The grandeur of the palace surrounds you, its golden halls echoing with the whispers of nobles and the soft rustling of silk. Yet, despite the royal welcome extended by the king and queen, the one person you came to see remains absent.
Prince Markus.
Two days have passed since you shattered his heart with your rejection, yet guilt clings to you like an unforgiving shadow. You hadn't expected your decision to wound him so deeply, but his absence speaks louder than words.
An unsettling feeling grips your chest as you make your way through the palace corridors. Servants avert their gazes, their silence heavy, almost pitying.
Then, you reach his chambers. The door is ajar.
A sharp pang of unease washes over you as you step inside. The room is dimly lit, curtains drawn tight as if to shut the world away. And then, the sound...
The soft, rhythmic dripping of water.
Your breath hitches as you turn toward the bathroom. Through the crack of the door, your gaze lands on a sight that steals the air from your lungs.
Markus — the proud, dignified crown prince — is slumped on the marble floor, his royal robes in disarray, his broad shoulders trembling as silent sobs wrack his frame.
Water pools around him, his hands gripping the edge of the sink as if the weight of his sorrow is too much to bear.
This isn’t the man the kingdom knows — the one who carries the world with grace and unwavering strength. This is the side of him no one is meant to see.
Yet, here you are. Witnessing the aftermath of the heart you unknowingly broke.