Love Hurts

"I can't convince you to stay?" Dominick asked.

"Dominick, I…" Erika began, "All my life I've dreamed of being free. And now debt's been paid, thanks to Anneliese."

"Where will you go?" he asked.

"Everywhere," she said, "I wanna sing, see the world!"

"Then, I, hope you'll take this with you," he held the ring box in his hand.

Erika looked away, "I couldn't…" but she held her hand out anyways.

"It was meant for you," Dominick said, sliding the ring onto her finger.

"No promises?" Erika asked.

Dominick shrugged, "I'll take my chances," answered, even though he didn't actually mean it.

But before he could voice his newest concerns, Erika snapped the horse's reigns and was off. He forced her a smile as he waved good-bye, and was shocked by the sudden pain that lanced through his chest. Maybe a broken heart wasn't just an expression…

The following days were awful. "Why?" he wondered. Things just didn't seem fair. Why was Anneliese happily planning her wedding to the man she loves, while he's stuck here, waiting for Erika to come back like she promised. She had promised, hadn't she? Her words rang in his ears. No promises, she had said. Was she ever coming back?

…

The first days were hard. Erika felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest. She wanted to sing and see the world, but she wanted Dominick by her side through it all. "But he couldn't come" she reasoned. He was a king, he couldn't just abandon his kingdom and travel with her. Asking would have been foolish. She thought of going back, maybe she wasn't destined to be a famous singer. But the excitement of her very first concert, far outweighed her desire to return home.

…

He tried not to dwell on the fact that Erika might not come back, tried to focus on things that didn't hurt. Talking to someone might help, but he only knew one other person that had been in a situation similar to his. He thought his friendship with Julian was strange, impossible really. After all, he'd almost married the girl Julian was in love with!

"What was it like?" Dominick asked. Maybe hearing how Julian felt would help him understand his own feelings.

"Awful," Julian began, "Each day was more unbearable than the last. I was so close to snapping and then…" his voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry," Dominick apologized automatically. He hadn't realized what he'd put his new friend through.

"In a way, you actually helped," Julian stated.

Dominick looked confused, "How?"

"Well you agreed to the wedding," there was a hint of sadness in his voice, "Preminger went bizerk and kidnapped us both, and when we were alone we just told each other," he said.

Dominick nodded and put his face in his hands, tears streamed down his cheeks. "I hate this," he sobbed.

Julian stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Everything will work out," he assured, "I just know it."

…

It had been her biggest concert ever. As Erika bowed to the crowd, she looked at the ring on her finger and sighed. The pain in her chest seemed stronger than ever. "This is my last concert," she decided. She was going home.

…

Out in the garden Dominick was getting his horse ready. "A quick visit won't hurt," he decided. He was going to see Erika. And that's when he heard it, a horse's braying. He turned and there she was, her dark hair blowing in the breeze, a smile playing on her lips.

He began running towards her.

They met in the center, his hands locking with hers. He stared into her eyes and smiled. What was it Julian had said? Everything will work out, he had been right, and this was just the beginning.