CALLUM

My heart was jumping in my chest as I ran back to the crowded ballroom. Fortunately, this time no one noticed my entrance; everyone was too busy dancing or discussing my tempestuous exit in pursuit of the mystery guest. I landed in front of my father, my breathing ragged.

"Father," I puffed, "I need to speak with you… now. Please."

"Callum, what is going on?" His face was so disapproving that I almost changed my mind, but this was too important to let go of.

"I'll explain in a minute, I'll apologise, I'll do whatever you want me to, just please let me talk to you a moment." My mother was listening. Her face was pained and I felt a pang of guilt at the anguish I was probably putting them through. Elena's parents were very close to them, and judging from the way they were whispering angrily to each other, they were furious with both me and my parents for treating Elena so badly. "Please," I said again and my father relented.

"All right. Five minutes." We slipped out of the room once more and into the nearest empty one, which happened to be the library. "What is it, Callum?"

"I need you to release me from my betrothal with Elena," I said eagerly, my words coming out so fast that I nearly stumbled over them.

I had expected a shocked reaction, but I did not get one. Instead my father sank into a chair with a groan. "No, Callum, no! Why are you doing this to me?"

"You don't understand. I'm in love." Even in the heat of the situation I smiled as I said the words.

"With Helen, I suppose."

"Of course. Who else? I know it will be difficult to break off the betrothal, but you still have Marcus and Lydia to keep the bonds between Nabol and Tanezia – and I promise I'll make the deepest apologies to them and make it up to them in any way possible…" I faltered at the look on my father's face.

"Callum, I cannot allow this."

"W-what?" I was so surprised that I stammered. He got up and made an angry gesture.

"Don't you see? This is preposterous. Helen is a servant, and you are the heir to a kingdom. Elena is meant for you and always has been – you mourned her for years, boy! And now you turn round and have the gall to say that you don't want her?"

"Father, I love Helen. Isn't that what counts?"

"Love isn't everything," he shot back. I stared at him in horror.

"But you married for love."

"Yes, and look how I've paid!" he cried.

"What do you mean?"

"Look. I love your mother very much. But marrying her had implications that back then I never would have dreamed of. You know about Thomas' uprising. People died because I made a decision out of love instead of logic. Even now many of my subjects do not trust me the way they would if I had been a stronger man then."

"But you were eighteen," I argued. "You were so young. Of course you were not as strong as you are now."

"All I'm saying, son, is that love carries a high price, and this love comes at the expense of a broken heart for Elena – and her parents may never forgive us."

"Tell me it's better to be with the one you love than to choose duty over them. Tell me it's better that way."

My father was silent, and I could feel my heart shrink within me. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He was supposed to give me his blessing, not a lecture.

"I love your mother," he said at last. "And even if I had the choice again now, I would not choose any differently. But a King has responsibilities other than to himself. I am asking you to consider that, my son, and not to make a foolish decision." He placed a hand on my shoulder and looked into my face, and his blue eyes had a depth of sympathy within them that had not been in his words. "I'm sorry."

When he left I stood there for longer than I should have done, trying to understand what he had meant. My exuberant mood had shattered and I was left trying to pick up the pieces. What should I do now? I knew what I wanted to do – I wanted to take Helen and run far, far away to where we could start a new life together and live carefree and happy. But I couldn't leave my parents, and I couldn't leave Elena without at least apologising to her. My mind spun. I couldn't see a way out of this mess.

First things first. I had to go and talk to Helen. She was waiting for me. Perhaps she, with typical practicality, would have a suggestion of some kind. She loved me; I knew it, though she had not said so. She could not have kissed me like that and not loved me. We would work something out.

This time as I walked down the corridors to the balcony where I'd left her, my footsteps were slow and my heart heavy. It was funny, how everything could change in a heartbeat. But I knew that as long as I could pull her in and hold her close, as long as I could kiss her sweet face and hear her laugh, I would feel all right, and my pace sped up again as I neared my destination. Then I stopped in confusion.

The balcony was empty. Helen had gone. Where could she have got to? I turned to go, not yet understanding, and that was when something sparkled in the moonlight and caught my eye. There, on the rail, one glass shoe. And beside it, a single snowdrop.

As if from a great distance, I heard the clock strike twelve.

A/N: Sorry that this is another cliffhanger. If I have time to get writing in the next two days I'll upload again, but I'm off to Rome for a week so things are very hectic! In reparation for not posting for a week, I'll write loads while I'm away and put it all up when I'm back again.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: thank you so much for reviewing. I've been really down lately cos my boyfriend has moved to Australia and writing this, and hearing from you guys, has really kept me going. Hope you enjoy! xxx