The Royal Two

Chapter 16

Ryde and Izzy sat in the carriage, Ryde holding onto her hand tightly, his fingers spinning the ring on her left hand.
His gaze was drawn outside, watching the citizens from around the kingdom cheer and wave happily over the marriage.

“Ryde…” She spoke softly to him, her blue eyes on his tan face.
He turned to her, still waiting for the knowledge of her survival to hit him properly. His eyes shone as the prince gazed upon her face.

“Yes Isabella?” He asked, his voice was as regal as the day she meet him.
Izzy took her hands from his and cupped his face, his chin and up to his cheeks were covered in a light stubble. “Ryde… This isn't a dream. I am here… Speaking of which…” She frowned, pulling her hands away from his stubbled face,she brought back her hand and slapped him gently on the cheek.
“YOU NEARLY VERY NEARLY LOST ME AND MARRIED ANOTHER WOMAN!” She shouted at him.
The anger in her eyes flashed at him, darling the blue of her iris.

“How was I meant to know you were alive?! Baker said there was very little chance of you surviving!” Ryde raised his hand and cupped his reddening cheek as he tried to reason with her.

“What… And you couldn't wait for me? I… I would wait for you. Years I'd wait! I'd wait in that stupid tower again if it meant I could see you again… Even if it was for one measly minute.” She sniffed, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Izzy…” His tone softened as he wrapped her in his embrace. His left hand pulled off her veil and threw it onto the floor so that he could wrap her curls around his fingers.
“Izzy… I had to leave. I shut myself from the world for basically three weeks… The my father he arranged the marriage between me and Lady Julienne… I should really apologise to her, I think she fell for me…” Ryde explained before his voice drifted off.

Izzy rested her head on his chest, her eyes closed, “Still… I wish… What about John?!” She jumped up right, her hands pressed against his chest, “He came to see you this morning, you wouldn't listen to him.. what was it you said? Oh yeah, ‘there is nothing she can do to stop this wedding!’ And ‘She's dead!’” Izzy put on her best manly Ryde voice as she repeated what she could remember, “The poor guy was trying to tell you that I was still here!”

Ryde lowed his head, “I'm sorry… In truth, I wanted to get through the wedding without thinking about you, for weeks I've had you in my head, the blood… The arrow… You're beaten face, I couldn't sleep without seeing you, I couldn't even live properly. I hoped his stupid arranged marriage between Lady Julienne and myself would eventually make me forget you.” The prince turned himself in the seat, turning his body to her as his hands held onto hers tightly.
“I know it was wrong, but every time I saw your face, my heart hurt every time I thought of you.” His voice weakened and his eyes avoiding hers.

“I see…” She whispered.  Her fingers twining with his as she took a deep soft breath, “Ryde, I understand and forgive you for what you nearly did. It's save and grace that I met your father before you let for the church, he took me to the church and said he'd deal with Julienne’s family.” Izzy leant forward and kissed his stubbled cheek, “The fact you can take me after everything that happened--”

Ryde turned his head and kissed his wife, the passion he gave her in the kiss made her face redden.
“Izzy, I'd take you commoner or princess, I love you.”

Izzy lowed her head and rested her body against him, “Stop being so cheesy you idiot.”

***

The party was underway, Ryde held Izzy in his arms as they danced around the dance floor. Both smiling happily and no one could pull them away from each other.

Queen Marie stood with her own husband, Tristan, smiling up at her own other half as he held out his hand, “How about one last dance as King and Queen before one of our daughters with their husband takes over?”
Marie took his hand with a small nod, “Yes my dear, three kingdoms joined together by marriage, what a new world to come.” She smiled happily as the two join the younger twin as spun around the floor, in time with the music.

Queen Christina stood at the side, she wore a yellow dress, pink floral patterned with a pair of white, open toed heels. The queen wore her brown hair up in a curled bun wih two thick strand either side of her aging face. She a drink in her hand and her eyes looking over the crowd, searching.

A knight came running over to her, his hand holding his sword as he spoke to her.
She dropped her drink, the glass smashing against the wooden floor.
“No!” She cried out in shock and fear.

Ryde stood still, his mother's cry catch his attention. His right hand grabbed onto Isabella’s left as he made his way through the people, passing Vicki and John and her parents. 

“Mother, what's wrong?” Ryde asked, pulling her away from the glass shards that could cut her feet.

The knight bowed to them, “Prince Ryde, I'm sorry to report this but it requires your immediate attention. Your father is… He was murdered your Majesty.” Christina shook her head as her fingers gripped into her hair.

“No stop! My husband can't be…” She cried.

The music stopped and everyone's attention turned to Ryde, his mother, and the knight.

Ryde took a deep breath.
“Do you know who did it?” He asked as calmly as possibly.

The knight shook his head, “But we do have a lead. This was found on the gate at the church.”
The knight held out a piece of white material in his gloved hand.

The simple white colour was decorated with sparkles in patterns of flowers.

Ryde took hold of it and stared at it.
“Hm.”

“That's the pattern from her dress.” A maid spoke up unintentionally.

“What? Who's dress?” Ryde moved around his wife, his hand not letting go of hers, only holding tighter.

“Ah… Erm… Lady Julienne’s, your Majesty. I helped her dress this morning for the wedding.” The maid bowed down.

“ARE YOU ACCUSING MY DAUGHTER WITH MURDER?!” A voice boomed.
The voice came from an old man with a black walking cane with a cream handle. He was dressed in a dark blue suit with a white rose in his pocket. He was short and his hair thinning away to nothing.
This man was the Earl Joseph Karan, or more importantly known as Julienne’s father.

As if the devil was speaking, a female laugh echoed around the room.
Her dress had changed to a simple red dress to match the crimson colour of her hair, her smile was not one of happiness but rather of wickedness.

“Where is my husband?!” She laughed.