A.N: This is chapter 40, however; it's August's point of view.
***
I didn't love her.
Not even a little. Not even for show.
Leah was never the girl I wanted. She was the girl I was told to want. The one with the polished smile, the royal lineage, the diplomatic convenience. My parents chose her like you'd pick out a chess piece for a move you hadn't even made yet. They said she was perfect — perfect for the crown, perfect for the kingdom, perfect for appearances.
But not perfect for me.
Truth is, I don't think she even wanted this either. I used to think she did, maybe for the title, maybe for the power, but I was wrong. It wasn't her — it was her parents. Just like it wasn't me — it was mine.
None of it was about love.
And maybe I didn't care because my heart was already somewhere
