Royal 3 (Book three in my Selection Series)

Chapter 36

Warning, this chapter might get a little deep and difficult to read.

I wake up to voices outside my room. I recognize it as the queen and her son.

"I hate it for these girls." The queen says. I stay laying down on my bed so that she doesn't hear me awake. "I always thought I had it rough, not having anyone, but I did. I had your Uncle James, I had his parents and even Colton and mama."

She sounded older than she ever had before. I remembered my mom would talk about the last selection and how she always thought Queen Autumn was so damaged. She was so happy when she won because she knew how much more she deserved it all. Here I am, more damaged than any other girl here with baggage I didn't even think I could make it here.

"They've been through a lot." North says quietly. "Mother, I love her."

They were both quiet for a long time. My heart nearly stopped.

"I'm afraid it is too good to be true. I've known since the first day I met her she was special. But she's been through so much, I don't want her to have to deal with everything here. The cameras, the rebel attacks, all of it seems like it might be too much for her." He sighs and I became scared. "I love her, but I love her too much to just let her go. I can't do it."

"I can't give you an answer but I can tell you one thing. Don't make the decision for her. If you really love her, then talk to her and if she loves you, it won't make any difference." The queen says firmly.

"How Can you know that?" He asks quietly.

"Because I used to be in a very similar position and sometimes, you just have to follow your heart." She says softly. They don't talk for a really long time and I almost fall back asleep until I hear a small moan.

I sit up and look at Emily. Her hands starts twitching beside of me and her eyes squint and then open.

"Emily?" I ask softly. "Emily, are you awake?"

"Rose?" She asks quietly. She looks at me for a second. "What the hell happened?"

"Hey." I say and force a small smile. "You passed out at the garden lunch. They had to do surgery on you- your- umm." I trail off and look away.

"I'm pregnant aren't I?" She asks quietly and pushes herself up so she sits up. I look toward the door and see North leaning against the frame.

"You were, Emily, but you had an ectopic pregnancy and the baby never could've survived anyway." I mutter softly and hold onto her hand. She doesn't speak for any amount of time. I look away and close my eyes. I'd known her for so long and I never thought we'd be like this. "Emily, what happened?"

Emily looks up and sees North at the door. He nods his head and takes a step back.

"I'll be in my room if you need something." He
makes a move to leave, but Emily stops him.

"No, stay. I don't want you thinking I'm some slutty teenager." She replies. "I'm eighteen. I'm barely eighteen and I was kicked out of an orphanage without any money. I was going to contact one of my old foster families, the ones that tried to adopt me that once, but I had too much pride. I met a guy at a bar and I went home with him. Nothing was supposed to happen, Rose, I swear."

I hold my breath and watch her silently. North stands uncomfortably at the door with a sad look in his eyes.

"And it didn't, for that night. I was so drunk and he let me crash at his house which was beautiful. We spent the night talking about our lives and I thought maybe this could work. If he let me live with him until I found a job and a cheap apartment. And after the first night he was still so nice and promised I could stay for as long as I wanted." She looked at me almost pleasingly. "Of course I accepted, because I had no other option."

"Emily, I could've helped you. I could've sent you money if you had just reached out." I tell her quietly.

"I couldn't do that." She shakes her head. "But I stayed at this house for about a week and still couldn't get anyone to hire me. After about a week we went back out to the bar and I came home so drunk. I barely remembered anything and Rose, I think he may have slipped something in my drink. I woke up without any clothes on in his bed, so I found my clothes and went to the bathroom.

"He'd left for work so I had time before I had to face him again. I didn't want to jump to conclusions since he'd seemed so nice but when he got home he was so angry. I'd never seen him like it and it took me by surprise." Emily pauses and fiddles with the blanket.

I try and keep eye contact with her but guilt had me pulling away.

"He hit me. He slapped me across the face when I told him to straighten up. I'd never been hit by a man before and I cried. He started to apologize and then began kissing me and trying to pull me clothes off. I told him I didn't want to do anything, I didn't like him like that and he told me if I didn't sleep with him he'd kick me out." Emily looks away. "Every night was like the one before and I dreaded living. I finally wrote my old foster family and they gave me enough money to get away from him. I haven't seen him since."

"You could've wrote me. I would've helped, North could've helped. Emily, why didn't you reach out?" I ask quietly.

"I knew you'd be disappointed in me. I didn't want you to look at me as some sort of whore when inside, I didn't feel like one. I thought it was only considered rape if it was a young girl in a modest dress who was kidnapped or given a date rape drug in their soda that wasn't even alcohol." Emily shrugs. "Maybe I wore a dress too short, or heels too high. Maybe I shouldn't have went home with him that night, but how was I supposed to know?"

I'd barely ever seen Emily cry but right now the tears slid down her cheeks effortlessly. I lean down and wrap my arms tightly around her.

"How did I get myself into this?" She shakes as she sobs.

"It's okay. We can find him, right? We can find the man she was talking about and protect her, right?" I turn to North. The queen stood behind him now.

"Usually, you might not be able to, but we can here. I can hire the best in the country with your permission." North says softly. I let Emily go so she can address North.

"Not yet. I can't. After the Selection I will come back to you with answers after you've picked a bride, but until then I don't want this on the news." Emily pauses. "In fact I never want this on the news."

"Understood." North says, strained. "The doctor will be in shortly to talk to you."

"Thank you." Emily replies shortly and quietly. North leaves and the queen follows him quietly. "Rose— please don't hate me."

"Emily, I will never and could never hate you." I say quietly and lay down in the bed beside of her. "Go to sleep. You need to rest. Goodnight."

She lays down beside of me and I hold onto her hand with everything I had. I fall asleep beside of her and dream of what could've been if I hadn't left for the Selection.