Royale (Book #1 Royale Series) {Under Revision}

Chapter Seventeen {Revised}

Juliana

    It is hours before Aspen finally slows the car to a stop. I take a moment to analyze where he has taken me. But as far as the eye can see, there is nothing but the winding road ahead and a dark forest looming before us. I stretch my legs before me, wincing at the crackling sound they make from having been curled up for so long.

    "Where have you taken us?" I ask Aspen.

    A smile stretches across his face and he turns to me with a renewed sparkle in his eyes.

    "You'll see," he answers. He bends his head by a slight gesturing for me to follow him.

    I cannot help but smile at the glee with which Aspen moves. Generally, Aspen carries a seriousness about him, rarely showing much excitement in anything. But today, he practically glows with renewed spirit and it's contagious. Despite the distance we've traveled and my ignorance to our location, I follow him down the forest without hesitation.

    Looking back at me with a grin, Aspen reaches his hand out for me to take. I smile and connect my fingers with his, and not a second after, he's leading us deeper and deeper into the forest and as he does so, the light becomes more shrouded by the tall, black trees before us.

    I grow wary as we descend further and further, but Aspen only persists. I take comfort, perhaps for the first time since the day began, for the entourage of guards that follows a safe distance behind us.

    Finally, a sliver of light leaks through a pair of trees in the distance. Aspen leads us towards it. As we draw closer, I can see that the trees guard a small clearing through which the light shines. We walk through and I'm immediately struck by the beauty that lies before me.

    We stand directly in the middle of the clearing now. The light from the setting sun pours through the wood and illuminates the path before us, which is guarded by trees, each one varying in shades of fuchsia, pink, red, and orange. I gape, astounded at the sight.

    Aspen's hand still sits clasped in my own and he leads us to a small bench positioned directly in the middle of the clearing.

    "This is my favorite place in the world," Aspen says, breaking a silence I hadn't even realized was growing infinite.

    "I know that I haven't seen much of my own country, but I know for a fact that there is nothing like this place in Albion," I state, still in such a state of unequivocal awe. "Where are we?" I ask him, finally directing my gaze away from the beauty before me.

    Despite being familiar with such a place, Aspen is as enthused as I am. "We're just outside the capital city of Isola. The palace rests just beyond the forest. I discovered this place when I was a kid and it's remained a sanctuary."

    I shake my head in disbelief. "Now your ravings and musing about our garden in Albion seems less like a compliment and more of a patronization given that Isola has all of this." I stretch my arms out in front of me gesturing to the wonderous woods. "Why did you ever agree to live in Albion? It pales in comparison."

    Aspen only shrugs. "Because you didn't want to leave your home," he answers so simply.

    "You didn't even know me. You still don't really. Why was that enough?" I press, and I'm suddenly struck by how much I care about his answer.

    "I knew enough, Jules. I knew that for being the heir to the throne of Albion, I couldn't find a single, recent photo of you. You've been isolated in that palace for years. Even from having just met you, I knew that you weren't ready to leave the Albionian Court, let alone the entire country."