had so much to deal with and emotionally, he was not sound. Not only was his father dying, the kingdom was falling apart and the fault could be laid solely at his feet.

He placed his hand on his chest and felt her pendant lying securely in between his breasts. He reached for it and pulled it out.

“If I don't see you again, I hope you never forget me” He heard her tearful voice.

“How can I forget you, Princess? How can I ever get past you when I love you so dearly?” He whispered to the pendant as his lips brushed against it.

Tucking it safely in his pant pocket, he strode back to his father's bed chamber. 

The king, while weak, stared at him as he approached.

“Father” He forced a smile. “You should rest”

“There will be time for that, Mark” He managed. “Where is she, the Princess?”

“Her presence here is dangerous. I sent her back”

“But you will go to her?”

He shook his head. His family and his kingdom needed him. He was tired of being selfish, he needed to place other people's needs above his own.

“Oh Mark” The king heaved a breath. “The princess, she risked everything to come here. She must love you.”

“She does” He smiled to himself. She loved him but he had shoved her love in her face. “But it is of no importance now, Father. My concern is your health. I cannot seem to find out why you were coughing up blood”

“We will make peace with Celin”

Had the king just said what he thought he heard him say? He shook his head. “You will rest, Father” He needed to rest himself for he was hearing things.

“Mark, I am not getting better but I must try to sort things out before I die. I am king and I have some privileges, one of which is the making of decrees. Because your Princess cared enough to risk her life to come here, I will make a royal decree ordering the soldiers of Graceland to return from battle and I will put my royal seal on a peace treaty which you will take to the king of Celin to approve of”

Mark could not believe what his father was saying. The war could end? The king was willing to broker peace? It took everything in him not to leap for joy.

“Father, how may I thank you?”

“You may begin by bringing my royal seal to me, Mark” The King managed a smile.

Sealed peace treaty in hand, the king swore Mark to secrecy; no one was to hear about it until Mark could take it to Celin for the king to sign.

With a smile on his face, Mark sat in bed imagining what it would be like for both kingdoms to finally be at peace. Of great importance was the fact that his marriage to Eve could finally come to fruition.

But would Eve ever forgive him for turning her away when he did? He obviously did not deserve her forgiveness but he would do everything he could to make her his for he loved her beyond words.

He heard a loud knock on his door that made him jump to his feet and throw the doors open. 

“Your Majesty, His Royal Highness is dead.”

****

The sun blazed with an intensity that reflected Eve's anger. Struggling to control her breathing, Eve marched down the streets of Graceland, kicking every pebble in her path. Her long dress swept the streets, retaining dirt on it's fringes. With face red from anger and flaring nostrils, she could barely see the path before her.

She would return to Celin, to her kingdom, after such great rejection by Mark, and would choose a husband.

Images of all the Princes that had come to seek her hand in marriage flashed through her mind. She tried to focus on all of them and pick the best of all evils. She sighed. It would be a difficult task but she would scale through it for she was left with no other choice but to get married and forget Mark. She would forget the man who told her that he was wrong to fall in love with her. The man who rejected her, who humiliated her and sent his slave to escort her!

She turned to Alex.

“Alexander, leave, return to the palace. I came here myself, I shall return to Celin without an escort”

“Princess, the Prince ordered me...” The gentle giant began but she waved him off.

“I will not hear another word of Mark. You leave now”

She turned and walked briskly away. While it might take another hour to get to the sea port, she would manage. She needed the long walk to clear her mind of Mark.

Taking a turn, her legs flew off the ground and she was all of a sudden on a horse. Shocked, strong hands clasped her lips as the horse galloped into a run.

She made a failed attempt at screaming as the hand maintained it's position on her lips. She raised her hand and tried to release her lips but was unsuccessful.

Deciding that she could not get whoever it is to release her lips, she shoved him in his stomach. Reeling with pain, the stranger released his hold on her briefly enough for her to let out an ear piercing scream.

The hands clasped her waist and she yelled some more.

“Unhand me immediately!” She cried.

The horse came to a halt in a dark corner and the stranger dismounted, pulling her along.

Her eyes darted from left to right, in a frantic effort to escape. Calm down, Eve. Remember what Father said, never show fear, be brave and fight until you win. She reminded herself.

“What might you want? Speak now and you have my word...”

Male laughter followed her words. She shut her eyes, frightened.

“I do not require your gold, Princess. It is your life I seek”

She gasped and her eyes flew open as she came face to face with her kidnapper for the first time. She stared at the man before her who looked oddly familiar. Mark. He bore a striking resemblance to Mark.

“The Prince, you might know him. I am a friend” She tried to reason with him. Perhaps if he knew she had a relationship with Mark, he might spare her.

Angry green eyes looked menacingly at her. “The Prince has ordered your death”