The Dragon Prince's Bride
Chapter 191. The consequences of falling in love.

Chapter 191: 191. The consequences of falling in love.

He had never tried loving someone before. At least not in a romantic concept. The only love he had shared with anyone was love for his family and friends. Romantic love was not something he had tried.

Not until he met her. From the very beginning she had been different, from the very beginning he had wanted her, desired for her, and he had taken her... completely. At least he thought he had taken her completely.

He was realizing how stupid that thought was.

Many questions passed through his head in that moment. Did she really hate him that much? So much so that she would slowly, diligently and oh so perfectly scheme for his death?

All he had done wrong was loving her. Was that such a great sin that she would require his life for it?

Maybe loving her was his punishment for not letting her go on that very night, and being stabbed in the chest by her was his punishment for loving her.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Poor, poor, love-stricken prince." Came a voice from behind him. He wanted to turn his head but he just could not move his eyes from the woman who still stood before him laughing like the elven witch she was.

"How foolish the mighty Barak has become." The voice sounded again, this time closer than before. "The mighty man who never went anywhere without his sword, from what I know you even visit the women of the night with your sword by your side and yet just because of a woman, you came running here, completely unarmed."

True, he had left his sword. He was supposed to be meeting up with his wife, not an enemy. And that had been his mistake... to forget that his wife was always his enemy. She never changed, she just played him.

Again, she had deceived him, again she had lied to him and again she schemed for his life. Only this time, she might actually be successful.

Slowly, the man walked forward till he stood between him and her, and Barak was forced to stare into the eyes of the man, "How foolish indeed." The man snorted and made his way to her side, pulling her into his arms.

As Barak watched them go in for a kiss, he wondered to himself... All of this might not have happened if he had not met her that night. If he had not met her as the maid who enchanted him, if he had only met her as princess Neriah, maybe all this would not have happened?

But who was he kidding? He would have seen her in her princessly glory and would have still been enchanted, and obsessed with her. It would have all been the same. He would have wanted her, longed for her and aye, he would most definitely have fallen in love with her.

And just like now, she would have betrayed him.

"Oh, to think I would see this look on your face." Said the man as they broke the kiss."You seem as though you would cry!" The man laughed boisterously and his laugh and mockery did not hurt as much as the feeling of betrayal. Nothing could top that.

"Look at you, poor man. My love, he really bought into your acts." He said and they both laughed. "You must be wondering who I am, and I will tell it to you. I am prince Lyle of the kingdom of Niles and—" Ah, Barak thought to himself, it made more sense.

The Niles, one kingdom that was never happy with the peace that had reigned between Avelah and Trago. Barak needed no further explanation to realize that this day had been systematically planned for a very long time. What he wondered about now was whether the Avelians were also behind their princess, working together with the Niles prince to destroy the peace, or was she sincerely just a wicked witch being used by the prince.

"So in the end—" Barak finally found his voice. His eyes had become red. So very red that it seemed like blood was actually floating around in his eyes. "—You chose to betray me."

By the gods he was expecting something. Anything at all. He was still expecting something from her. Remorse, sadness, guilt... Anything at all! Gods help him but even though it was a lie, even though she would fake it, he just needed to see an expression that showed she was at least a little bit sorry for what she was doing to him.

But unfortunately, there was nothing. Nothing at all. Not remorse, nor guilt, nor sadness. All he could see was a bright smile that made him want to strangle her.

She stared at him for a moment, then turned her attention back to the man beside her, she stretched and kissed him upon the cheek, very close to his lips while her eyes remained on Barak and then...

"You are a fool." She said and it was as though something sparked inside his head. Like something was triggered by those words... As if something keeping him calm had snapped.

He charged toward them with intentions to actually wring her neck! But a whooshing sound passed through the air, he wasn’t able to avoid it, he dodged, but he wasn’t quick enough. It hit his shoulder.

Realizing that there weren’t the only ones in the place, he looked around frantically and cloaked men with masks over their faces surfaced. Jumping down from the trees and coming out from behind them. They held bows, swords and axes and Barak laughed inwardly to think they were all here for him.

He was surrounded.

He wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh at how foolishly he had fallen for her trap. It all made so much sense. Why did she need to bring him all the way here to give him a response to his love confession? He had been so blinded by his desire to have her love that he had not seen behind her treacherous acting.

She could have easily told him her answer the minute he confessed his love for her, yet she made him wait because she knew he was a fool who was desperate for her heart and that he would do as she asked.

Using that as an excuse she had dragged him out here and she must have known too that he would not bring his sword with him to receive a love confession from her. Oh how much she had played him. And so very well.

He knew she was a liar, he knew she was the greatest starlet to ever surface the earth and yet he had forgotten all about that and loved her. Now he knew why people said love could make a person blind. He had been blinded to who she really was. He knew it, but he no longer saw it. He refused to see it. Even though he had many many doubts in his heart, even when he wondered if her sudden change of heart was possible and sincere, he had chosen to let go of his doubt.

Because he was desperate... She had woven herself completely around his heart to a point where he felt lifeless if he wasn’t near her. So he had wanted her to have such feelings too. To desire him the way he yearned for her and when she had shown such reciprocation, he had been happy. Foolishly so.

As he looked around him, the evening was getting darker and the lights from the lantern were finally having a use, he laughed inwardly at himself as he remembered how it had all seemed so quiet when he was coming here.

The inn had been too quiet. He would have been suspicious about that, but again, he was blinded. He thought she had done it to have some personal time with him, oh how foolish he was.

They had many personal times back in the capital. Even in the Fredah estate, they had spent many hours alone in a quiet part of the estate. If she wanted a time alone with him she could have chosen somewhere within the estate but she had chosen this place.

Why? Because it was easier to dispose of him like this. In a place where no one would come to stop her if she had men butcher him, no one would know. That was the reason she rented out the entire place.

Again,he laughed at his own foolish heart. For the first time in a long time, tears stung his eyes. And for the first time in a very long time, he hated her. He hated her so much that he suddenly had the urge to kill her before he was killed here because he still loved her. Even though she was holding onto another man, even when was about to die, even when he hated her so much he still loved her.

And this was his punishment. This was the consequence of loving her.