Chapter 6. Broken Promise

"Alright. I am heading to the palace. Wait for me, I will be right back." 

Grandmother Willow nodded.

Ruby went inside her house and grabbed a small bottle of ointment. She opened up a portal and she stepped inside to enter the palace. 

Ruby knocked on Prince Eric's door. There was no reply, it was silent.

"Prince Eric. It's me, Ruby. I came to see you," said Ruby. 

The door opened to her surprise. She was happy. For the first time ever, he opened up the door for her. He was willing to see her after all the issues that had happened that afternoon. She imagined his handsome face looking at her and apologizing for breaking his promise. However, she was disappointed. His face was cold, and his eyes were staring at her with anger. Like always he never greets her with warmth the same way he looks at Samantha.

"What do you want?" asked Eric. 

"Um, um, I wanted to give you some ointment for your face."  

He smiled wickedly at her, then suddenly she felt his hand on her wrist. With force he pulled her into his room and closed the door. She was nervous as she had never been in his room before. Eric have never allowed her into his room, for he was afraid she would contaminated it. The only person he ever let in was his brothers, and the Emperor. 

"So, you came here trying to pity me, for what you have done?"

"No. I came here truly to give you this ointment." Ruby handed him a small ointment. 

He slapped the ointment away from her hand and it went tumbling to the ground. 

Shocked, she looked at him and said, "Why did you do that?" She picked up the ointment and held it in her hand. 

"You are still pretending to be innocent when it was your fault that my father struck me?"

"But I am innocent."

"No! You're NOT! You promised me that you would stay away from me, yet you still followed me!"

"I was merely following her. How was I supposed to know that you were with her?" 

"You liar!"

"You're the liar!"

"If you just listened!"

"If you didn't break your promise, I wouldn't have done what I did!" 

"So, you admit it," smirked Eric. "You did it on purpose to get back at me. You exposed me on purpose because I didn't keep my promise. For breaking my promise, you purposely humiliated me! You made my father yell at me and slap me in front of everyone! Do you know how much I hate you? How much hatred I have for you! Because right now, I DEPISE you!"

Tears stung her eyes, as she was shocked by his words. She was trying hard to hold it back. More than anything the way he was venting his anger at her made her fearful that Eric would yell at her. If she starts to cry he will yell at her more. For she knows he always yells at her at any given time or day. To make matters worse, he would make teased her about it afterwards. 

"Go ahead and cry. See those ugly tears stream down that hideous face of yours!"

Pain struck her heart even more. Letting her tears fall, she wiped them away quickly and asked, "Why didn’t you keep your promise of staying away from her??

"Why should I?"

"You-you cheater!"

"Cheater? I never once agreed to marry you. It was you who keeps pestering about marriage. You made it to the point where I have no choice, but to agree to the engagement!"

"So is that why you told her about our engagement."

"Who?" asked Eric frowning. 

"Samantha Wild."

A smile cracked on his cold face. "So, what if I told her? What? Are you jealous that I told my lover of your shameless schemes?"

"You- How could you tell her?"

"So, what?"

"You-You told her our secret."

"It's the truth. If you can't handle the truth than you shouldn't pester me to death!"

"It's not like you couldn't said NO!"

"I didn't have a choice."

"You have every choice! You choose to be a prince and thus marry me."

"Humph. You dare use my grandfather's words against me."

Ruby could see that he was angry now. "It's the truth."

"Same here. I told the truth. At least in my heart that is."

"What?"

"About her."

"What!"

"I mean, truth be told, it will always be her in my heart. Samantha."

"You-"

"So, I have to be honest with her. At least this way she knows she have all my trust. I didn't betray her." 

"How could you say that?"

"You're a trash, you can't replace or substitute her at all."

"Why are you saying such harsh words to me?"

"Harsh? But shouldn't you be used to those words already? Right? You trash!" 

"Why are you being so cruel to me?" asked Ruby as her tears came down her cheeks.

"Because I don't like you. I have no feelings for you." 

"One day, you will learn to like, love, and cherish me," said Ruby, moving closer to grab his hands.

"Don't touch me!"

"Please, Prince Eric. Give me a chance."

"In your dreams. Now get out!"

"I will get out, but as long as you promise not to meet with her anymore. No more broken promises.

"Whomever I am with, whatever I'm doing, is none of your business!"

"Of course, it does, I am your fiancée."

Eric smashed the coffee table into pieces. "For the last time you wretched girl, I will NEVER LOVE YOU!"

Seeing his hands bleeding she rushed to him and attempted to wrap his hand with her gown. At that moment, she wasn't afraid of his temper nor fearful of his anger. But worried about his injured hand. 

He slapped her hands and pushed her away from him. 

"Why did you do that?" Ruby fell onto the floor trying to brace herself to not crush the ointment beneath her. 

"Stay away from me!"

"Why?"

"Because I HATE YOU!"

"Is it all because of Samantha?"

Eric grabbed her by the arms and said, "Don't you ever mention her name! You are not worthy!"

"Eric, You're hurting me!"

"Good!" He let go of her and she fell onto the ground. He pushed her away from him with his feet as she was blocking his way to the door. As he pushed her, her ointment fell to the ground and the lid opened spilling its contents. The ointment was so hard to make and so precious, yet he didn't treat it with care. He threw away all of her hard work. She held the ointment closer to her chest.

The aching pain in her heart made the restless tears drip down her face once again. Wiping it away, she stumbles to get up from the ground. Walking past him she puts down the ointment on his dresser. "Please use whatever is left of it to treat your wounds." With those words she walked out of his room.