Heart Over Sword-Chapter 174: The Ball: Part Three

With a sigh, Evanna walked down the hallways again, smiling and nodding to others who greeted her. The Princess felt impatient at not finding Conrad. She wanted to resolve everything now and needed to know where they both stood because if this was going to be a nightly occurrence when they were wed, then it was apparent now that she could not ignore it.

Evanna did not want that as a part of her future. Maybe if she did not deem Conrad a friend, and perhaps if she despised him like when they first met, then she could do so. But now, she found her heart twisting and hating him all the same, but for different reasons.

The Princess continued, her feet directing her towards her quarters. But instead of going back to her chambers where Maggie would attend to her and read through the mask displayed on her features, Evanna headed towards her garden. The halls were all but empty of a few servants rushing back towards the Great Hall where they were needed. The Princess turned and walked towards the dark gardens, welcoming the night and the cooling breeze. She walked down the arched hallway and began to descend the small steps onto the small patio, but the sounds of heavy breathing and small moans caught her attention.

Evanna turned her head in the direction of the noise, her heart beating loudly and blood rushing in her ears as her chest tightened from what her instincts were already telling her. She wanted to turn away, but like a siren calling to her, she could not step away and instead followed the noise until her eyes found what she had been searching for.

Before Evanna was Conrad in the garden, her garden, and he was kissing another woman against the wall, one hand on the woman’s hip and the other one sliding across her breast. The Princess stopped, and her breath caught in her throat, her heart dropping to her stomach. Evanna swallowed hard past the lump in her throat, and she started to turn away, her brows furrowing as confusion started to swell in her being.

Thoughts raced across her mind once more. Was Conrad going to be like this throughout their marriage? They hadn’t even shared a kiss, and here he was in HER garden, dry humping another woman in the shadows.

It was so disrespectful. Evanna’s hands fisted at her sides as she fought against the tears forming behind her eyes. That was until she stopped, her mind fixating on a singular thought. Did he do this on purpose? Did he want her to find him in this situation? Was it some sick and twisted game of his? One that might be involved with his brother?

It was blatantly obvious now. If he had any respect or did not want to be caught, Conrad would take the woman to his quarters, not where Evanna frequented the most. That alone made the decision very clear for her. Whatever game Conrad was playing, she didn’t want any part of it.

"Your highness," The woman moaned.

"Conrad," He breathed.

"Conrad, I heard you adore the Princess. If she finds us-"

"Shhh, you have nothing to worry about."

"I’ve seen the way you look at her. Am I just a distraction for you?"

Evanna stopped on the other side of the wall, hiding even though she felt exposed now in the moonlit garden. She stopped breathing for fear they would hear her, or more than likely, he would hear her. In fact, Evanna was quite certain he knew she was there; his senses were more heightened than the average human. It made her stomach coil at the thought of it.

"Evanna is nothing. She is just a contract to bind the two kingdoms together so we don’t wage war against each other. She’s.. nothing more than a bastard child."

Evanna blinked as everything seemed to still be around her. Had she really heard correctly?

"Your highness, your eyes give you away-" frёeωebɳovel.com

Conrad huffed. "I admit, she is easy on the eyes, and I enjoy her company, but more so, I find her entertaining. The way she tries to prove herself to the nobility and almost begs me with her eyes to stay with her." He chuckled. "Like I said, she is nothing but a toy I like to play with." He silenced the woman’s protests with the sounds of kissing, and moans once more started to stir in the night.

Evanna’s eyes blazed in a fury, and before she could stop herself, her hand went down to the knife sheathed beneath her dress, and she turned around the corner, marching in his direction. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but her eyes brimmed with tears, tears of agonising betrayal and hatred.

The woman gasped at her sudden entrance and leapt away from Conrad, bowing. "Get. Out." Evanna articulated clearly and slowly. Her body was trembling, but her voice was not; it was strong.

"Evanna-"

"Enough." She stepped up to him and held her dagger at his throat. Conrad didn’t even flinch, which made her grip the blade tighter. They both knew she would not cut his throat, but the power of the blade in her hand made her feel better. She may not kill him, but they were both aware of how easily she could right now.

"Your highness!" The woman exclaimed, then silenced as Evanna glared at her.

"If I were you, I’d take this chance to leave. Never appear before me again. - Be gone! –" She snapped in Hythen before her eyes slid back to the Prince as the woman’s footsteps departed swiftly.

"I thought I KNEW you, but I must have been wrong. If this is how you act, then I want nothing to do with you. I thought, at the very least, if we were to marry, then there would be some form of respect between us. But.. this is how you make women fawn over you?" Evanna brought the dagger to his face as her eyes betrayed her and the tears escaped them, trickling down her cheeks. "By calling me names behind my back? Or do you truly believe in what you say? Is there no real friendship between us?"

Evanna searched his golden eyes; her stomach was twisting in knots, making her feel so disgustingly sick she wanted to scream. "Well?!" She prompted while trying to calm her breathing. Although she appeared a mess, the blade was still and unshakable.

"Evanna.. I.." Conrad trailed off, and she waited for a second longer before scoffing at his lack of commentary. The great Demon Prince is at a loss for words.

"Save your breath. I don’t know what is worse. If you truly believe what you say or that you are disrespecting me on purpose so that another woman will feel better about this vile act," Evanna said through clenched teeth and stepped away, lowering the dagger in her hand. She turned away and quickened her steps into a run, her free hand trying to hold her skirts up. She heard Conrad follow behind her.

"Evanna, wait!" He grabbed her hand, and she lashed out.

"Get off me!" She screamed, turning to smack his hand away, then gasped as her dagger slashed his face. Her mouth flopped open in shock, and she dropped the knife, her hands trembling.

Conrad’s eyes widened, and he put a hand over his bloodied lip, staring back at her. Evanna felt guilty, but she couldn’t find the words to apologise. Instead, she turned away, uncaring of the consequences.

"If you really think so little of me, Conrad, then you can always kill me. I want nothing to do with you," She spat over her shoulder.

Even as the footsteps seemed to ring deaf in her ears, somehow Evanna still heard Conrad’s voice. "Evanna, I AM sorry."

Sorry for what he was doing or because he got caught? None of it was making sense to her, though. Conrad KNEW what he was doing; he had to have known she was there and still said those words. But it didn’t matter now; she was done.

Evanna sprinted to her chambers, the doors flinging back and banging against the doors.

"Your highness?!" Maggie rushed forwards upon seeing Evanna’s flushed face, her anger blatant on her features.

"Help me out of this." Evanna pulled at the pins in her hair and threw them to the ground as her chest heaved, her breath coming out ragged from the turmoil of emotions ripping through her. Maggie did not question her and started to help her, untying the corset at her back quietly. When it was loose enough, Evanna turned her head to her. "You may leave. I wish to be alone."

Maggie parted her lips to protest, but one look at Evanna’s stony features, and she curtsied instead and left. It didn’t take Evanna long to change into some breeches and a shirt, keeping her weapons in her boots and grabbing a cloak that was of a finer material than most before she stepped out onto the balcony and leapt over it. Even with the security doubled in the palace, the Princess managed to sneak past the guards and escape.

Evanna kept to the shadows and alleys throughout Reigh. The village was still lively, considering it was late, but she used the small crowds more to her advantage as her heart still raced with pained eyes that were covered by her cloak. The Princess didn’t run into any trouble, although she was feeling reckless and didn’t mind if it did find her.

Evanna didn’t breathe properly until she found herself cloaked in the darkness of the woods at the far end of the village. She collapsed against a tree, her back on the bark as she stared across the forest, feeling comforted even with the eeriness of rustling leaves and the silently cold night. She stayed there throughout the rest of the night and into the early hours of the morning. By the time the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, Evanna was pushing off from the ground where she’d stared into nothingness until fatigue took over, and she fell asleep.

Returning to the palace was just as easy, and she climbed over the walls, uncaring even if she was caught. Her heart was set in stone now, and she knew what needed to be done. Once she was in her chambers, Evanna dressed in the easiest gowns she could find to put on without help and ventured towards Conrad’s chambers. She raised her hand to the double doors, pausing for a moment, but it swung open, and she stared back at the Prince. Her eyes lowered to the cut on his lip, and it angered her to see it made his looks somehow more appealing.

"I think you know why I am here," Evanna said and locked her gaze with his coolly. Conrad didn’t say anything, even with his eyes pleading with her with emotions she could not name. But she felt nothing; she felt numb. "I will NOT marry you, Conrad Hart. By the end of the day, my father will have it in writing for King Horik. You may stay as our guest still, but I will not be.. entertaining you any further."

"Evanna-"

She held her hand up as her lips twitched. "I wish you well on your future endeavours, Prince Conrad, for I will never be in them." She bowed her head and then turned away, her footsteps echoing along the quiet hallways.

But each step she took was already starting to become lighter.

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