Ariella (Princesses Uncovered #3)

Chapter 19

Ciara fingered her locket, curling her lip in disgust. Tobias had done it. He really did run off with Ari – a girl who was supposedly royalty, but who, in Ciara’s opinion, anyway, was no better than the other kitchen drudges were.

To think that the girl had the impudence to take Ciara’s rightful place at Tobias’s side. She’d had the nerve to swim off with Tobias and now Ciara was once again left behind. Rejected. As always.

It smarted. She’d spent two years trying to find someone to marry, and her mother had always had her eye on Leander’s son. Ciara hadn’t cared about that. But she had been attracted to the idea of power and wealth. Her mother’s dreams, really, but Ciara had adopted them as her own.

Until now. Now she just hoped that Tobias wouldn’t come back at all because she couldn’t stand the thought that he would reject her. She couldn’t count on her fingers how many times men had rejected her. Time and again she had believed that she would be married to someone, and they had broken the engagement off at the last minute.

She had loved some of them. But eventually, after enough times of being cast off, she had become hard and bitter. She had stopped expecting them to love her and no longer really believed they would go through with the engagement and marry her.

So why did she feel so downcast and jealous because Tobias had dumped her and gone off with Ari? She had known from the start that he didn’t love her. He’d never lied to her about that. Not even to please his father. So why did she feel betrayed? Because I had hoped that finally, after two years of this sort of thing happening, I had found a marriage where I could find – if not happiness – stability. Only I didn’t find it. Because just like always, I’ve been cast off and rejected.

She could taste bile in her mouth, and then the tears came. She rushed out of her house and into the garden, her heart pounding. She bumped into her brother, Damon, who took her shoulders and led her to a bench in a quiet corner. He put his arms around her, not saying anything.

He knew why she was crying. He’d seen those other men reject her, and he understood the hurt in her heart. He had married the woman of his dreams by now, but he could see the pain Ciara was going through – had been going through – and his heart ached for her.

When she stopped crying, he handed her a piece of seaweed for a tissue. He rubbed her back soothingly. “You going to be alright?”

She shook her head. “Tobias rejected me, just like everyone else. What’s wrong with me, Damon? Am I damaged in some way? Ugly maybe or offensive?”

Damon shook his head. “No, of course not…”

“Then why am I cursed to be rejected by every man I am to marry?” She sobbed.

“Ciara, you just haven’t found the right one yet. That’s all.” Damon whispered.

“I don’t think there is a right one, Damon.” She whispered, wiping her eyes and swimming away out of the garden.

Damon’s hand fell into his lap. “Tobias, you are going to be sorry you hurt my little sister!” He whispered. “She’s been hurt far too many times, and you’re the last person who will hurt her if I have any say about it.”

***

Tobias spotted a shape torpedoing through the water towards them.

He moaned. “Looks like we weren’t fast enough.”

Ari turned to see what he meant. “Your father?”

Tobias nodded, sighing. “We better speed up and hope we can get away.” He tugged her forward.

“Tobias, wait… He’s alone. Maybe he isn’t here to hurt us or take us back. Maybe… Maybe we should listen to whatever he’s come to say.”

Tobias hesitated. “I don’t want to hear what he has to say.” He looked away. “I’m tired of being hurt by him, and he’s not taking you away from me again.” His hand applied steady pressure on her hand, but he didn’t move away through the water again.

“Tobias…” Ari murmured. “I know he’s hurt you, but maybe he knows that. Maybe he’s here to fix things.”

Tobias looked at the sand beneath his fins. He looked up at his father’s rapidly growing figure. “Maybe… But I don’t know if I can face him… After everything he did to you…” His voice was soft.

Ari nodded, rubbing his back. “I know, Tobias. But sometimes you just have to face things you can’t face. I’m here. I won’t leave you to deal with it alone.” She laid her head on his shoulder, trying to emanate warmth and support.

He straightened, taking a deep breath. “Okay.” He murmured. “But only because you asked.”

Ari hugged him.

He embraced her as well, and together they waited for Tobias’s father to reach them.