In his heart, Cas knew he’d done the right thing. Even though it was difficult, they had to keep themselves from giving in to their desire for each other. To pretend like they weren’t on borrowed time would have been foolish. He couldn’t lie and say that he just wanted something physical from her either. They both knew that wasn’t true, and the same went for her feelings for him. Ignoring the deeper connection they had would inevitably lead to a painful parting at the capital, and he didn’t want to do that to her. He’d meant it when he’d told Maisie that he cared about her too much to put her through that.

When Iris said she understood, he let out a ragged exhale only to grimace in the next moment as she chased the statement by saying she wasn’t good enough for him. It was so far from the truth that it crushed him to hear her say it. He could understand why she thought so, since their differing statuses were the exact reason why they couldn’t be together, but that had nothing to do with who she was as a person. It was just the way things were. He was going to be the next king of Aspiria, and unfortunately, that meant whoever he ended up with was going to be the queen. By law, his future wife had to be a high born. There was nothing he could do about it.

[color=#b97703]“Don’t you ever say you’re not good enough for me,”[/color] he chastised her, forcing himself to pull back enough to seek her gaze. [color=#b97703]“You’re a better woman than anyone else I’ve met. I really do wish I could be with you, and if I could rewrite the law, I would do it in a heartbeat. It’s just… not that simple.”[/color] He squeezed her hands, studying her face with a solemn expression. [color=#b97703]“I won’t have that kind of power until my dad… well… kicks the bucket, and that could be many years from now. He barely lets me date high born women as it is, so there’s no way he would let me be with someone from outside the capital. It’s a shitty situation—I’d love to be able to make my own decisions like every other adult in the world—but I have to listen to him because he’s the king… Unfortunately, that means I can’t be with you.”[/color]

Never before had he felt more trapped in the box he’d been born into. He’d already had mixed feelings about being the crown prince, usually teetering on the negative side, but he’d never experienced the weight of his future like this. [color=#b97703][i]Probably because I’ve never been so drawn to someone like I am to her,[/i][/color] he thought. It had been frustrating in the past when his father had forced him to end relationships with high born girls, but he had never been truly heartbroken over the breakups. They had never lasted long enough for him to care that much. Iris was the first person he’d ever developed a bond with that felt so substantial that he was almost terrified to see where it could go. He could easily picture himself falling in love with her when they reached the capital and always regretting the fact that he could never see her again after they separated.

So, when Iris said she didn’t care if they could only be together for a short while, he shook his head. [color=#b97703]“You say that now, but what happens when we get to the capital and actually have to part ways?”[/color] he frowned. [color=#b97703]“We’re only going to be out here for a few more days at best, so we should act like it. I just… I can’t hurt you, Iris. It’s for the best that we don’t make this harder than it has to be.”[/color]

Taking his own advice, he picked up her plate from the table and set it in her lap. [color=#b97703]“Eat those last two bites for me, okay?”[/color] he murmured, getting up from the sofa. [color=#b97703]“And drink the water too.”[/color] Needing to put some distance between them while he still had the strength of will to do so, he took his own empty plate to the kitchen to rinse it off.