Rosangela: The Runaway Princess (Book #2)

At long last, the door was flung open and Prince Xavier went into his bedroom.

Quickly, I turned my back to the door and wiped my tears away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Prince Xavier coming closer to me.

“I’m very sorry to have kept you waiting, Angela,” Xavier apologized after he stood squarely behind me.

I whirled around to face him and asked to the point, “Why ever didn’t you tell me before that you already have a mate, Xavier?”

Prince Xavier looked at me aghast.

“Who told you about it?”

“Never you mind how I found out about your mate. Now, answer me! Why have you never told me that you already have a mate?” I demanded.

He shrugged and replied, “Because you’ve never asked me.”

“Even if I didn’t ask you, you should have told me about it, Xavier,” I flared at him.

“OK. So I have never told you about my mate. What’s wrong with that?” he said nonchalantly.

“You asked me what’s wrong? Of course there’s something wrong, Xavier!” I exploded.

I breathed deeply before speaking again, “A few hours ago, you have just declared that you’re in love with me. Then it turned out that you have a mate already. This proves that everything you told me is nothing but a pack of lies. You never love me. You’re only toying with my feelings, Xavier.”

Xavier caught my hand in both of his and stated, “Look! I am not lying when I said I love you. I do love you, Angela. Truly, I do!”

I turned my head away, evading his gaze.

“And about Estefanía...,” he went on, “Despite the fact that she is my mate, I don’t love her, and I think the feeling is mutual. You know, Estefanía spends most of her time bumming around the world in search of adventure without thinking about me. She even has already postponed our wedding three times and she didn’t give a damn if it broke my heart. I always feel locked in a loveless relationship with Estefanía. Nevertheless, there’s nothing I can do about it because she is my mate. But now, I have reason to end our relationship. I will reject Estefanía for you, Angela. That way we can be together.”

‘He’s right. If Xavier breaks up with Estefanía, I can be with him,’ I thought.

‘But is this really what I want?’ I asked myself, ‘Have I truly been fallen for Xavier and I want to be with him? Then what about Estefanía? It certainly will break her heart if she’s jilted by her mate. Do I have a heart hurt her feelings?’

I shook my head violently. ‘No, no, no! It is wrong! I can’t sacrifice Estefanía’s feelings for my own advantages. I have to talk some sense into Xavier. He has to know that he is not doing the right thing.’

“Xavier, I--” I was about to speak but he raised a finger to my lips.

“Shush! You don’t have to say anything. I know what you’re about to say. I don’t give a tinker’s cuss about the fact that you’re only a human. I love you with every fibre of your being, Angela,” he declared.

“But Xavier--”

Before I could finish my sentence, Xavier butted in, “Although in the eyes of the world you’re my pet, but we both know that’s not strictly true. I’ve told you that I want to keep you as my pet just because I don’t want to be away from you, right?”

“I know, Xavier,” I said, “but--”

" I don’t give a toss what people think of me, Angela,” Xavier cut me in again, “As long as you’re with me, that’s all that matters.”

I sighed. “It’s not what I want to say, Xavier. I--”

Xavier barged in one more time, “I know you don’t believe me and I can’t blame you for that. Just give me a chance, Angela, and I’ll prove that my feeling for you is true!”

I clenched my teeth. “Oh Xavier, I--”

Again, he broke in, “Angela, I will--”

“Would you mind not interrupting all the time, Xavier?” this time was my turn to cut him off.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

I only answered with a grunt.

“OK, so, what do you want to say to me?” he queried.

“Listen up!” I said with a serious tone, “What I’m trying to say is you can’t just chuck Estefanía, Xavier. No matter what happens, she is still your mate.”

“Course I can,” he insisted, “Like I said, although Estefanía is my mate, I don’t feel the pull of love for her. My love is only for you, Angela.”

“Look! What you’re feeling for me isn’t love, it’s just a passing infatuation,” I tried to reason with him.

“No, I am sure it’s the real thing, not just infatuation. I really and truly am in love with you, Angela,” he said stubbornly.

“Look, Xavier! There’s a world of difference between liking someone and loving them. You may like me, but you are not in love with me. Even though you’re angry with Estefania for she has been neglecting you, but I’m sure, deep down, you still love her. And I’m also certain that she does love you in her own way,” I tried to explain.

He shook his head in denial. “No! I don’t love her, and she certainly doesn’t love me either.”

“If you keep being as stubborn as this, I have no choice but leave you, Xavier,” I snarled.

He furrowed his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”

“I don’t want to put a strain on the relationship between you and Estefania, Xavier. That’s why I have to leave you. If I am no longer by your side, you will eventually realize that you don’t love me, but you’re only obsessed with me,” I explained.

“You can’t go. Do you hear me?” he hollered.

“I want to go and you can’t stop me!” I yelled back at him.

Before he was able to to react, I sprinted for the door and ran out.

“Angela, wait!” Xavier shouted after me.

Ignoring him, I kept running full pelt along the corridor and then rushed pell-mell down the stairs.

Not long after that, I heard footsteps behind me, so I knew Xavier was still gaining on me.

I quickened my pace, hoping Xavier would not catch up with me so soon. But my wish didn’t come true. Xavier was able to spurt past me easily. He caught hold of my arm, forcing me to stop running.

“Please don’t go!” he said pleadingly.

I tore myself from his grip. “I must go, Xavier. Only this way I can knock some sense into your head. You have to understand what your feeling for me is wrong.”

Xavier’s face darkened. “Fine. You are free to go wherever you like. But you have to know, Angela. Even though you’re away from me, but it will never change my feelings for you, and it will not affect my decision about rejecting Estefanía either.”

“Let’s see!” I hissed whereupon I continued running.

When I reached the front doors of the palace, the guards moved sharply across the room to block my exit.

“Mind out--you’re in my way!” I boomed, but they didn’t budge.

‘It seems that I have no choice but to use my power to get out of here,’ I thought.

I concentrated, trying to summon my power. However, suddenly I heard Xavier say, “Let her pass!”

The guards looked surprised with their prince’s order.

“Are you sure, Your Highness?” one of them asked.

“Yeah,” Xavier replied coldly.

At last, the guards parted to let me pass.

Without wasting time, I dashed out into the driveway of the palace. I paused at the palace gates and looked back. I saw Xavier standing on the the doorstep of the palace. There was a hurt expression on his face.

“Goodbye, Xavier,” I whispered.

Lastly, I turned around again and ran out of the palace gates before hightailing it up towards the forest.