A/N: This chapter marks the entrance of a certain someone.

the ancient mystic: I get how you feel. Thanks.

Roxy: Hmm, a new reviewer. Unfortunately, there were no divorces back then (I think) but their marriage does expire very soon. Thanks.

"So, how was your night with Siobhan?" Princess Shayla asked boldly, as Merrick accompanied her to the royal library. Her protector was stunned by her behaviour. He did expect her to know about 'the night' but he never thought she'd actually ask him about it.

"What are you talking about?" Merrick questioned, pretending to be confused.

"You slept with her, did you not?" she asked nonchalantly. He laughed nervously as if he'd been caught.

"That is no way for a princess to talk," Merrick chided, fidgeting with his hands. "Anyway, she is just a maid."

Shayla stopped walking and so did he. She narrowed her eyes at him in rage. Just a maid? JUST a maid?! Merrick triumphed inwardly, glad that the Princess took the bait.

"Just a maid?" she repeated, crossing her arms.

"Yes," he replied simply. "What is wrong?"

"Maids have feelings too. If you did not have feelings for her, why did you take her?" she hissed furiously. "You think that just because a girl is from a different station than you that you can use her as you like? And then expect her to forget all the intimate moments you shared with her?" She wasn't talking about Siobhan anymore and Merrick knew it.

The guards stationed in the corridor dared to exchange looks, wondering why this was such a big issue. Men from the gentry, nobility, royalty and even the merchant class slept with maids all the time. The Princess, being from royalty, should be no stranger to this. What was the big deal?

Merrick noticed the guards and then surreptitiously grabbed the Princess' hand, dragging her to the royal library. Once they were inside, they both nodded in greeting to the librarian before going further in. Fortunately, there was no one else there.

Princess Shayla smirked at Merrick before pulling out a book from the erotic section. The warrior's eyes widened in surprise and he quickly put his hand on hers, pushing the book back into the shelf.

"What do you think you are doing?" he interrogated.

"I do not think I should have to answer to you," she quipped, shoving him away. It was then that Merrick realised that Shayla wasn't wearing her necklace, for the time since he had gifted it to her. What did this mean? Shayla noticed Merrick gawking openly at her neck and scoffed. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you want to sleep with me too?"

"No," Merrick squeaked, quick to protest. He then registered the fact that she was once again holding one of those books, flipping through the pages with interest. "Your Highness, stop!"

Shayla gave him a spiteful look. "What? I am merely looking to see what the Grand Duke will expect of me!" she lied with ease. She wasn't actually looking at the vulgar drawings but thinking about how to escape her situation.

For the first time, Merrick let himself discern exactly what was happening. The Grand Duke was going to marry the Princess. She was going to make all the vows she had made to him to another. She was going to have to be in his bed. And one day, she would have to bear him the first of their many royal children. There was no escaping it. She'd be expected to provide an heir to strengthen her own rule...

Thinking about the woman he loved being with another man was absolute torture.

All of a sudden, the royal secretary ran into the library, panting like he had just run a marathon. Both Merrick and Princess Shayla regarded him with the utmost curiosity.

"Your Highness, may I present His Grace The Grand Duke of Org," he announced, extending his left arm out to the entrance of the library. Princess Shayla dropped the book and fortunately, Merrick picked it up and put it away just in time.

The Princess of Animaria was hugely disgruntled when a proud looking middle-aged aristocrat strolled in, looking like he meant business.

For the past few months, ever since they met, Princess Shayla and the Grand Duke had nothing to say to each other. She wasn't interested in him and he was only interested in the power of being King Consort. He was, quite simply, a power hungry pervert. The Princess saw the way that the Grand Duke's eyes followed her, trained onto her curves, her bosom, her rear end. Whenever he came near her she felt disgust and a tiny bit of fear. After she was married, Merrick wouldn't be around to protect her from the Grand Duke's lustful gaze. The Princess shivered as she came to two crushing realisations: she'd most likely never see Merrick again (except any visits to her father) and the Grand Duke would be free to do with her body what he liked.

It was mid-April and she was currently standing in front of her mother's burial mound, accompanied only by her protector. The royal graveyard wasn't too far from the palace which was being decorated for a grand celebration.

"Greetings Mother... It has been a while," she stated, sticking her hand out in Merrick's direction. He handed her a bunch of flowers they had picked earlier and after receiving them, she placed them in front of the burial mound. "Mother, I am getting engaged today. Handfasted, actually. I wanted to show you my dress because I love it."

Merrick fell in love with her all over again. She was dressed in a gown of red and gold that sparkled with crystals. Her hair was done intricately with soft curls piled high, the diamonds on her circlet glittering in the sunlight. Princess Shayla grabbed the lower part of her dress and raised it a little bit before doing a cute little twirl.

"Beautiful," Merrick whispered inaudibly.

"I was probably supposed to come here with my betrothed but him being here would make me feel uncomfortable. You see, Mother, I had hoped to find a passionate love just like you and Father had. So passionate that you cut off all your filial relations to elope with him. But you two were lucky. Lucky that you were from nobility, lucky that Father was not marrying down. But for me, things did not turn out that way and I just ended up being betrothed to a random grand duke," Shayla recounted sadly, her eyes watering up. "Although I do not love him, I must accept him for the sake of Animaria. Or so Father says. He has not been the same without you; you left a hole in his heart... Therefore, despite how I feel, I must try my best to live as good a life as I can."

"Princess?" she heard her protector say, his voice ever so gentle.

"It is just that, I cannot help thinking that it was nice visiting you on a day like this..." the Princess spluttered, burying her face in her hands as agonizing sobs racked her body to the core. "Standing next to the man I love."

Merrick fell to the ground in despair. Love. Not a crush but love. Of all the times she could've confessed it had to be now—right before her engagement. Why did it have to be them? Why did she have to be a crown princess? Why couldn't she have been the daughter of a blacksmith or a carpenter? Why couldn't he have been born into royalty or even nobility? Why was it so unfair? Why were they so hopelessly in love with each other when they could never be?

Suddenly, something inside Merrick snapped. He got off the ground and stomped over to the Princess, coming to a halt right in front of her. She peered up at him in confusion and hesitantly cupped his face as he swallowed hard, his Adam's apple moving up and down. The warmth radiating from their bodies felt like a hot comfortable summer day; it was familiar and neither of them wanted to pull away from each other. He covered her lips with his, gently kissing her, taking his time to remember how her soft pink—or in this case red—lips tasted. Merrick wrapped both arms around Shayla's waist, pulling her snugly into his body. He realized that this was probably going to make things harder for the pair of them in the long run but he threw all caution to the wind. Princess Shayla turned her head a bit and deepened their kiss as she tugged his hair, running her hands through it. The kiss became more passionate and she moved her hands from his hair to the lapels of his ceremonial jacket because her knees felt so weak. Soon they both parted and rested their foreheads together, breathing heavily.

Abruptly, Merrick stepped away from the Princess but took her hand, intertwining her fingers with his. "I am sorry. After this, I have to let you go."

A/N: How was that kiss for you?

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