Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 12

I looked over at Betty and Pierre.

Their mouths dangled open.

Then they looked at each other.

Pierre smiled "That would explain who we bumped into today."

I realized the nervous man was Prince Jerell. His blonde hair and blue eyes didn't match Heath's dark hair and green eyes. Their faces didn't even look alike.

"I don't understand why, how is he even alive?"

King Tren looked at me with a weary smile. "That isn't my story to tell but I can certainly get him to tell you since you are practically his sister-in-law."

I would have blushed, but I was so confused that it didn't really faze me.

We were brought into the castle and sat down in the dining room across from the Prince Jerell.

He sat across from us nervously.

Why would he fake his death?

"I..I.. I" He stuttered.

"How are you not dead?" I asked bluntly.

"When Mary died, I couldn't keep running the kingdom so I left, telling all my servants to start the rumor that I went off on a trip and died there. They even faked a funeral."

"I remember that." I whispered.

"Heath wasn't even really running the kingdom but leaving it the way it was. So, after a few years I realized that he...didn't really want to be king. So, I got in contact with another prince and he was interested in the wellbeing of the kingdom." Jerell said.

"Wait. So, you were the one trying to dethrone Heath because you didn't think he was doing a good job but he was doing a great job with me by his side!" I exclaimed.

"That is true." King Tren said as he touched his scruffy beard.

"I understand that, but you don't realize unless you become the Queen on your own it doesn't really matter." Prince Jerell.

"Wait," Betty started. "Can Rosaleen be the Queen all on her own? I mean she learned about how to be a Queen since she was in all the meetings with Heath."

I looked at her with scrunched eyebrows "How did you know about that?"

"Gossip travels fast." She said matter of factly.

The two royalties in the room looked at each other.

"Are you ready to be a Queen?" King Tren asked.

"She doesn't want to marry you, Prince Tren. Don't worry it's nothing personal." Betty said.

"King Tren." Tren rebuffed.

"Not from where I'm standing." Betty scoffed.

Despite my intentions I let out a little giggle. It even made King Tren smile.

"How do you think Heath would feel about it? You know if you two got married." Prince Jerell said.

"I mean I don't know. I enjoy doing all of it and if we did get married, I would love to get his advice on some things and I would certainly like to go on some more adventures with him." I said.

"I want to go on as many adventures as I can with you." Heath said coming into the dining room. "Though I would have liked to be informed that we weren't taking back my kingdom before I started to raid the castle."

"I didn't hear any raiding?" I said.

"Well, I may or may not have gotten caught quickly into it." Heath said putting his hands though his hair.