Wipe the Tears Away, Darling Chapter 4

-Andy's Point of View-

I sat by the fountain pulling at the petals of the roses.

My "used to be lucky" tradition had been proven to be false when I had to marry a woman that I didn't actually care for.

Now I just pull on them as a nervous tick, that or I don't even notice what I'm doing.

"You seem to be thinking awful hard about something," Sammi said walking up the stone walkway as she was heading my way.

"That's because I am," I said folding my hands in my lap trying to get rid of the urge to pull at the small delicate flowers.

Half of them were already destroyed because of me.

"What are you thinking about, Prince?" she asked.

"Well it's been a year since... you know. I just wonder if he still thinks about me any," I said looking down.

"I'm sure he does. The two of you loved each other very much. I can see in your eyes that you still do."

"I miss him," I whispered.

"Have you ever thought about going back to the woods?" she asked taking a seat beside me.

"There's a slim chance that he'll be there," I said.

"It's still worth a shot though, Andrew."

~~~

The path was so familiar to me.

It was a little bit overgrown since nobody had been around here for a year, but I could still remember each rock and notch in the ground.

Finally I made it to the only oak in the woods and I climbed up it and sat on my branch hoping that Ashley would come plundering through the underbrush to be mine once more.

I pulled out the little dagger that I still carried for protection and I started carving sticks and getting lost with time.

Hours passed and I could see the sun setting in the distance.

I let out a sigh and climbed down the tree and rested my hands on the rough bark as I felt tears well up in my eyes.

Ashley hadn't come. It had been to long since I had seen my one true love.

The little dagger was still in my hand and without a second's thought I began to carve a saying into a tree. It was sort of like a sign to prove that I had been there, since the woods were empty for the most part.

When I had finished I admired my handiwork.

"I will return, I will be your's forevermore, my love."

Tears glided down my cheeks as I tracked the last letter of the sentence and I turned around and I walked away.

The entire way back I was trapped in my thoughts filled with curiosities and confusion on if Ashley would ever be mine once more.

It was dark when I walked across the stone walkway and faked the smile as I walked into the castle.

I sat down at the dinner table with my wife and my parents and talked to them like nothing horrible had never happened, but deep down inside I was falling apart.

Do they not realize how much I hurt inside?