Rowan sat inside the moving carriage, restless. They were heading towards the mountain, and since the carriage was moving quickly, he knew it wouldn’t take long to reach the temple and return to the palace. He was supposed to meet Freya by nightfall and had planned to return earlier so they could talk things out.

It hadn’t gone the way Rowan had hoped between them. He only wanted the girl to leave her shell and stop judging people. Just because she hadn’t lived their life didn’t mean that those living it were the worst of evils. He looked out the window, staring blankly into the distance. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Now Freya was in love with him. He knew it from the unmistakable look in her eyes. It was there, she wanted to hold him. She had invited him into her room herself. This time, he hadn’t been the one trying to seduce her. Rowan was happy, as he never thought any woman would truly love him. All the women he had met wanted only one thing; the pleasure he could give them in bed.

Most of the time, the women didn’t even want to see his face or body while he pleasured them. He had scars all over his body, scars that women didn’t find attractive. But that was who he was. Those scars defined him, and Rowan never cared. So even when he saw their reactions to his body, he didn’t mind. But with Freya, it was different.

She slept beside him, touched him, and still looked at him the same way. After he began noticing Freya and finally sleeping with her, the urge to seek out other women or even look their way disappeared. He only wanted one person, to be with Freya. That was why, even when she begged him to let her go, he couldn’t. She gave him a feeling no one else ever had, she gave him peace and most of all sanity.

Rowan was ready to risk it all, to be with Freya despite the odds, and eventually marry her. Once he had a hold on something, he never let go. People had called him many names in the past, and even now. He was ready to live up to that name and chase Freya until she could no longer run. That had been his plan until he saw her cry.

Family? Love? These weren’t things Rowan understood. But when he saw the hurt in Louis’s eyes as he hit his own daughter, and the tears falling from Freya’s face, Rowan realized he had crossed the line. His own selfishness was destroying a family, something he never wanted to do. When he lived on the streets growing up, the few families that tried to take him in eventually sent him away, always saying the same thing.

"You bring ruin to the people around you."

It was either because he got too angry and did things his own way, which ended up hurting others. Because of that, Rowan had never known a family. No one wanted a child who would ruin their peace. And it made him think, maybe that’s why his birth mother left him in the first place. He had ruined them.

Rowan thought he could live his life ignoring that word. But just when he found someone who made him want to be himself and still be loved, that word came up again, first from Freya’s lips. He was going to do what he wanted and still keep her, but then he saw a father and daughter about to break apart, all because of him. That’s when Rowan knew he had to let go.

He didn’t know how to break the news to Freya, or how to beg Louis to let him take his daughter. All these thoughts troubled Rowan as the carriage sped along until it suddenly stopped.

"Why are we stopping?" Rowan asked, looking at the Crown Prince, who was rubbing his hands anxiously.

"Ah, uhmm... Hold on, let me check." The Crown Prince got down from the carriage.

Rowan decided to follow him and noticed that one of the carriage wheels was stuck between two rocks. He sighed. He didn’t want to be stuck in the mountains; he needed to return in time to meet Freya. Rolling up his sleeves, he undid two buttons on his shirt.

"I’ll try to push the wheel out," Rowan said, turning to the coachman. "Try to wheel it out, and let’s see if we can get it moving."

Rowan bent down, trying to pull the wheel free. On the first pull, he almost had it, but it got stuck again. Grunting, he continued struggling to pull the carriage free with all his might.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince walked over to the next carriage and knocked on the door. When the window opened, Lirien peeked out.

"Brother, why are we stopping?" Lirien asked, looking ahead and seeing Rowan struggling with the carriage. "Oh, that’s why we shouldn’t have brought all these gifts to see Mother."

Lirien pushed her door open and stepped out of the carriage, folding her arms. "Why are we carrying all these gifts with us?"

Conrad rubbed his temples tiredly. "Look, Lirien, I begged Mother... I begged her not to do this, but you know Father is already on her side. They still doubt our alliance with Avon, so a marriage between the two kingdoms is the only way."

Lirien narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about? Didn’t Mother suggest the marriage already, and Rowan refused since he has feelings for someone else?" The princess frowned, knowing exactly who Rowan liked. It was the same girl who had now become her friend; Freya, who hadn’t judged her after learning she preferred women over men.

"Lirien, look, I don’t know how to tell Rowan, but I can tell you. You’re my sister," Conrad began, averting his eyes from her and fixing them on Rowan, who was still struggling with the carriage. The young man sighed.

"We are going to have you and Rowan married tonight," the Crown Prince said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

Lirien’s eyes widened. "What? No! You can’t do that. I mean, I can’t," she said, backing away from her brother.

Conrad grabbed her hand. "I didn’t want this either, but as king, I have to make certain decisions for the throne. I need Father to trust me, and this is the only way."

"Brother, please... There has to be another way. I don’t want to do this," Lirien begged, her eyes filling with tears.

Conrad shook his head. "It’s already done. I’ll send word to the palace that you and Rowan are getting married here at the temple."

"No!" Lirien shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Please..."

"Lirien!" Conrad shouted, his voice trembling with fear. "I’m scared too, but I had to make sure you know. Once you get to the temple, Rowan will be put to sleep. All you have to do is get naked and lie beside him. When he wakes up, he won’t have any choice but to marry you or risk waging another war with Eridor for defiling their princess..."