sweet & brutal || h.s ✔️

~21~

Aria's POV

When was the last time you looked at a little girl with a tiara on her head while she spoke of her dreams to become a princess?

I'm going to take a guess and say; the last time you were dragged to a family gathering.

But trust me, if you asked me right now, it would be in my wildest dreams to revoke my status and everything to do with it.

My name is Aria Amara Alfa Atronado or, the reckless princess, which is another name the kingdom called me due to my unruly habits and disobedience that they admired for some reason. I am the princess and heir to the throne of the Sunshine Territory. In other words, I am the princess of Australia's monarchy as my mother was the former queen until she passed away. After her, the republic and politicians took over the land and turned it upside down.

The palace is in Brisbane because my Ancestors claimed the land of Queensland hundreds of years ago. My family actually originates from India but England also got into the mix because they invaded the lands of India long ago.

Somehow, they ended up here and they started a kingdom called the 'Sunshine Territory' which refers to the name, "Australia, the sunburnt country".

I was pulled from my thoughts as I was picked up like a rag doll and carried into the palace. I twisted and turned, trying to deny their carriage.

I stopped defying them as I scanned my surroundings.

My childhood home.

I looked around the foyer trying to pick out any differences but I seemed to find nothing. I didn't even know why Nigel was here. When I was little, Nigel didn't know of my mother's position in the hierarchy. As far as he knew, she was a politician. He didn't know of her real name, the palace she raised me in and I'm pretty sure she didn't sign the marriage papers so they legally weren't married.

Nigel also lived in Melbourne, which was far away from lots of media exposure. My mother used to wear a veil to cover her face when doing meetings that were to be shown to the rest of the country. Of course, the citizens living in our kingdom's border were aware of what we looked like but no pictures of us were ever carried past the borders of Queensland.

I never knew why my mother took all these precautions but now I did. She knew of the monster my father was.

I looked up the grand stairs, hoping to still see the huge gold framed picture that hung from the wall of my mother sitting on her throne smiling but was shocked when I saw a picture of my mother and a small familiar little girl on her lap.

Me.

My heart hurt as I stared at the family I had before I ran. Though it was just me and her, I was happy and content with what I had. My mother sat on the throne smiling while I sat on her lap with my small training crown on. My stomach churned as I stared at the intricate white dress I wore that my mother made.

The painting disappeared from my view when they carried me down some stairs.

The basement, I thought.

I was right. They placed me on a chair in the middle of the stone room. Guards lined up on each wall and I felt a sense of Déjà vu.

How similar to the time when I was kidnapped. When I chose to be a criminal.

I stared coldly at the wall as Clint's men disappeared through the metal door.

Bitches.

After a while of sitting there, I heard the sound of the metal door opening. My head moved to see who came in but I wish I didn't because this time I wasn't seeing him through a camera or a threat.