THE PRINCE I WAS NEVER MEANT TO LOVE

THE HUMILIATION

My father exchanged a few quiet words with the king before turning toward the adjoining room.

“Your Majesty, perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private,” he said, his voice calm despite the tension that had settled over the dining room.

The king nodded. “I agree.”

The two men walked away together, leaving me standing there with everyone else. I remained beside my father’s empty chair, completely confused about what had just happened.

Was the wedding still going to happen?

Or was it finally over?

For the first time since my father had told me about the marriage, a tiny feeling of relief began to spread through me.

Maybe this was it.

Maybe I had finally been given a way out.

The prince clearly didn’t want me. He had looked at me and walked out in anger. Surely they wouldn’t force him to marry someone he didn’t even want.

I almost smiled at the thought.

Thank goodness.

Maybe I wouldn’t have to leave my home. Maybe I could go back to my studies, continue making plans for my future, and eventually meet someone I actually loved. Maybe I wouldn’t have to give up everything because of an agreement I had never made.

I lowered my gaze, trying to hide the small smile forming on my lips.

Then I heard footsteps approaching.

I looked up and saw my stepsister walking toward me.

She stopped in front of me and looked me up and down before letting out a small laugh.

“Well, isn’t this something?” she said, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “I honestly didn’t think it was possible, but somehow you’ve managed to make a prince reject you before the wedding has even begun.”

I felt my smile disappear.

She stepped closer, clearly enjoying herself.

“Seriously, Sharon, how useless can you be? You couldn’t even make the man who is supposed to marry you want you.”

I forced myself to look away.

“I don’t care.”

She laughed.

“Of course you don’t. That’s why you look like you’re about to cry.”

“I said I don’t care.”

She shrugged, pretending not to be interested, but the satisfaction on her face was impossible to hide.

“Well, I suppose I should thank you. If he doesn’t want you, maybe they’ll finally realize you were never meant for a family like theirs.”

I clenched my hands at my sides but said nothing.

She leaned closer, lowering her voice.

“And honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted him anyway.”

I looked at her.

She smiled proudly.

“Don’t misunderstand me. The prince is attractive, and I’m sure marrying into that family would be flattering, but he’s still a small-time prince compared to the kind of man I’m going after.”

She brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

“I have much bigger plans for myself.”

I stared at her, unable to tell whether she actually believed what she was saying or simply wanted to make me feel worse.

She gave me one last smug smile before turning away.

“Still, it must hurt knowing that even he doesn’t want you.”

She walked off before I could respond.

I stood there silently, trying not to let her words get to me.

A few minutes later, movement near the adjoining room caught my attention.

My father and the king were returning.

And behind them came the queen.

Beside her was the prince.

My heart immediately dropped.

The prince had a visible frown on his face when he returned to the dining room, but he said nothing. He walked back to his seat and sat down, followed by his mother and the rest of the royal family. My father also returned to his place, and for a moment, everyone remained silent as if we were all waiting for someone to explain what had just happened.

The king finally cleared his throat and looked around the table. “I believe we have settled the matter,” he announced calmly. “My son has agreed to proceed with the marriage.” My heart sank instantly. He continued speaking about the arrangements, explaining that the wedding would take place in three days and that preparations would begin immediately. Invitations would be sent out, the necessary arrangements would be made, and both royal households were expected to be present for the ceremony.

I barely heard the rest.

My eyes moved toward my stepsister.

The anger on her face was impossible to miss. She quickly forced a smile when she realized I was looking at her, but I could see how furious she was. A few moments ago, she had been so confident that the prince didn’t want me. Now the wedding was going ahead anyway.

But I couldn’t even enjoy that.

I looked at the prince.

His expression was still dark, his jaw tense as he sat quietly beside his mother. He looked like someone who had just been sentenced to something he desperately wanted to avoid.

So he was being forced into this too.

The realization broke something inside me.

I had never imagined that princes could be forced into marriages. I had always thought they had the power to refuse, especially someone from a family as powerful as his. But apparently, I had been wrong.

Maybe it was the binding clause in the treaty.

Maybe that was what his parents had used to convince him.

But even then, why couldn’t they simply cancel it? They were the ones who had made it clear that they wanted my stepsister in the first place. They had seen me and rejected me. So why were they suddenly forcing him to marry me?

The questions kept piling up in my mind, one after another, and I couldn’t find an answer to any of them.

I lowered my gaze.

The voices around me continued, everyone discussing the wedding as though it were already something to celebrate. My father looked satisfied. The king seemed relieved. The queen sat quietly beside her son.

And me?

I could barely breathe.

Three days.

That was all the time I had left.

Three days before everything I had dreamed about for my life disappeared.

My studies.

My plans.

The future I had imagined for myself.

All of it was slipping away again, right in front of me.

The queen suddenly broke the silence with a bright smile. “I think we should give the intended couple some time to get to know each other,” she suggested, glancing between the prince and me. “After all, they are going to be married in only a few days. It would be good for them to have a chance to speak privately.”

She turned toward her son. “Adrian, why don’t you take your bride to the garden? You can talk and get to know each other properly.”

The prince looked at her, then slowly turned his eyes toward me.

There was something strange in his expression. I couldn’t tell if it was irritation, confusion, or something else entirely. He stared at me for a few seconds before finally pushing his chair back and standing.

He walked toward me without saying a word.

When he stopped in front of me, he extended his hand.

“Shall we go, my lady?”

I stared at his hand, completely caught off guard.