Loving a Prince Charming by Danielle Monsch

he still felt when thinking on the princess.
“None of us deserve what she’s been through.”
    “Then if no one deserves it, why go through
all this trouble to take it away from her?” He approached her, his
body displaying a slithery grace that had an almost hypnotic
quality. His eyes were a swirl of colors, never stopping on one
shade long enough that it was identifiable. “You don’t deserve the
misery either, do you? Does Prince Seth? Of course not, and I can
help. I can give the curse back to her if you work with me. Think
on it—the princess will be locked away, and Seth will be yours
forever.”
    Against her will, his words worked themselves
into her skin. Why not her? Rid of her, and Seth is yours. “I can save Seth without you.”
    He reclined against a large tree, crossing
his arms in front of him in acceptance of her challenge, his eyes
holding hers fast. “Maybe, but even if you do, all you’ll have done
is put him out of your reach forever. He will be married to her,
and you will live the rest of your miserable life alone . You
can’t tell me one night was enough for you.”
    No, it never would be. Being in his arms
every night for the rest of their lives wouldn’t be enough. The
love and belonging she’d experienced last night was so complete, no
other time in her life ever came close. She could almost imagine
their hearts had beaten as one.
    “Help me, Kira, and I’ll give you everything
you desire . I’ll give you a life with the man you
love. Why should you suffer? Why should you be denied?”
    She was going to save Seth to watch him marry
another woman. A woman he would make love to, a woman who would
carry his children. Why should Kira suffer the rest of her life?
Why shouldn’t she get what she wanted for once – for once ?
Seth loved her, didn’t he? He might be mad at first, but he would
come to understand. After all, he wanted to be with her as well.
Last night couldn’t have happened if he didn’t. And once they were
together, they could leave their fathers, and these kingdoms, and
Rosamund—
    I made a promise, and I won’t fail
her .
    The echo of his words banged against her
head, almost painful in their intensity.
    Yes, Seth did love her, and he wouldn’t
understand abandoning Rosamund. And she would not love him as well
as she did if he could.
    Kira brought her sword up before her face and
gave a small salute before bringing the weapon to the ready. “If
you think I’m going to let Seth down because you like listening to
the sound of your own voice, you are sorely mistaken. Now, you can
move, or you can die.”
    The smile faded, and his eyes narrowed as
they assessed her. After a long moment, the evil creature
disappeared.
    Kira closed her eyes and stood there for long
moments, doing nothing except breathing in the clear air. She was
flayed from the inside out, the deep dark places of her own heart
and mind that she pretended didn’t exist lay before her in their
grotesqueness. She could never again pretend innocence of her own
baser nature.
    Swords might not have clashed in this battle,
but there would be scars nonetheless.
    A strange peace gradually settled in her, and
she glanced around to verify the fey was gone. He was.
    It was time to finish her part in this
tale.
    Her feet knew the path to take. There was no
hesitation over turns or steps. She ran into the castle and chose
the stairway that led to the tallest tower.
    She pushed open the door and her eyes zeroed
in on the bed in the middle of the room. Seth lay on the small bed,
his long legs dangling off the edge. The only sign that this was
something other than a normal nap was that he was fully clothed
down to his boots and his normally darker skin had a pale
undertone.
    A small, blond woman was sitting beside him,
holding his hand. At Kira’s entrance she leaped up and stepped away
from Seth, though she made no other sounds or movements.
    Kira walked over to Seth, taking in every
detail of his beloved face. This