Leah tried to remain indifferent to the letter but she couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe Leonidas's audacity. How could he just tell her he loves her after he made her leave Drastos?
Her heart was already broken and it felt like it was beyond the point of repair. However, she decided to write him her own letter.
Dear Leonidas,
I'm sorry but I can't ever come back to Drastos. You seem to have no regard for my feelings and only seem to care about yourself. You have broken my heart and a simple letter will not fix our relationship. I have already found another fiance so I suggest that you also move on. I simply cannot just come back to you. I have however decided to forgive you to some extent and as my wedding is coming up soon and it's tradition to invite the leaders of all the kingdoms, feel free to stop by. Perhaps, one day I can forgive you but as of now, I will not enjoy your company. I can no longer stay by your side for you have hurt me far too much.
Sincerely,
Leah
She did not really want to send the letter but knew she had to. Her heart was still frozen over. The memories of him flooded through her head but all she could focus on was her ever-increasing pain. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that Chase was the one for her, she couldn't help but think of the man who she had once loved so dearly with all her heart.
It seems as if she didn't know what love was. She had been brought up to know that love was eternal happiness and bliss and her relationship with Leonidas certainly didn't reflect that. It was as if when she was with him she felt safe and loved but she couldn't remember that feeling since she had left Drastos. After all, she was just a "foolish young girl".
She handed the letter to one of the guards who would make sure that it reached the prince. She then found Chase in one of the grand rooms playing the piano.
"You play so beautifully"
"Not as beautiful as you"
"Do you mind if I join you, I love this song"
Leah sat down on the piano bench with Chase and started playing a duet with him. They were playing a popular song composed by Leah's father before he had died. When they ended the song, Leah leaned her head onto Chase's shoulder.
"You wouldn't leave me right"
"Leah... I would never leave you. You are my everything right now. You have been since I first set eyes on you"
"Do you really mean that? You won't ever push me away"
"You have nothing to worry about, my future wife"
"Oh, that's right I needed to tell you that the preparations for the wedding were already done. I can't believe that we're getting married next week"
"Yes, next week your name will be Leah Wilder, Queen of Alriya and Hydreas"
"And you, Chase Wilder, King of Hydreas and Alriya"
Chase knew what he was doing. He was making sure that he was securing the trust of the only woman he could use to help his kingdom. Yet, something inside him made him feel like it wasn't just an act, that he was actually falling in love with the woman he needed to betray.
Meanwhile, in Drastos, Leonidas was opening Leah's letter. As he read through it, he realized how badly he had messed up. All this time, he had believed that he was one going through an unbearable amount of pain but he had never even considered what he had done to her.
He had to go see her in person and show her how much he regretted pushing her away. What if she really did love Chase? That was impossible, he thought. Her heart belonged to him and he belonged to her.
The week had blown by like the wind on the day of the wedding. Leah had just put on her dress and glanced at herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe that it was finally her wedding day and yet her thoughts couldn't help but linger on a certain prince and it wasn't the one that she was about to marry.
Her dress was made of delicate lace, was cinched at the waist, and flared out at the bottom. It also had a long, fifteen-foot train with embroidered flowers. The sleeveless gown, with a v-shaped neckline, sparkled under the brilliant lights due to the numerous crystals lining the dress.
Leah then put on some diamond earrings and a sapphire necklace that had belonged to her mother. She walked out of her room and stood outside of the venue, getting ready to walk down the aisle.
The doors then opened and all the guests turned back to look at Leah and then at Chase who was smiling happily, looked lovingly at his future wife. As Leah walked down the aisle she couldn't help but look for Leonidas. Where was he? Why hadn't he shown up? Perhaps he wasn't really happy for her after all.
Suddenly, the door opened again and a man wearing a brilliant black suit walked in. No one had time to ask who was for he had already grasped Leah's arm and gently pulled her closer to him. As he faced her and gazed into her soft brown eyes, he began to speak.
"I love you, Leah. I will love you for the rest of my life but you don't need me anymore and I need you like I need air to breathe. You are the only person who has the key to my heart, the only person who can melt it from its cold enclosure. If you still decide that you don't want me then I will stay out of your life forever. Anything for you to be happy. I won't ever find anyone as perfect for me as you. If you decide you don't want me in your life, then I will wait for however long it takes but I will never love someone as I love you right now. I came here to show you the extent of my affections and perhaps let you know just how ardently I love you"
"..."
"Seeing as you don't have a response I will leave your presence. I have ruined your special day but I will not apologize because I'm not sorry that I've told you how I feel. I will tell you as many times as I need to. You know, I've never understood the saying that we are all fools in love until I became the fool myself, a fool because of you. I would do anything for you, Leah. I would even let my kingdom fall for you but it seems you don't share the same sentiment. Goodbye, Princess"
"Wait...don't go"
"I can't just stay here, Leah. I can't just watch you get married. I can't just see you look into another man's eyes and tell him you love him"
"What if that man was you"
Without hesitation, Leah brought her lips to meet Leonidas's. The kiss was full of want and need but there was something more. There was something that wasn't fully there before. Love. There was real, unrestrained, unconditional love.
The spark in Leah's eyes was back. It shined brightly, matching her beautiful smile. It was as if nothing else in the world mattered for that one moment. It was as if they were the only two beings in the universe and needed each other to be complete. When they pulled away, they noticed the shocked faces of the guests and Chase's disdainful expression.
"I missed you. I missed you so much. I never meant to hurt you or cause you so much pain and I was upset with myself for so long because I couldn't fix my mistake. I love you, Leah. I will say it thousands of times because just once will never be enough to express how bewitched I am by you"
"Leo, even though I was hurt by your reckless decision I couldn't stop thinking about you. About your captivating eyes or strong arms that you would use to hold me close to you. I know that I shouldn't, after all that you've done, but I love you. You and I seem connected through some unseeable force and it hurts to be away from you"
"I suppose we are soulmates"
"I suppose so"
"What about your wedding though? I believe that I have thoroughly ruined it"
"As of right now, I think that it has gone perfectly. I guess I never really wanted to marry Chase. I just needed to be next to someone, someone who cared"
"About Chase, there's something you don't know...He's not who you think he is"
"What do you mean? He's been quite kind to me"
"It's all a facade. He doesn't care about you. He only cares about being the king of Hydreas and Alriya"
"Why would it matter so much to him?"
"He wants to take over Drastos too but he would need the joined forces of the Hydreas and Alryiyan army"
"I wouldn't have allowed him to start a war"
"Don't you understand? Once he's king, he becomes that commander of the army and you become disposable"
"He wouldn't try to kill me. He loves me"
"I don't know about that. His plan was handed down through generations of Wilders and my father actually managed to find a written copy of it. Flora was actually the one who came across it first while she was moping around the library. His plan is to marry you, kill you, and then start a war"
"How do I know that you're telling the truth, that you're not just lying to me"
"I have the document right here in my hands"
"I don't know if I trust you anymore"
"If you didn't trust me would you have walked out of your wedding. Here's the document. Read it, you'll see"
"I can't believe this. How could I be so weak?"
"You are not weak. You are so far from weak. You are Leah Rythes, Princess of Alriya and you are one of the strongest people I know. It takes someone really strong to care about people even when they themselves have been hurt. You were just doing what you do best and that's caring about people. That's part of why I love you so don't you dare call yourself weak"
"Leo, I'm so happy that you're back. No matter what I've said, I've never stopped loving you"
Leah grabbed Leonidas's hand and squeezed it gently. He looked into her eyes and found himself drowning in her mesmerizing eyes. Leonidas could never resist staring at her beautiful face and gently placing his other hand on her cheek.
"Marry me, Leah. I won't push you away again. In fact, I won't let you go. What do you say? Will you do me the honor and become Leah Arthelys? "
"Leo, I don't..."