I Watched You Dance With Her

It… it’s not true. Tell me it isn’t true. My eyes deceive me— there can be no other explanation for what I have just seen. Tell me that you would never betray me this way… that you would never hurt me, in front of all those people, that you would dance with… with her. You wouldn’t, no, not after everything… not after you swore yourself to me.

You wouldn’t… and yet…

How… how could you?

After everything we have been through, after all I have done for you—how could you do this to me, to us? I won’t accept this, I cannot— I refuse. I thought… I thought what we had was something special, something truly magical. But how could it ever have been? Yesterday, you loved me… you swore to me you loved me, more than words could express and yet… and yet— I have just seen you dancing with her. She had her arms around your neck and you— you had your hands on her waist, your eyes meeting hers the way you once looked at me—

No... no, no— NO!

Of course.

How could I have been so blind— so naïve!

Of course, you would do this. Of course, you would throw away all we had… the late nights, the passion, the love, as though it meant nothing to you. What did she offer you in exchange for your dignity, I wonder… power, pride, a political alliance? Perhaps it was all three, presented to you on a silver platter wrapped in gold and served up to you by a pretty face so tempting that you were willing to look past the poison. The lies. The deceit. The danger.

Of course, you would be so easily baited. I would dare to say that she has stolen you from me, but someone so easily swayed could never have been mine to begin with.

Oh… I imagine you believe this will break me, but no —I will not let it. I will not allow myself to be humiliated and embarrassed in front of my own, especially not by the likes of you. You… a prince barely balancing the weight of his own crown, ruling over barren lands with little more than livestock to offer to any maiden ridiculous enough to accept your hand. You nothing more than a speck in the sea of suitors waiting to ask for my hand, who have been waiting for this very moment, for you to mess up and lose me. Now you have… and I will not be fooled.

You can gaze upon her with those soft, sweet eyes… you can whisper those sweet, sickly words to her as you show her off to the onlookers and the vultures. You can do as you like, but I know the truth; I know where your heart belongs… and despite whatever clever lies you might tell yourself there can be no denying that its loyalty lies with me. Pretend you do not care for me all you like. You may convince the others, but you will never be able to convince me.

All those nights… wrapped up in each other’s arms, your breath against my neck, your promises of forever and more were not given lightly. No… you are not smart enough to spare me a lie so convincing. I know you love me. No amount of flouncing with your new fiancé to me can convince me otherwise… that is, if you have even asked for her hand. Surely this entire escapade is not just to make me jealous? Even you would not stoop so low as to try and ruin my reputation just to get a rise out of me.

No… you are prey caught in their snare, entangled in their web. But where does that leave me?