Chapter 87: Prince Dorian?
Standing just a few steps away from him was Prince Dorian.
Cassian took a sharp breath. It was unmistakably him. The strong and regal face he knew so well was framed by soft, inky black hair that caught the faint moonlight filtering through the trees. What truly froze Cassian in place were Dorian’s eyes.
The gentle and piercing black eyes with a hint of red that had always looked at him with warmth and trust now shimmered with pain, hurt and betrayal.
Prince Dorian stepped forward. His expression wavered between anger and sorrow. His voice cracked as he spoke. "You don’t love me. Do you?"
Cassian’s lips parted, but no sound came out.
Dorian continued. "You love Aurelia, don’t you? The princess you protected. The one you chose over me." His tone was filled with bitterness, but the most glaring thing was the pain in his eyes.
"Your Highness..." Cassian’s voice was barely a whisper.
"Don’t call me that," Dorian interrupted Cassian as though the title was a blade he couldn’t bear to feel. "How could you leave me? After everything, you just... left!"
The words struck Cassian like a hammer to the chest, each word tearing apart the fragile wall he had built around his heart.
A chill ran down his spine, and his grip on his sword faltered. His thoughts spun wildly; he was trying to make sense of what he was seeing, what he was hearing.
This couldn’t be real.