~ DAVID ~
Three days after Erik refused to visit Lizbeth for me anymore I had no choice. I couldn't put it off any longer. I'd already skipped a visit that she'd been assured—with messages to apologize, of course. But while being a busy King would allow me some leeway, I knew Lizbeth enough to know how anxious she became when anything might indicate her own failure.
If I didn't show up this evening, she would assume I had lost interest in her and she might panic.
I couldn't be responsible for that. It was exhausting enough to deal with her need for reassurance. To put her in a tailspin just days before the wedding would be overwhelming.
I tried to ease myself into the contact by inviting her to share dinner with me, hoping the fact that we'd have something to focus our attention on, other than each other, would help me be more at ease.