She needed some fresh air. Staying that castle for that long was probably doing something to her mind. There was this river she always went to with her mother in her youth, she decided she wanted to go there today.

The place brought her joy and let her forget of what problems at the castle. After her grandfather’s passing thing seemed to get different. Her father becoming king, her sister and herself becoming the now princesses of Havancali, a huge set of responsibilities now along with that. The beautiful green leaves and trees, all thriving with life, they made her remember of the good things in life.

She found that patch of grass she loved and walked towards. Her steps were always light, everyone always thought it strangely wonderful how a woman’s steps and pass could be so graceful. Upon taking that last step towards the patch she took a look at what surrounded her.

Leave and trees and bushes with the ripest fruits to her left. All kinds of flowers that now bloomed during this spring she never wanted to end. And to her front, just below the mountain that separated her and the river, a woman and man who looked terribly familiar. She took a step closer and saw who that man was.

Osric.

She only now realizes who that woman was. Godiva. The dancer, the one her father upgraded to sorceress. They’d been, holding each other close, taking each other clothing off, getting into the river together.

Her heart sank. Her entire world shattered around her. Time stopped and everything slowed.

This place that once brought only happiness and joy to her, now, was where she’d see the love of her life about to make love with another woman. All the once vibrant colors of the trees and flowers dulled to her.

She noticed the way they looked at one another. The way they touched. The same way he had once looked at her. This man she’d worked so hard to be with, they work so hard to be with each other.

Bringing a side of her dress into her first in order not to fall, she ran. She ran and ran, to no where in particular. Anywhere as long as she got away from that horrible truth. She knew she had to confront him of it. But she had to tell her to annul their matrimony first.

(***)

“Osric.”

“Yes, Anika darling?” He said, putting his armor and sword away.

She shuttered at the fact he still thought he could call her his darling or anything close. “Where were you today?” A step closer to him.

“I had important business to take care of. Thing with the war and whatnot. Nothing you need to worry about.”

Important business. Because making love to Godiva was so important wasn’t it.

How could he just lie straight to her face like that?

“Are you sure that’s it?”

“Yes, Anika. It is.”

“Are you sure you weren’t making love to that woman, Godiva?”

His face blanked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I saw you at the river. Taking the other’s clothes clothes of, getting into the river together. The way you two looked at each, felt each other up? In that moment, as I looked into your eyes, I saw my future go up into flames”

He looked at her eyes wide. He knew he’d gotten caught. “You’re crazy. You saw Godiva with another man at the river and thought it was me. Yeah that’s it.”

“I’m crazy? I knew what I saw. I’ve already asked my father to annul out matrimony.

“You what. No you—you can’t do that.”

“I can, and I have.”