"You don't mean that." She can't possibly mean that, he added silently to himself. He was utterly unable to take his eyes off her. Her beauty was no longer a distraction but a focusing point, the only thing stopping him from utterly losing his temper. "You can't possibly mean that."
"I do." Fleur's head lolled, a weak nodding that was followed by a shoulder wrenching sob.
No, this isn't right. He shook his head. This can't possibly be real.
Releasing the desk with one hand, he pinched himself in the thigh discreetly. Though he longed to wake up from this nightmare with his arms wrapped affectionately around Fleur in his bed, he remained right where he was, perched on the cold, hard desk.
I won't stand for this.
In an instant he crossed the room and grabbed hold of Fleur by the upper arms.
"Look at me!" he snarled, shaking her. A strangled squeak came from her lips and she turned her face up to look at him. Her eyes were filled with terror, perhaps even pain, and Theo eased his grip slightly. He would not let her go until she had explained to him why she was talking like a mad woman.
"What has happened for you to change your mind?" he asked, his thumbs stroking her arms gently, hoping that she might warm to him again. She remained tense and frigid in his hands. "Who has gotten to you?"
It could be the only explanation. Someone or something had frightened her. All he needed to know was who or what had done it and he could fix it. He was sure of it.
"Just tell me how to fix this and I will do it," Theo assured her. "I will do anything."
Fleur's eyelids fluttered closed and she took in a huge breath before opening them again. When she looked up at him her eyes were filled with sadness. It almost drowned everything else but past it Theo could just see—or so he thought he could see—affection.
She leaned up on her tiptoes then and pressed her lips firmly against his cheek. The gesture surprised him and he felt his grip release on her arms as she stepped away from him.
"I will leave on the next boat out of the docks," she announced. "Goodbye, Your Highness."
With that she dropped into a low curtsey. When she rose she did not look at him. Instead, she skirted far around him and began to walk toward the door.
Theo knew that if he began to yell his guards would come running. He knew that he would be able to stop her from leaving one way or another. But deep down he was even more certain of something else. If he did not allow her to leave, if he locked her away again after giving her back her freedom, she might not forgive him a second time.
She paused at the door and for just a second Theo allowed himself to hope that she had suddenly changed her mind. He allowed himself to imagine her running back into his open arms.
But when she turned back it was only to say, "I hope that you and Lady Delilah will be very happy together."
Delilah? What does she have to do with any of this? Realization hit him like a bolt of lightning out of the blue. Of course! She has everything to do with this!
It was only a few hours ago that Delilah had promised to leave on the next boat if he allowed her to see Fleur.
How could I have been so stupid? A steely determination washed over him then. I will fix this.
"I will never be happy with her and you know it," he responded.
"I hope for both our sakes that isn't true." She looked at him longingly for a few seconds before gripping the door handle.
"Fleur, don't go. Give me a chance to fix this," he begged, allowing someone to see the vulnerable side of himself for the first time in his life. "My life has no meaning without you."
His words seemed to pain her and he began to hope that he might be getting through to her. She closed her eyes and he dared once more to hope that she would change her mind. But when she opened them again, he did not see the Fleur that he knew and loved. He saw the mask of a woman protecting herself from heartache.
"King Theo, you have an entire kingdom to give meaning to your life," she pointed out before she twisted the door handle and stepped out of the room.
He wanted to call her back, wanted to yell for the guards to arrest her and throw her back into the tower, wanted to do anything but watch her leave and yet he could not move or even open his mouth to speak. His chest hurt so badly that he felt like he might be forced to double over. His eyes burned, holding back all the emotions that whirled around inside him: anger, devastation, disbelief, betrayal, more anger.
I won't let this happen, he vowed to himself, I have to fix this.
But how when he had no idea of how to even begin?
Chapter 14 - Fleur
Although she was no longer in his study, Fleur could still picture Theo's devastated face. She replayed all that had just happened, her heart breaking over and over again. Still, she could hear the hurt and disbelief in his voice. His words echoed in her mind and she feared that they might never stop.