Tess found Sebastian outside looking for her. She reluctantly admitted that he did seem to know her fairly well because she would have come outside to pace and rant, if she hadn’t been searching the castle for him.

“Tess,” he breathed out her name as if it held the relief of a first gasp of air after being underwater for too long. She didn’t miss the concerned and fearful look that immediately swept over his face when he caught a glimpse of how furious she was. “Let’s sit down, so we can talk this through,” he suggested. It was the first time he had seen her in her oversized, dorky glasses, but he didn’t seem to notice.

Even though Tess had the sneaking suspicion that she would end up storming off before he finished spewing whatever excuses he had devised for his deplorable behavior, she gave a brisk nod to indicate her agreement to sit down with him.

He found two comfortable deck chairs that overlooked the inky sea. It would have been a perfectly dreamy and romantic spot, if Tess weren’t so livid.

Once they were seated, Sebastian remained quiet for a bit while he collected his thoughts. He had been so anxious to find her, but now that he had, he wasn’t sure how to plead his case in a way that might win her over.

Tess listened to the waves rolling into shore. Her enjoyment of it was lessened by the burning anger that she was gripping with all her might. Realizing that her fists were clenched so tightly that her fingernails were digging into her palms, she took a deep breath of the salty air and tried to relax.

Becoming impatient with the lengthy silence, she finally turned to look at Sebastian. He looked gloriously handsome in the silvery glow of the moonlight, but she refused to be enchanted. “Well?” she asked in the snippiest voice she could muster.

Taking a deep breath to firm up his resolve, Sebastian jumped in with his explanation. “Well… Let me start with an apology. I’m truly sorry that Pierce and I ever even considered using you to get to your brothers. It was wrong and selfish.”

Tess could feel the wind from her raging sails begin to deflate a little until he defended their deplorable behavior by saying, “We didn’t know you when we cooked up this plan…”

She was appalled that he would try to use that as an excuse for his betrayal. Anger flashed in her eyes when she interrupted his monologue. “Just because you don’t know someone doesn’t mean that you can devise an evil scheme to use them for your benefit and then discard them like a useless piece of trash.”

“I know,” he said simply, once again effectively diffusing her anger. When he went on, she began to feel herself softening a little. “I am embarrassed and ashamed that we ever even discussed such a thing, let alone that we started to set the plan into motion.”

Tess stubbornly stared out at the sea, trying valiantly to ignore the tears that were beginning to pool in her lower lids. Sebastian’s deception hurt so much because she cared a great deal about him.

Looking down and kicking at a rock at his feet, Sebastian went on. “Pierce was the one who was supposed to seduce you, but as soon as he laid eyes on Mo he was completely smitten.”

Happy for her friend, Tess couldn’t help but smile, until the full repercussions of what he was saying dawned on her. “So, the two of you decided that you would be stuck pursuing me and that you would step forward as the heir to the throne, if you were able to seduce me into seeking my brothers’ financial aid for your kingdom?”

Tess swallowed down the bile that was threatening to upheave. The idea that Sebastian had been using her hurt more than she cared to admit––even to herself.

“No,” Sebastian shook his head. “That’s not it at all. We gave up on the plan completely when we met the two of you. When we originally talked about this tactic, we weren’t thinking of you as real women with thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams. You were just flat shadows in our minds. The instant we met you, we both knew there was no way we could hurt you like that.”

“Well, you did.” Tess told him sadly.

“I know, and I can’t apologize enough for that. If I could take it back, I would. Since I can’t, I wanted to be completely honest with you, so we could move forward without that rocky start hanging over our heads.”

“Move forward?!?” Tess spluttered. “How would I ever trust you again? You betrayed my trust and used me.”

Sebastian started to shake his head to deny actually using her, but the look on her face made him stop. Instead, he changed directions and said, “I’m so sorry for hurting you, and I’ll do anything in my power to make it up to you. You are the one for me, Tess, and I don’t care a bit about your brothers’ power or money.”

“It’s a good thing because I’ll make sure you never see a penny of it,” Tess grouched, the sting of betrayal evident in her tone.

“Of course,” Sebastian said. “I wouldn’t want it now, anyway. All I want is you, Tess.”

He tried to take her hand within his own, but she snatched hers away.

Undeterred by her anger, Sebastian went on pleading his case. “I never had any desire to take my place as the rightful heir to the throne. I was relieved that my parents chose Pierce to succeed our father because I couldn’t picture myself as a ruler… until I met you.”

Tess refused to look in his direction, even though she was hanging on his every word.

“The crown seemed like too big of a burden to bear––especially with the financial troubles my father has created. Pierce seemed better suited to it, and I never questioned the decision to skip me over in favor of him.”

Tess wondered why he hadn’t had more confidence in his abilities, but she refused to speak to him to find out. Even as mad at him as she was, she had no doubt that he would make a fair and benevolent king. It was sad that he didn’t see those qualities in himself.

“Pierce had always seemed like the logical choice, and I silently went along with it. But then, you came into my life and changed everything. Your dreams of having a royal wedding made me start thinking about the possibility of accepting the crown. You would make a wonderful and deserving queen. Having your calming presence as a constant by my side would give me the confidence to rule the kingdom with steady and sure grace.”

Tess couldn’t deny the appeal of his words, but she couldn’t forgive him for seeking her out and trying to use her as a springboard to her brothers’ fortunes. “That sounds lovely,” she finally admitted, before adding, “but our relationship was forged on a lie, so it can never happen.”

Sebastian looked like he had just been punched in the gut. Her words had cut him to the core. He opened and closed his mouth a few times as he searched for a way to change her mind, but no words emerged.

Standing in a huff, Tess looked down into his eyes for the first time in a long while. “Do you know what the worst part of all of this is?”

He shook his head, looking miserable.

“If you had just asked me, I would have devised a plan to resolve your kingdom’s financial woes… without having to use my brothers’ money.”

Leaving him to ponder that bombshell, she stormed back up the path to the castle.