Chapter 10 - Aurelia

I stepped closer, the scent of her perfume mingling with the cloying sweetness of dying flowers. Despite my resolve to remain aloof, I found myself drawn to her delicate features, the gentle curve of her neck. A flicker of warmth stirred in my cold heart, and I recoiled inwardly at the betrayal.

"Prince Gideon," Aurelia said, her voice a melody that echoed in the hollow chambers of my soul. "I've heard so much about you."

"I'm sure you have," I replied, my tone as sharp as a blade. "Tell me, Princess, do the tales speak of the darkness that follows in my wake?"

She hesitated, her composure wavering. "They speak of your... complexities."

Harold's laughter cut through the tension. "My brother jests, Princess. He's quite the charmer once you get to know him."

I shot him a withering glare, but he pressed on, steering the conversation towards politics and alliances. As he spoke, I found my gaze continually drawn back to Aurelia. Her beauty was undeniable, a cruel reminder of what I had lost.

Seraphena's face flashed in my mind, and guilt clawed at my insides. What was I doing? How could I even consider...

"Don't you agree, Gideon?" Harold's voice yanked me from my reverie.

I blinked, realizing I had lost the thread of conversation. "I... need some air," I muttered, turning away from Aurelia's questioning gaze.

As I stalked deeper into the garden, Harold's voice drifted after me, spinning tales of my supposed virtues to the princess. Each word was a dagger, chipping away at the fortress I had built around my heart.

What game are you playing, brother? And why do I feel as though I'm losing?

My fists clenched at my sides, nails biting into flesh. The weight of expectation pressed down upon me, a suffocating shroud. Duty. Obligation. Words that tasted like ash in my mouth.

"You seem troubled, brother." Harold's voice slithered from the darkness, dripping with false concern.

I turned, meeting his gaze. "What game are you playing?"

He feigned innocence, eyes wide. "Game? I merely seek what's best for our kingdom. Surely you can see the advantages of an alliance with Princess Aurelia?"

"And what of my own desires?" I snarled, feeling the darkness within me surge.

Harold's lips curled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Are a prince's desires not secondary to his duty? Think of the stability such a union would bring. The people whisper of it already, hoping for a brighter future."

I laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "The people whisper what you tell them to whisper, Harold. Do not take me for a fool."

He shrugged, unperturbed. "Perhaps. But can you afford to ignore their hopes? To cast aside the chance for peace, all for... what? A dalliance with a commoner?"

The corridor grew colder, shadows lengthening as my anger rose. "Choose your next words carefully, brother."

Harold held up his hands in mock surrender. "I meant no offense. I simply worry for you, Gideon. For all of us. These are precarious times."

I pressed my forehead against the cool wood, closing my eyes. "Forgive me," I whispered, though whether to her or my long-lost wife, I couldn't say.

With a final, aching glance, I turned away, the whispers of the court rising to a crescendo in my mind. Duty. Obligation. Sacrifice. The path of a prince, paved with shattered dreams and broken hearts.

I found him sprawled in a chair, his floppy red hair a mess, a book forgotten in his lap. He looked up, his boyish face creasing with concern as he took in my haunted expression.

"Gideon? What's wrong?" Lucas asked, sitting up straighter.

I sank into the chair opposite him, the words spilling out in a torrent. "Everything, Lucas. Harold's machinations, the whispers in the court, this... marriage proposal." My voice caught on the last words, tasting of ash and regret.

Lucas leaned forward, his usually chatty demeanor subdued. "I've heard the rumors. But surely you don't mean to go through with it?"

"At what cost?" Lucas countered, his eyes searching mine. "I've seen the way you look at the new girl. There's a light in you when she's near, a warmth I haven't seen since..."

He trailed off, but I knew what he meant. Since before my descent into darkness, my ill-fated journey to the underworld.

"Perhaps that's precisely why I should stay away from her," I murmured, the familiar cold seeping into my bones. "I'm poison, Lucas. Everything I touch withers and dies."

Lucas shook his head vehemently. "That's not true. You're more than your past, Gideon. More than the darkness that haunts you."

Before I could respond, a sharp knock echoed through the room. Harold's voice, dripping with false concern, called out. "Brother? A word, if you please."

I rose, casting an apologetic glance at Lucas. As I opened the door, Harold's eyes glittered with triumph.

I felt the trap closing around me, the walls of duty and obligation pressing in. "Speak plainly, Harold. What chaos do you foresee if I reject this proposal?"

His smile was razor-sharp. "Civil unrest, economic collapse, perhaps even another war.