The sound of the organ drifted through the air as the guests piled into the chapel, each of them taking their assigned seats. In the few weeks I had spent among the rich, I had learned that every event they took part in was directed in some way, and each one of them walked through like sheep. No one seemed to think for themselves.

Not Antonio, not anyone.

So, as I walked into the sanctuary of the church, I made a point of not looking at anyone, taking a seat near the back of the room. I was there in case something went wrong, but I wasn’t there to support the groom. He had made his choice, and as far as I was concerned, he was going to have to handle it all on his own.

As he had said, he was going to marry this woman to get his hands on the throne, and I figured if that was what he wanted to do, he was fully within his rights to. I kept my eyes on the pew in front of me as the procession started, not wanting to so much as glimpse Antonio, but in the back of my mind, I was proud of what I had accomplished in such a short amount of time.

From the flower girl and the ring bearer, to the petals that fell from the ceiling, everything was perfect. The guests murmured enthusiastically among themselves, each one anticipating the arrival of the bride.

Though I hated the thought of losing Antonio to another woman, I had to admit that I, too, was eager to see how she looked in the dress. It was all on the makeup artist and hairdresser to make the bride look perfect at the last minute, and I couldn’t wait to see what they had come up with in their combined efforts.

The wedding march began, and everyone rose from their seats, all waiting for her to appear from around the corner.

I felt something drop in the pit of my stomach, and I couldn’t help but feel sick. I didn’t want to excuse myself from the room, but I feared that as soon as Sophia came around that corner, I was going to have to. But the music chimed on, and Sophia didn’t emerge.

She should have come around the corner and started walking up the long aisle toward Antonio, led by her father and followed by her maids. She should have held in her hand a glorious bouquet that I had handpicked and arranged especially for her, and she should have had a veil that masked her features until just the right moment.

They were all the details that I had been so careful to work out. They were the magical things that I knew were going to wow the crowd and make both the bride and groom feel amazing. Even now, now that I was losing the love of my life to another woman, I couldn’t help but wonder how Sophia was going to look.

The music continued, and still no bride appeared. The guests began to look around the room, exchanging concerned glances, wondering where she was. Though my heart began to pound, I couldn’t help but feel a level of disappointment. It wasn’t that I wanted her to go through with the wedding, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was something wrong with the ceremony that sparked her change of heart.

I glanced up toward the front of the room, and I could see Antonio looking embarrassed and horrified. It was clear he didn’t know where to turn, and the others who were at the front of the room with him were in the same predicament.

Though it was a somewhat triumphant feeling for me, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. It was clear Sophia must have gotten cold feet about the ceremony, and she wasn’t going to show up. Even for a prince who didn’t want to marry the girl in the first place, that had to be a difficult thing to deal with.

I watched as the crowd began to slowly rise from their seats and one by one make their way toward the door. It was evident some felt they ought to say something to Antonio, but in a situation like this, there really was nothing to say. I waited as the crowd grew thinner, then I myself prepared to leave.

I would normally have stayed to help take things down and put things away, but I wasn’t going to do that this time. This time, I was going to leave Antonio to clean up his own mess. He was the one who had created this disaster; he could be the one to clean it up.

But I wasn’t going to walk out of the church without telling him how I really felt. I had come too far, and I was leaving for good the next day. I was going to let him know that I was still taking my pride along with me.

I slipped into the aisle and began making my way toward the front of the room, pushing past those who were filing their way to the back. Antonio was looking around, exchanging a few comments with his father every now and then, but mostly looking confused. I walked up to him with a smile.

“Well, you win some, you lose some, I guess,” I said with a snarky tone to my voice. He turned and looked at me in surprise, and I could see that he had no idea what to say. His father, the King, looked startled, too, but I wasn’t interested in exchanging pleasantries with the royal family. I had seen enough of them, and all I wanted to do was get as far away as possible.

“I have a word of advice for you, in case you’re interested,” I said coolly. He regarded me with the same look of embarrassment in his eyes, and I crossed my arms and glanced over at his father, then back to him. I had no idea where his mother was, but it didn’t matter.

All that mattered was that I got to say to him what I needed to say, that he was going to hear what he needed to hear. For too long, he had been allowed to treat women however he wanted with no repercussions, and it was time that Prince Antonio learned some respect.

“I’m going to go back to New York in the morning—flying out bright and early. I wish you all the best, I really do, but know this. If you ever want to do anything in your life, if you ever want to amount to anything, you’re going to have to stop thinking only of yourself.”

I hesitated, but I could see that he was too dumbfounded to speak. Feeling a surge of courage run through me, I rose up to my full height, showing him that I wasn’t scared of him or his position, and looked him square in the eye.

“Oh, and next time you get married, why don’t you do yourself and everyone else a favor and do it for love?”

I didn’t wait for him to reply. Instead, I turned on my heel and walked down the aisle and out the church. I hadn’t needed a man my whole life, and I wasn’t going to start needing one now.