She couldn't believe she was about to leave, but staying there didn't feel like an option to her, though. Not only had the queen made it very clear that she wasn't welcome, but Marco hadn't even attempted to console her after seeing Magdalena tear her dress.
He saw what she did to me, but he's done nothing, she thought. And why hasn't he come looking for me? I know I ran off, but surely he'd be able to find me right now if he wanted to. He knows this place like the back of his hand. Doesn't he care about me?
Magdalena's accusation that he was simply using her to give his father hope for the future echoed in her ears.
Sabrina glanced back, getting one last look at the palace, the place that was supposed to be her new home. A tear trickled slowly down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. She made her way down toward the main road, with the decision that she'd go find a hotel somewhere and check in under a fake name. At the very least, that would give her some space and time to sort everything out in her mind. It would also give her a chance to find some proper clothes and to call her Aunt Faye for advice.
“At least Faye will be there for me. I can always rely on her,” she said to herself, as she continued her trek through the dirt and grass. “That's more than I can say for Marco, apparently.”
Chapter 19
Marco
Marco stood with his arms crossed and his eyes glaring. Magdalena was in front of him. Rage pumped through his veins and all he wanted to do was to let it all out on her. After seeing what she had done to his beautiful fiancée in front of everyone, he was beginning to care less that Magdalena happened to be the queen.
“How dare you embarrass Sabrina like that,” Marco said, keeping his eyes locked with hers. “And for what? What point were you trying to make, Magdalena?”
They were still standing next to the outer wall in the grand room. The music was playing once again and people were dancing. The ball continued on, even though the hosts weren't currently participating.
“Marco, please, we need to keep this civil,” Carlo said, placing a hand onto Marco's forearm. “Come on, let's go somewhere quiet so we can discuss things.”
“Father, how can you expect me to remain civil after seeing what Magdalena is capable of?” he asked. “You saw it, too. She attacked my fiance in front of the entire party. Is there no justice for something like that?”
Magdalena rolled her eyes. “Don't act like a spoiled little brat, Marco.”
“What do you have against her anyway?” Marco asked. “I'm well aware of the fact that you hate everything and everyone, but your aggression toward Sabrina seems elevated. Even for you.”
“She's a commoner,” she said, matter-of-factly. “I could tolerate her being here, but marrying her? You must be insane.”
“Maybe it's none of your business who she is or where she's from,” Marco said.
“I suppose you'd be right,” Magdalena said, with a smug smile. “That is, if you didn't drag her home with you. But now she's here. So she has become my business.”
“Both of you, stop this at once,” Carlo interjected. “We will meet in my chambers in five minutes to discuss this. No more arguing here, though. The last thing we need is for this drama to get out of hand again.”
Marco sighed. “Fine. Sabrina and I will meet you there.”
“Sabrina is not welcome in this meeting,” Magdalena said, before Carlo could reply.
“Yes, actually, she is.” Marco corrected her. “She's my fiancée and therefore, she has as much right to be there as I do. In fact, I'm going to go find her now and make sure that she's okay. I'll see you in you a few minutes, Father.”
Marco spun around before getting a response. He scanned the audience, looking for his lover, but didn't see her.
Maybe she went for a breath of fresh air, he thought, as he left the room.
A group of nobles from a nearby island stood at the entrance. They were sipping champagne and chatting among themselves when Marco approached.
“I'm sorry to interrupt,” Marco said. “But have any of you seen Sabrina? There was a bit of a mishap and it's important that I speak to her.”
One of the men turned to face Marco and gave him a nod. “Prince Marco. Pleasure to see you again. I regret to tell you that Sabrina ran out of here a few minutes ago. She looked very upset and was crying as she left.”
Oh no, Marco said. This is not how I wanted her to feel on her first day here. This has gone horribly wrong.
“Thank you for the information,” Marco said, running quickly out the door and to the front of the palace. He approached the first guard that he saw. “Have you seen Sabrina? My fiancée, she's left and I don't know where she's gone. She's wearing a white dress. You can't miss her.”
“I'm sorry, sir, but I haven't seen her,” he said.
“Find her!” Marco demanded. “I'm going to check the bedrooms upstairs, but something tells me that she's gone further than that.”