Page 51 of Defying the Crown
"Except the tiny detail that you're the fucking Crown Prince?" Daniel springs from the bed, pacing. "My face is all over international news. Everyone will see this!"
Horror dawns on his face, my stomach churning with guilt. I've exposed him to exactly the scrutiny I was trying to escape. The weight of my title has come crashing down on this innocent man who trusted me.
"I never meant for this to happen," I whisper, the words inadequate. "I just wanted..." My voice cracks. For once, I had dared to reach for something real, but even that has transformed into another royal mess.
"What you wanted?" Daniel's laugh holds no humor. "That's all this has ever been about, hasn't it? Did you ever think about what this would do to me?" His words strike with devastating accuracy, each one a reminder of my selfishness. The bitterness in his voice makes my stomach churn with guilt, knowing he has every right to his anger.
"You lied to me! You told me you wanted something real, that this was serious!" His voice cracks, the sound splitting my chest wide open. "Now I see you've been hiding who you are, and I can't trust anything you said! Everything we built feels like a lie, and I don't know if I can feel safe with you anymore!"
Each word hits like a physical blow. My throat constricts as I watch him wrap his arms around himself - a protective gesture I recognize from when he talked about Alex. The realization that I've made him feel as vulnerable and betrayed as his cheating ex did makes bile rise in my throat.
I want to reach for him, to pull him close and promise that everything will be okay, but I've lost that right. My hands clench uselessly at my sides as I watch the man I love retreat into himself, building walls I'd spent weeks carefully dismantling. The distance between us spans more than just the few feet of plush hotel carpet - it's a chasm of broken trust and shattered expectations.
"Daniel, please - I was terrified!" My voice cracks as emotions surge through me. "Every person who's ever known who I am has treated me differently. They see the crown, the title, the wealth - never just me. Never Harald." I run my trembling hands through my hair, my chest tight with panic. "I couldn't bear the thought of you looking at me the way everyone else does."
The words pour out of me now, raw and desperate. "Do you know what it's like? Having every interaction, every relationship tainted by who you're born to be? I just wanted one person - one person who could see me for who I really am, not what I represent."
Daniel's eyes flash with hurt and anger. "You should have trusted me with the truth! I can't believe I let myself fall for you, only to find out you kept the most important part of yourself hidden! How could you do this to me?"
His words strike deep, and I feel tears burning behind my eyes. "Important? Being Crown Prince isn't who I am - it's what I was born into! The man who held you last night, who listened to your stories, who fell in love with your smile - that's the real me." My voice breaks. "The Harald who struggles with anxiety, who feels crushed under his father's expectations, who finally felt like he could breathe when he met you - that's who I am."
I take a shaky breath, watching him through blurred vision. "I know I should have told you sooner. But every day I waited, I grew more terrified of losing this - losing you. For the first time in my life, someone saw me as just Harald, and I couldn't... I couldn't bear to watch that change."
The CNN broadcast continues in the background, each new photo of our private moments together driving home the magnitude of my betrayal. I see Daniel flinch as they show footage of our kiss on the Wonder Wheel, that perfect moment now tainted by my deception.
My heart races as Daniel retreats, when the door bursts open. Erik rushes in, disheveled and sweating.
"Harald! We need to go now! Your father is demanding you return home—the situation is out of control!"
The words hit me like a blow. Of course Father would demand my return - the scandal of his son with another man would be intolerable. My stomach churns imagining his rage and disgust.
Daniel's eyes widen at Erik's entrance. "Your secretary... more lies."
"Daniel, please-" I reach for him, but Erik cuts through my plea.
"Your Highness, there's no time. The press is surrounding the hotel. Security is preparing the exit, but we must move."
The title makes Daniel flinch. He backs away, trapped and betrayed. Seeing him pressed against the wall, trying to shrink, breaks me. This is what I tried to prevent - him feeling cornered, exposed, vulnerable.
My phone buzzes - Ella's number. Father must be livid if she's calling back so soon. The walls close in, trapping us in this nightmare of my own making.
Erik hovers, his mask cracking with concern. "Harald, please. We need to leave now."
"Daniel, wait!" I cry out, but my plea falls on deaf ears as he tears off the silk pajamas I'd given him - the intimate gift now a symbol of my deception. The soft material drops to the floor like discarded trust, my heart clenching as he roughly pulls on yesterday's wrinkled clothes.
His movements are jerky, desperate, like a wounded animal seeking escape. I recognize this behavior - the same defensive posture he described after finding Alex with another man. Only this time, I'm the one who's caused this pain.
The transformation in his face cuts deeper than any of Father's disapproving glares. Those expressive eyes that had looked at me with such warmth now turn cold and distant. His features shut down completely - a mask sliding into place that I recognize from my own royal training. The irony isn't lost on me.
"Daniel, please, just let me explain, don't leave like this-" I step forward, but Erik's hand on my shoulder holds me back. Daniel doesn't even look at me as he yanks open the door, his shoulders rigid with tension.
The slam of the door echoes through the suite like a gunshot, leaving behind a deafening silence broken only by the continued murmur of news coverage detailing our exposed relationship.
My legs give out, and I sink to the floor, my breath coming in short gasps. My fingers dig into the plush carpet as I try to ground myself, but the panic rises like a tide.
"Your Highness..." Erik kneels beside me, his voice gentle. "Harald, breathe."
I shake my head, tears burning my eyes. "I've ruined everything. He trusted me, Erik. He let me in, showed me his vulnerabilities, and I..." My voice breaks. "I betrayed him just like everyone else in his life has."
