Evelyn's POV

My knees gave in on the side of the path. The dam I built to hold my tears back cracked wide open. I felt so disgraced. Why did I say yes? It will be so humiliating to return home to my parents, even shameful. If I said no, none of this would have happened. Why didn't I say no when I had the chance? I ruined my life with my own two hands! On the other hand, Ash will still be able to do whatever he wants. He'll remain unscathed. He's a man. He's the prince, soon to be king. Well, he's going to have to find another way to get there now. Will he really find another wife? Why didn't he run after me? He should've ran after me. I wanted him to run after me. A part of me wanted to see that he cared. I wanted Sky to be right. I desperately hoped that Ash's only problem laid in communication, that his true personality somehow always got lost in translation. I wanted him to be warm and loving on the inside.

I thought back to the day I received the proposal from his mother. To the sight of him in the garden, all alone in the shadow of the castle. To his heaving shoulders and the hidden tears. To the burden of grief he chose to bear by himself.

All those years of judgment seemed to melt away after seeing him in that state. He looked so lonely, I couldn't help but pity him and wonder if I had been wrong.

I wanted to be wrong.

My body stiffened as I heard horse hooves beat against the dirt road. Someone was approaching as the sun sat along the horizon. The threat of danger finally hit me. What if it was a highwayman? I took in my own appearance, still donned in expensive fabric and jewels. I deserved to be scolded for my own naïve carelessness. I should have stayed in that coach until we reached our destination. Then, and only then, should I have been reckless. Not now, not at a time like this. I felt the color drain from my cheeks. What have I gotten myself into? The horse's hooves came closer. I quickly rose up and looked left and right. Thick forest covered the side of the road. I immediately made my move to the right, as the horseman came into view. There was an abrupt stop from the horse as I struggled to move quickly in the intricate wedding dress. Damn that seamstress for not heeding my advice on simplicity!

There was a neigh that followed the creature's sudden halt and then I heard footsteps following me. My heart quickened as I attempted to speed up, only to trip on my hem. I doubled forward and landed on an elbow. I acted upon instinct and screamed as loud as I could, hoping some poor old soul would hear. Even I knew that was impossible in this remote thicket.

"Princess Evelyn?" The male voice inquired, confusion contorting his quaint features.

He looked to be a little older than me and had such piercing grey eyes. His windblown, blonde curls framed his face nicely. His steel armor glinted against the last rays of sunlight, which illuminated the kingdom's crest in its original colors, and donned the highest of honors that only a full-fledged knight could hold. He offered me a hand, and I gladly took it.

"Sir..." I politely bowed my head out of shame, not knowing how to explain this situation.

"If you don't mind me asking, your highness, what exactly happened here?" He spoke firmly while taking in my disheveled appearance.

His straightforward attitude surprised me, he dropped the formality and self-degradation that most others submit themselves to when addressing royalty.

I swallowed. And then, I broke down once more in front of the stranger.

I felt utterly pathetic.

He waited patiently, letting me release all my stress through tears.

"Forgive my poor demeanor." I apologized, and began narrating what had happened, not even bothering to censor the downward spiral of our newly formed marriage.

"I'm afraid that I made a very grave mistake. Will you please guide me back to my destination?" I asked him.

"Of course, your highness, but are you even sure of your destination yet?"

I was shocked by his question. This might be my very last chance to null the events of today, to return home, to be free from Ashton. But the fact that I let go of a hundred chances before this one made me wonder if one more simply served as a distraction from my fate, simply prolonging the devastation that was bound to happen regardless of my ultimate decision.

"Please take me to my husband." I responded with new resolve.

He nodded, and led me back to his horse. He hoisted me up considering how I was nearly immobile in my awful wedding dress.

"I am William by the way, Sir if you prefer titles. I suppose you can consider me your knight in shining armor!" He laughed at his own joke, "Thankfully, I was out doing rounds. I don't even want to imagine what may have happened otherwise. There have been some grisly cases of roadside robberies recently." He explained.

"Thank you, I will be indebted to your valor. I... I'm simply at a loss right now. My whole life has been thrown into a maze, one with no end that pleases me. I don't know which way to go."

Silence followed.

"Forgive me for saying that. You're a mere stranger, it was rude of me to share my troubles with you." I apologized.

Twice already I have put myself in circumstances that necessitate my apology to someone beneath my ranks due to my own uncouth behavior. The future did not look bright.

"No, it's no trouble at all. I was thinking, if there's no end that you like, then why don't you make a new path that leads to a more favorable one?"

I looked at him as if he was crazy.

"That's improper." I stated.

"Since when does propriety matter anymore, even amongst royals? In my grandfather's time, knights weren't even allowed to interact with someone of your status, but look at how friendly we are now. If it's for your happiness, then do it." He rebutted, surprising me with his informal language once more.

"It matters when you're expected to carry the weight of the kingdom on your shoulders. I can't stumble."

He laughed.

"You're making a simple solution much too complicated, princess." He smirked.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"How so?"

"It's obvious you care about your own happiness, so stop worrying about satisfying others. Those who really care about you will accept your decision as long as it makes you happy. But I'm not telling you to abandon ship yet. It's only been... let's see... a few hours since you two tied the knot? Give it a month. If he still drives you mad, then leave him."

I nodded my head, deep in thought. Sir William made very fair points, but very progressive points at that. Regardless of how open he was to simplifying situations in that manner, I knew the rest of the kingdom would take decades to catch up to his thoughts. They were well beyond his time.

Ashton's POV

I couldn't eat. I sat at the massive dining table, by myself. Servants were waiting on either side of me. I'm sure they had many questions regarding the absence of my wife, but not one had the audacity to ask. The food remained untouched.

"Your highness, the food is getting cold." One of the servants stated.

I shot him a nasty look. Sighing, I rose up and slammed my chair in, making the whole table shake. I turned and abruptly headed to my quarters.

"None of you will dare follow me." I commanded.

I soaked in the beautiful architecture of the grounds during my leisurely walk through the corridors. This castle was gifted to me on my fifteenth birthday by my father, to commemorate our first hunting trip together. From then on, we visited these grounds for hunts every season. I didn't give it much value then, but this really was a lovely space. Worry still nagged at me from a corner, preventing me from fully appreciating one of the most personal relics that my father left behind. Why was she so complicated? I reached my room and threw myself onto the bed, forcing myself to sleep and forget about today's atrocious events. But I couldn't. The image of her crying was nearly branded on my mind. Was she okay? I peered out the window. It was pitch black outside. What if something bad happened? I expected her to return one way or another, despite making a scene - as usual. Perhaps she actually made it back home? I groaned out of frustration. She didn't even have to be around to drive me insane.

Ever since we were young, I grew jealous of everyone she laughed with and talked to. She never emitted that warmth when I interacted with her. In fact, she barely ever exchanged words with me as a child. Being a prince made me accustomed to the fact that everyone catered to my desires. Everyone wanted nothing more than my satisfaction, and they went to any lengths to fulfill it. Except her. That bothered me to no end. So, I did what I could to capture her attention, regardless of how low I had to stoop for it. I started tormenting her with pranks and jokes, simply to make her notice me. I wanted her to be aware of my existence every day, in some way or manner, just as everyone else had. I thought it was a brilliant idea. Eventually, I triggered emotions out of her during my abusive interactions, but I still never got that smile. She never gave me the emotions I desired. She gave me fear, tears, and frowns. I grew frustrated, so did my family with my actions. As a rebel, I continued acting that way despite everyone's protests. She might've hated me, but at least she still acknowledged me.

This hate-hate relationship spiraled out of control quicker than I could stop my rudimentary behavior. That's what landed us in this mess now.

I thought back to the near past, the day my mother told me that I was to marry her. It was the same day my father's death was announced. She didn't give me much of a choice in the matter and, oddly enough, I didn't mind. For better or worse, my thoughts were already occupied with her sloppy entrance into the great room that morning. She looked a mess, but still beautiful nonetheless. Her haphazard hair framed her dainty face perfectly, even with the brush sticking out of it. The stains on her nightgown didn't distract from her ravishing curves. Most of all, the concern that lined her divine features left me breathless.

It's really in times of hardship, during your darkest hour, that your true allies will emerge from the shadows. Anyone will join you when the sun shines upon your success, but few will share the burden of your sorrows. We used to pride ourselves in our extravagant social circle, the sheer support we had gave us a false sense of security. However, on that day, I realized who truly cared about us.

Other than Evelyn, not a single person budged from their high horse to comfort us after they received the announcement. They did, as expected, show up in droves to the funeral- after everything was said and done, after we had wiped our own eyes of our tears.

Although I didn't express it at the time, her sheer adoration for us meant the world to me. That judgment was clouded by my utter distaste for the rules, for the proclamation that insisted I absolutely had to get married in order to take my rightful seat on the throne. Her lack of eagerness to join me put me off, too. Everything felt too forced.

None of that had to do with her, though. She is innocent in all of this.

If I was flippantly infatuated with her before, then I seriously admired her now.

I groaned once more, more so at my own stupidity than anything else. I immediately sprang up. I need to run after her, to find her. It might be too late, but I didn't care. I need to start making amends. I need to shake myself out of this false personality.

After all, she is my wife now.