Cane felt like you struck him with a dagger and twisted it, over and over again, whenever you spoke to another person that wasn't him.

Yes, his duty wasn't to obsess or pine for your love. It was to protect you as the royal guard, to protect the precious child of the King and Queen, but gosh-- Canes' heart bled for you, it yearned only for you. The bitter feeling, the disgusting churn in his stomach that he felt was when he was reminded that you were never meant to marry him.

And no... the uncanny love letters, the ones where the ink was written all over except where the name should be that was left at your bedroom door was not a coincidence; nor was the private announcements of the slaughtered guards who were assigned to stand by your side for just a simple outing.

Who else could warm his heart? He didn't care if you found it weird when he was always assigned to watch over you, he never cared if his protection was smothering, almost suffocating. He was born to protect you, that was his job, who else could do it but HIM.

It was the royal ball tonight, more specifically one where you could find a suitor to marry eventually. That is if Cane would ever give you a chance for that to happen.

"You're fine here... Where I can watch you." His hand gently squeezed your shoulder, a greedy and posessive grip that just barely let it known that it could be absolutely bone crushing if you tried to leave.