“She called me reckless,” Henry announces the moment we’re alone in the shadowed alcove, his royal composure cracking like ice under pressure.
“Who?”
“My mother. The Queen.” He runs his hands through his hair, destroying its perfect arrangement. “She said kissing you on stage was a disgrace to the crown. That I made the royal family look foolish.”
My heart plummets to my stomach. “She’s not wrong.”
“Don’t.” His voice cuts like a blade. “Don’t you dare agree with her.”
“Henry, she’s the Queen of three kingdoms! She’s thinking about politics, about alliances, about what kind of woman stands beside the future king.” I force a laugh that tastes like ashes. “That woman isn’t me. I don’t know diplomacy. I can’t even curtsy without wobbling.”
“That’s exactly why I chose you.”
“That’s exactly why she’s right to be furious!”
He steps closer, his eyes blazing with something between desperation and determination. “Do you know what she wants? Someone cold. Calculating. Bred for palace life like a prize mare.”
“Someone like Calla.”
“Someone who won’t challenge me. Won’t question me. Won’t make me want to be better than I am.” His voice drops to a whisper. “Someone who won’t make me feel.”
“And is that what you want?” I challenge. “A perfect little doll who says yes to everything?”
“I want someone real.” The words explode from him like a confession. “I want someone who sees through the crown to whatever’s left underneath. Someone who makes me forget I’m supposed to be perfect.”
My throat tightens. “I’m not perfect either. I’m loud, I’m stubborn, I say things I shouldn’t—”
“You’re honest. You’re brave. You fight for what you believe in even when it’s impossible.” He reaches for my face, his thumb tracing my cheekbone. “You make me want to be worthy of you.”
“I don’t know how to be a queen, Henry.”
“Then don’t be a queen. Be yourself.”
“Your mother will never accept me.”
“She doesn’t have to. I do.”
“Your father will disown you.”
“Let him try.”
“The nobles will revolt.”
“Then we’ll face them together.”
I stare at him, this prince who’s willing to burn his kingdom for a girl who doesn’t fit their mold. “You’re serious.”
“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.”
“This is insane. You’re the heir to the throne. You can’t just—”
“Can’t what? Choose love over duty? Choose happiness over tradition?” His smile is sharp as winter. “Watch me.”
“Henry—”
“I spent my whole life being what everyone else wanted. Perfect. Polished. Predictable.” He steps closer, backing me against the stone wall. “But you looked at me like I was worth saving. Like I was a person instead of a symbol.”
“You are a person,” I whisper.
“Then let me choose like one.” His forehead touches mine, his breath warm against my lips. “Let me choose you.”
“Even if it costs you everything?”
“You are everything.” His voice breaks on the words. “Don’t you understand? Without you, the crown is just a pretty cage. The throne is just a pretty prison. None of it means anything if I can’t share it with the woman I love.”
My heart stops. “Love?”
“I love you, Helena Ashbourne. I love your fire, your courage, your refusal to be anything other than exactly who you are.” His hands frame my face like I’m something precious. “I love that you challenge me, terrify me, inspire me to be better than I ever thought possible.”
Tears blur my vision. “I love you too.”
The confession hangs between us like a vow. Henry’s smile could power the sun.
“Then it’s settled,” he says, his voice rough with emotion. “We’ll face whatever comes together.”
“Your parents will try to stop us.”
“They can try.”
“The nobles will scheme against us.”
“Let them scheme.”
“The whole kingdom will watch us fail.”
“Then we’ll give them something worth watching.” His kiss is soft, reverent, full of promises. “We’ll show them what happens when love refuses to bow to power.”
I melt against him, this prince who chose me over his crown, who sees strength where others see flaws.
“What happens now?” I whisper against his lips.
“Now,” he says, his smile dangerous and beautiful, “we write our own fairy tale.”