I sat in my bedroom, wishing my mother was here. She would have known what to do. She would have known what to say in this situation. Had I made the right decision? I glanced up at the empty space beside me, trying to hold back myself from crying. I had told him to go. I made him leave. I thought that would be the right thing to do.
He was a prince and I’m just no one. He had to marry Prince Theodore. He just had to. I bit my lip, burying my head into my pillow. It was the right decision, so why did I feel so terrible inside. I curled up into a ball in my bed, as the tears rolled down my cheek.
It had been two days since I told him to leave, yet it still felt like a fresh wound. I wiped the tears from my face, as I heard a knock at the door. I ran my fingers through my hair, taking a few deep breaths, before I answered it. My eyes opened wide at the tall red jackets of the royal guard. This was it. The King must have found out about Cristiano’s late night visit. He was probably going to throw me in jail or exile me. I glanced down at the ground, as the royal guard dispersed and in walked in Prince Theodore himself. He was just as handsome as he appeared to be on Television.
“Are you Ari?” he said waving the guards away. “Sorry about the guards. The king insists that they follow me everywhere.”
“Y-yeah,” I nodded as he walked past me into my home. I closed the door shut behind me, as the Prince glanced around my place.
“Ari – I know about you and Cristiano’s relationship,” he said plopping down onto my couch, and crossing his legs. I chewed on my lower lip as I sat down across from him. My face frozen in place.
“What do you want?” I said my eyes glancing down at the ground.
“I have no idea what he sees in you,” Prince Theodore chuckled. “Your home is the size of my bathroom, your wardrobe is absolutely distasteful, and you have got to be the one of the poorest individuals I have ever laid eyes on. Your attractive – your boyish look is probably what attracted Cristiano to you, but other than that I don’t see the appeal.”
“Cristiano and I aren’t together,” I replied. “I cut if off. I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore.”
“Oh I bet,” Theodore said snapping my fingers. “Guards – Grab him.”
I tried to run, but I couldn’t. Before I knew it, the guards had me by my arms and shoved me in the back of a car. I didn’t know what was going on, but I had a terrible feeling about it. Two guards sat in between me, holding me down, so I couldn’t escape, as the car sped off. I screamed, begging them to let me go, but they didn’t. They elbowed me in the stomach, yelling at me to be quiet.
We arrived at the King’s palace within a few moments. I tried to break free from the guards, but all my attempts were futile. They beat me until I began to cooperate. The guards grabbed my arms dragging down the halls of the palace like a piece of meat. I winced as my side began to throb, where they had punched me.
I swallowed hard as we stopped outside of a tall door. Theodore knocked on it a few times, before it slid open.
“Can I help you?” Daniel asked.
“I’m here to see the King,” Theodore said promptly.
“The King is out,” Daniel said his eyes flickering towards me. “But the Queen is here, if you’d like to meet with her.”
“Thanks Daniel,” Prince Theodore said as the guards dragged me into the room as he led the way. I bit my lip as I stared up at the Queen. She was even more beautiful than in person. She had red lips, tan skin like Cristiano and her black hair was fashioned into a braid.
“Can I help you Prince Theodore?” she asked.
“I just thought you and the King would like to know about Prince Cristiano’s night time hobbies,” Theodore huffed ushering the guards to push me forward. “He’s been cheating on me with this boy.”
Before the queen could say anything, the doors flew open behind us and Cristiano walked in. Daniel must have told him that I was here. His eyes flickered to mine, then back at Theodore.
“Let him go, right now,” Cristiano shouted. “As your prince, I command you.”
The guards dropped me, as soon as Cristiano spoke. I had never seen him so angry.
“Cristiano,” Theodore nodded. “Nice of you to join.”
“What is the meaning of this?” Cristiano asked. “Huh? My dear fiancée? Tell me.”
“Oh nothing special,” Theodore retorted. “I just thought the King and Queen would like to know about what you do on your off time or should I say who you do?”
“What I do on my time is none of your business,” Cristiano growled.
“Silence! Both of you,” the Queen said. “I’ll have none of this. Theodore, thanks for informing me. A scandal is the last thing we need. You may leave. I’d like a word with my son alone.”
“Of course, your majesty,” Theodore nodded as he moved swiftly out of the room. All of the guards followed him, as the door shut close behind them. Cristiano rushed to pick me up off of the floor, running his fingers across my face.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. ‘This is my fault.”
I glanced down as he sat me on one of the couches, before turning back to the queen. His mother nodded, motioning for Cristiano to follow her into a private room in the back. They were so far I could barely hear anything they were saying. I could only hear faint whispers. A few minutes later, Cristiano walked back out, lifting me from the couch and taking me down the halls of the palace. And for the next hour or so, he took care of me, bathing me, treating my wounds, and giving me medicine for the pain. All he kept saying was that he was sorry.
“Cristiano, I’m fine,” I said as he ran his fingers through my hair.
“You’re not fine,” he said shaking his head. “Don’t say that. He only did this because I told him I was going to call off the wedding.”
“Why did you say that for?” I huffed.
“Because I am,” Cristiano said kissing me softly on the lips. “I can’t be away from you, Ari. The past few days have been hell for me because I tried to respect your wishes. But I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t. Ari, I want to marry you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want us to father children together or adopt or whatever. I want you.”
“I want you too,” I said tracing my fingers along the side of his face.
“I told my mother that too,” Cristiano said. “I even had some of my guards dig up dirt on Theodore. Apparently he has fathered three children in Tyree from three different women. My mother has told my father, so the wedding is off.”
‘It’s off?” I said my eyes wide open. Cristiano nodded as I crushed my lips against his, not holding back. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me onto his lap, as we made out. I winced at his touch, my body still recuperating from the beating I had taken.
“Sorry,” he said pulling away. “I almost forgot.”
“What?” I said as Cristiano reached into his pocket and pulled something out. His eyes flickering to mine, as I glanced at the shiny gold band.
“Ari, will you marry me?” Cristiano asked a grin appearing on his face. I nodded as he slid the ring on my finger. I didn’t want to cry but, my eyes were burning, so I just let go. Cristiano gripped me in his arms as I cried on his shoulder, rocking me back and forth. I never thought I could feel this happy.
“I love you, Cristiano,” I choked out.
“I love you too, Ari,” he said pressing his lips back against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, hoping he’d never let me go again. And he promised that he wouldn’t.
