“Ouch, what the hell is this?” Sumin’s sudden voice that was full of pain caused Daehyun to turn around, looking at his ex-fiancée. Sumin just noticed the rope on her wrists that was hindering her from sitting up. She couldn’t believe she was being chained to the bed… by Daehyun.

“You’re awake,” said the Prince with an emotionless voice while the moon light shined on half of his face, making him look scary as hell.

“Dae, what is this? Release me now,” commanded Sumin loudly in anger.

The prince smirked while his eyes were filled with sadness. Leaning closer to the young girl, he stated coldly.

“You’re not leaving, Sumin. I’m not letting you go anywhere.”

And for a short moment his world froze. Sumin showed no reaction, no anger, no fear, no disappointment, not even a blink.

“This is not funny at all. Release me, Dae. I need to get up to—”

“to leave me? For good?” He finished her sentence with sadness. “I can’t let that happen.”

“Even if that means you’ll have to lock me up forever?” She asked in disbelief.

“Even so,” replied Daehyun and his heart broke as a tear felt down Sumin’s pretty face. Damn it, no matters what she did, she was beautiful.

“I’m scared, Dae,” whispered Sumin.

“So am I,” said the Prince.

“Please stay with me,” he begged before pressed his lips against hers forcefully, kissed her gently. And as his kisses found their way down her neck, they got – like with her struggles - rougher.

 

“And that was when I woke up,” said the Prince. The last part of that ‘ert’ dream is something he better kept to himself.

Without a word Himchan –who was listening carefully to the Prince talking about his dream -  stand up and left the dining room, causing Daehyun to follow his cousin confusingly.

“Where are you going now?” called the young Prince.

“Checking your chamber, making sure there is no tied up Sumin in there.” Himchan replied.

“Seriously?” exclaimed Daehyun. “Don’t you have any trust in me? Is that what you think of me? You have known me forever.”

“And that’s why I know you are not yourself when it comes to her.” Himchan explained, stopped right before the big door to the Prince’s bed room.

Sighed, Daehyun opened the door for the older boy.

“Here, please. Go ahead and check it. She is there, not being tied up, just sleeping, so that she would be fit for the long trip tomorrow – when she is going to leave me… for good.  Are you happy now?” The Prince said, trying his best not to yell at his hyung.

“Why should I be happy about that?” Himchan asked in disbelief. “I’m the last person in this world who would want you two to be separated. You guys saved my life. Of course I want you to be happy together.” He stated.

“And if I have to go through hell, I’ll help you.”

“Thank you, hyung. But even that wouldn’t help me now. She had made his decision and I have to accept it,” said Daehyun.

He might sound like a heartless bastard saying that, but the truth was that he just tried his best to accept the sad fact of Sumin leaving. However, he knew this wouldn’t work. Nothing was making it better because his love was leaving him for good and he was not being able to do anything against it. If he could just rip his heart out and show it to her, so that she could see her name on it.

“She just couldn’t understand I need her. I guess it’s because she has never been in love with me. So what else could I do? You can’t force the feeling, can you?” The Prince said sadly. Oh, how he wished there were a way to make her love him.

“Stupid Prince is so stupid,” exclaimed Himchan and hit Daehyun’s head lightly.

“Ouch,” cried Daehyun loudly, rolling his eyes. “What was that for?”

“That was for your stupidness, your Highness. How can you think she doesn’t feel anything for you?”

“How could she feel anything for me and wants to leave me at the same time?” argued the Prince.

“You are really silly, aren’t you?” Himchan asked.

“I had been locked up for years and even I can tell how much she loves you. Even a blind person can tell that.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Why should she want to leave me then?” The Prince questioned in frustration. Never in his life had he wanted to be wrong more than this moment. If he could be wrong and Sumin could love him, that would be enough.

“The reason, Daehyun,” Himchan slowly explained. “Didn’t she say it very clearly?”

The older boy answered with another question, confusing the Prince again.

“You got it?” Himchan asked tiredly, feeling like an old man, after enlightening the Prince.

 

Daehyun took a deep breath and lay down next to his sleeping ex-fiancé. He hugged the girl next to him tightly as if it was the last time. What Himchan had told him earlier was right. He was the Prince and Cinderella was not meant to be his wife. The right thing to do now was to let that person named Cinderella go. And that was exactly what he was going to do.

 

Sumin woke up as the morning lights burned her eyes. The place next to her was cold and empty. For some mystery reason, she felt sad, as if something was missing. God, who was she kidding? She knew clearly what ‘it’ was?

Daehyun. She was missing the Prince and that even before she left the castle. How was she going to live without Dae? She had no clue, but about one thing she was sure. They weren’t meant to be. Life was not a fairy tale where Cinderella would marry the Prince and live happily ever after.

However, before she left, she needed to do something.

“Why? You used to be so kind to me and we used to be a family. Didn’t you have everything you wanted? Didn’t you murder my mom for that? I just couldn’t understand why you hated me so much. Have I ever done anything to you?”

Sumin asked Hyun Jung, her stepmother, through the locked door. She was aware of the fact that the answer – whatever it was – wouldn’t change anything now, but she just needed to know it. She had to know why she h