Esper was exhausted by the time she went to bed. Yet she could not sleep. She could not stop thinking about what Arius had told her about Ceron. She didn’t want to believe him. If they had known each other for a while, there wasn’t much reason to doubt Arius saying there was more to Ceron than what he showed her.

She wondered as to why Ceron would even be hiding anything from her in the first place. Was he nervous that she would think differently of him if she discovered something? What if he was just playing her father? Arius said being a knight was a front. Her stomach somersaulted at the thought of Ceron being a spy. Then, their relationship could be a lie and mean nothing to him.

The thought that Ceron’s affection and care towards her could be fake made her chest hurt. It scared her that it could be true. Ceron was what kept her going. What kept her clinging to life and not giving up? If this was all a façade, then she truly did have no one that cared about her. She wouldn’t have anything or anyone to live for.

Esper felt her eyes burn with tears. She kept telling herself that Arius was lying and just trying to mess with her because he didn’t like Ceron. Her mind continued to race until a meow caught her attention.

Esper turned her head to see the same black cat sitting on the floor a few feet away from her. She didn’t even hear it enter the room. Esper smiled and sat up before she reached out to the cat.

“Hey, kitty. It’s nice to see you again.” Esper whispered.

The cat let out a soft meow and rubbed its head against Esper’s hand. Esper repeatedly ran her hand down the cat’s body, causing it to purr in delight. Esper thought it was nice to have the cat with her once again as it helped soothe her mind somewhat. Animals always seemed to make things a little bit better. They were much better than people.

“I hope Arius is wrong,” she voiced her thoughts to the cat who continued to purr at her affection.

“Ceron is all I have. I won’t survive is this is all just a cover of lies.” She sniffed.

Esper eventually drifted off to sleep with the cat in her arms and heartbreaking thoughts screaming in her head.

Two days had since passed, and she had not seen Ceron. Her chest slowly began to feel heavy as the words of Arius continued to replay in her mind.

Esper was cleaning in the dining hall when the double doors slid open to reveal Ceron. Esper looked up at him unsurely, causing him to sigh.

“Sorry I haven’t been around to see you. Your father is planning to execute Arius tomorrow at noon.” He explained.

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Esper bit her lip, unsure of how to respond to the news. She figured her father would kill Arius, considering the shameless disrespect Arius gave him and the burning hate her father seemed to hold for him. She was still dumbfounded as to why her father hadn’t killed him as soon as he arrived.

“I met Arius,” Esper told him without looking at him.

Ceron was taken aback by this information. He felt uneasy that Esper had been around him. “What? Why the hell were you around him?”

Esper shrugged. “Malik ordered me to clean the cells.”

Ceron ran a hand down his face in frustration. “What did he say?”

“Not much.”

Ceron crossed his arms. “Yes, he did. You won’t even look at me, Esper. What lies did he tell you?”

Esper looked up at him with a nervous look in her eyes. “He said you aren’t what you have shown me.”

Ceron scoffed. “Don’t tell me you actually have any feeling he was telling the truth. He’s lying to you to get a rise out of me. Please do not fall for his lies.”

“Are they lies?” Esper asked him with uncertainty.

Ceron’s face morphed into a look of disbelief. “Yes! Why would you even question me? Why would you believe him over me?”

Esper sighed sadly as tears burned in her eyes. “I’m sorry. His words got under my skin. I fear your affection is fake. You are the only one I have.”

Ceron took long and quick strides toward her. He cupped her face in between his hands and looked into her chestnut eyes. “Esper, I swear to you my love for you could never be fake. You are the most beautiful and perfect woman I have ever met. I love you more than anything.”

Tears now ran down Esper’s cheeks. She put her hand over Ceron’s. “I love you too.”

Ceron connected his lips to hers, and she gladly returned the kiss. Ceron slid his tongue into her mouth and ran his hands down her body, making her feel weak in her knees. Ceron pulled her closer to support her.

“Well, what do we have here?” a voice taunted.

Ceron and Esper jerked away from each other and looked at Esper’s younger brother with surprise and fear.

“Lake-” Esper choked out.

“My father’s best knight seduced by my whore of a sister.” He mused.

“Prince Lake, this is not-” Ceron was cut off by Lake raising his hand.

“Shush. This is punishable by death, you know. My father would be distraught to lose his best knight.” Lake grinned.

Both Ceron and Esper remained silent as Esper felt like she was about to pass out. Her stomach was turning and twisting into knots, and her lungs seemed constricted.

“Guards,” Lake snapped his fingers, and a dozen guards entered the room behind him. “Take my sister to the dungeons.”

Esper paled as guards marched over to her and grabbed her by her arms. Ceron went to intervene but was stopped by the guards. This made Lake chuckle. “I’m willing to let your treason slide, but not my sister’s.”

In her father’s kingdom, it was forbidden for knights to be romantically involved with a member of the royal family. Even though Esper was treated like a commoner, her family looked for any little excuse to get rid of her.

As she was dragged away, Esper looked towards Ceron in panic. Ceron looked at her with an expression as if trying to assure her he would help her.

She cried as they dragged her roughly through the halls. She begged them to let her go, to no avail.

When they reached the cells, Arius looked up in shock to see her being manhandled by the guards. They roughly threw her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. As she gasped at the impact, the guards slammed the cell door shut.

Esper sobbed as the guards marched away. Arius just observed her trembling figure.

“How did you end up like this princess?”