He found her sitting outside the doors of her bedchamber, her knees curled up, head in her hands.
"Your Highness?" He tentatively called out. "Are you alright?"
A quiet sniffle and suddenly, she was looking up at him. Red eyes. Quivering smile.
"Why, yes. Why shouldn't I be?" A forced laugh.
He squatted down to her level, looking straight into her shaken soul. His gaze told her it was safe now. It was safe to trust him, safe to put away her mask and be her real self.
"I hope you dismissed him." She mumbled, averting his gaze.
"Of course, Your Majesty."
"You...you didn't hit him, did you?"
She bit her lip at his hesitation.
"Not too hard." He finally replied.
She stared at her hands, and let out a bitter laugh.
"It was all my fault, honestly. I'm to blame. If it weren't for my behavior towards him these past few days..."
"Your Highness." He stopped her line of thought. "He had no right to do what he did." He told her with all surety, willing for her to believe him and stop all her self-deprecation.
Her bottom lip began to tremble.
"I..." She took in a shaky breath to steady herself. "I feel so absolutely ashamed of myself." She admitted quietly.
He said nothing in reply, but simply stood up, offering her his hand.
She stared at it and grasped it like a lifeline, allowing him to pull her up to her feet.
He waited for her to let go, but, to his rising panic, she didn't, keeping his hand firmly grasped in her own.
"Please...don't ever leave me again. Not even for a moment. I beg you..." Her voice was just above a whisper, eyes laden with fear and anxiety.
He breathed in her proximity, her scent. He couldn't exactly blame the Prince for wanting to get so close to her. But thinking of the vile Telmarine would only make his blood boil. Glancing at their clasped hands, he slowly extricated his hand from hers, leaving her fingers haunted with the warmth of his touch.
"I promise that, henceforth, you will never be alone."
But she felt more alone now than ever before.
She was tired.
Tired of playing games, tired of the suitors. She needed to escape, needed to get away.
She wanted to see her family. She wanted to see Peter. Peter could always make her feel better.
Besides, she wanted to make sure he wasn't getting himself into any trouble like he usually managed to do.
She resolved to go pay him a visit.