Chapter 192: Love & Lies I
Rafael quickly chuckled while his palms began to sweat. "Princess, I might have married you, but I’m certainly not a prince. Would we be living like this if I was?"
Soleia shook her head, disappointed. "Stop changing the subject, Prince Rafael Biroumand." Soleia bit her lip so hard it bled. "Did you find it funny to keep me in the dark?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Rafael said, the lie falling from his lips as easy as breathing. His tone was calm, but his heart was racing a mile a minute the moment he heard Soleia spit out his full name.
What he had feared since he saw his brothers appear uninvited had indeed come true. They must have whispered information in her ears, causing Soleia to come to this conclusion.
"You must be too tired," Rafael continued, keeping his voice low and reassuring. "I’m still the same man you know and love. Sir Ralph Byrone. You can call me a prince if you wish, but this changes nothing."
Soleia sucked in a breath and let out a low, broken laugh at his words. "Are you still intending to lie to me? Do you take me for a fool? You often call me smart― do not treat me like a child to cajole!"
"Then what do you want to hear?" Rafael asked, exasperated. He raised his hands in the air. "Soleia, you have already made up your mind that I’m a prince. Fine, I can admit that I’m a prince, but so what? How does this change anything? I am still in love with you. We can still live here, like normal people. Nothing needs to change." His tone turned pleading as he addressed Soleia. "I don’t know what my brothers told you, but you can’t trust them."
"And I’m supposed to trust you? You, who lied to my face repeatedly throughout our entire relationship?!" Soleia demanded, springing up to her feet, enraged at Rafael’s lack of sincerity.
His apology, if it could even be considered one, was simply disgraceful. It sounded more like he was dealing with a nagging shop vendor than his wife.
"Other than my identity, how else have I lied to you?" Rafael needed Soleia to calm down and think rationally. "I have never lied about loving you, and you know that. It was me who defended you from Orion’s threats from the very beginning. It was me who helped you over and over so that you would survive."
"You didn’t tell me about Orion being influenced by Elowyn before our wedding," Soleia spat out, a wet shine in her eyes. "If you had, the wedding would have proceeded as planned and I would be happily married in Drankenmire with Reitan for company. You separated me from my brother for what― just so that you can marry me?"
"Yes, I did. So what about it?" Rafael retorted with an ugly scowl. "You would not be happily married to that oaf Orion. It is simply impossible. He cannot match you in wit or in mind. You did not love him in the least. I was there and I saw how he treated you. And those relatives of his would have driven you mad. This was the best decision for all parties involved!"