The following morning, Quinn woke to the most beautiful sight he had seen in a long time. Stroking Belle's hair, he watched as she slept, blissfully unaware of his gaze.
'If only I had believed her…' he thought.
If he had trusted her back then, things wouldn't have turned out this way. She wouldn't have had to carry their child alone, wouldn't have had to endure the suffering that came with it. Their child would be over a year old by now, if not for him.
Reaching out, he traced his fingers gently along her cheek, fully aware that he did not deserve her. None of them did. But he was too selfish to let her go.
Just then, a mind-link interrupted his thoughts, forcing his hand to still.
'Duke, the twelve elders have arrived at the palace gates. Should we stall them?' Ray's voice echoed in his mind.
