His Forbidden Mate
Part 47

Edward pushed open the door to the living area of Kailani’s room and he found a few bags packed that belonged to Kailani. The living area was almost empty now, and he wondered what was making her want to leave. He barely had the thoughts out of his head when Kailani stepped out with the last bag, which was a little smaller than the other two in the living area.

Edward had looked forward to seeing this face for the past few days but never got to. The closest he got was from dream walking, and even he knew it wasn’t real. He had longed to see her again, but he didn’t think he’d see her in this state. He wondered what had happened in his absence that could have triggered her need to leave, even though she didn’t disclose that the last time he saw her. There had to be a reason for this, but whatever the reason, he wasn’t happy about it.

She slowed down as she saw him, and their eyes met.

“Kailani.”

“My Prince,” she replied in a low tone, unable to hold his gaze.

There it was, the title she took when they were being formal, and also avoided his gaze. But there shouldn’t be a formality because they were lovers, mates and partners, except that wasn’t it anymore.

“What happened? Why are your bags packed? Why are you leaving?”

“Because this is for the best, my prince,” she answered, taking his title again.

His gaze narrowed. “Best for who? You or me? I don’t understand, nor do I see any happiness in you.”

“This is what needs to be done.” She stepped forward and dropped the small bag beside the others. “This is what we should have done long ago. I knew we weren’t meant to be. We were too good and when things are too good to be true, they aren’t true.”

“I am true, and so are you. What are you talking about?” he frowned at her, still confused about what was happening.

She sniffed. “Your father was here. A few days ago. He offered me three thousand pieces of gold and five hundred silver to start up a new life.” She answered.

“He died over seven years ago in the North,” he answered, his voice giving off a hint of pain in it.

Edward’s heart picked up its pace, and his confusion and fear soon turned into fury.

She continued. “I won’t take his money because I have mine, but I will take his advice. I will leave and start up a new life somewhere else, somewhere new.”

“Kailani,” he called and took a step forward, but her hands shot up to stop him in his tracks.

“It will be difficult to move on at first. Its pain will be almost as agonising as death itself, but in the end, we will move on. I thought what we were doing was the right thing, but now I know it wasn’t. There’s so much at stake, so much to consider, but in the end, one decision is best. You will marry lady Shewa just as your father wants and the kingdom needs and I’ll live on my own, and never marry or take another man.”

“Do I get to have a say in this grand plan of yours?” he asked.

“No, you don’t, you just listen. That’s your problem. You don’t listen, you never do! If you did, we wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t have chased me or kept coming back when you know what we have is nothing but a fairytale!” she snapped at him in a harsh tone.

“You should have listened to your father when he said he already found you a mate. You should have listened to me when I said we were better off apart when this entanglement started. And you should have listened to Dyan when he told you to not interfere in my troubles eight years ago. If you did, perhaps he’d still be here.”

Hearing about Dyan made her heart hurt. She had thought he stopped being his friend, but replaceing out he had died had her torn in remorse. He died in the north eight years ago and that was around the same time frame when she stole from them, and this made it even harder for her to grasp.

Edward realised she must have found out the truth about Dyan and he couldn’t imagine the thoughts going through her head. Or the guilt. “Kailani…”

“No, your father told me. Bad things happen when you choose to be reckless, and you lost Dyan because you chose to be reckless eight years ago. You lost your best friend because you wanted to protect me, a girl you didn’t even know. You lost Dyan because you wouldn’t listen to him.” Painful tears slid down her face and she wiped them off.

“Kailani, ” he called out again, but just like the other times, she didn’t let him speak.

“You told me your friendship with him ended, but you didn’t tell me he died in the North.”

“I didn’t have any reason to.”

She scoffed in regret. “Are you so blinded by the fact that you lost your best friend because of me?”

“I didn’t lose Dyan because of you.” he denied vehemently.

“You do not have to protect my feeling or guilt. I have borne them these past few days. Your father told me everything and I see what I cruelly took from you.”

“You took nothing from me. I lost Dyan because of my stubbornness.” he snapped at her, “You’re right, I don’t listen and I should have listened to him, but not when he said to not help you. But I should have listened to him after we lost the gold.”

“After I stole the gold.” She corrected, not wanting his protection anymore.

“Yes,” he agreed. “I should have returned to the Capital and confessed to my father, the king, about my failure, but I couldn’t face him and so I chose to get the money back in dangerous means. That was what brought about the death of Dyan. I should have listened to him and returned to the Capital to face my father, but I couldn’t do that and I dragged him to his death. It was my fault.”

Her eyes were blurry, and she couldn’t even hold his gaze.

He blamed himself when all he did was try to get back the gold he lost, the one she stole. He may not say it, but she knew the truth. He lost his best friend, and it was because of her. If she had left that gold while running away from them, perhaps his best friend would still be with him.

She scoffed at him for not seeing the very obvious truth before him. “I took your best friend away from you. You might blame yourself, but the only reason you were at the fighting pit in the first place was because I stole from you and you needed to make it up.”

“This isn’t your fault. It was mine. All mine from the very beginning. Dyan advised we return to the Capital. I was stubborn and dragged him to his doom. I killed him,” he said. “I may not have driven the dagger into his heart, but I dragged him to his death. His b***d is on my hands and I can never wash it off.”

This time, she stepped toward him. He had denied the truth, and she was to blame for what happened. He had taken the blame all those years because blaming her would lighten the burden of the loss, and that was the last thing he wanted.

“You saved me because you were a good person with a good heart and I betrayed that help when I stole from you. I’ve been the bad guy all along. I did horrible things. I hurt so many people and caused the death of a good person. I am a monster and I ruin everything I touch. I don’t understand why you can’t see the truth.”

He smiled, “You haven’t ruined me yet.”

“And I will never do that. I’d rather die. Which is why I am leaving. I am not leaving because your father told me to. I am leaving because I’ve done enough to you. The reason you were in the fighting pit in the first place was that I stole from you and made you lose your best friend. I have caused you enough pain and I want to make amends now. I love you, Prince Edward of the royal house Ainsworth, and I need you to let me do this for the both of us.”

She moved to pick up her bags when he spoke. “If you leave, you condemn me to a life of misery, not just for losing a mate, but for losing my peace.”