I didn't want to open my eyes. I wanted to keep dreaming this dream of Aiden next to me. The soft, cold sheets under me told me otherwise. My eyes opened, my eyelashes faintly batting against my lids when I blinked. I turned my head to see if Aiden was there, but instead, it was an empty bedside. Maybe everything was a dream? My hands slowly made their way to my lips.
It can't be an illusion. It felt so sincere.
"You're awake." I perch up as Aiden steps out of his closet room. He gives me a small smile as he tries fixing his tie. We sit back in the position we were in yesterday. It was real. He did kiss me. He did fall asleep next to me. I catch his eyes examining my scars and touching them carefully. "We have to replace these bandages." He stood up to make his way towards his bathroom. He shuffled back with an oddly huge first aid kit. He placed it between us and opened it up. I watched his every movement, from the way he undid my previous bandages to applying the fresh ones. Every time I winced he would shift his hand back and allow me to soothe myself from the injury. Then he would continue again. It took him around fifteen minutes to finish up.
"Thank you," I whispered. He stroked my cheek and smiled before getting up and placing back the box. I took his hand in mine and made him sit down in front of me. I wanted to say so much more and kiss him endlessly. It was like he read my mind and placed his lips on mine. We moved in sync. My hands finding eachother through his hair and his on my waist. We broke up and gazed into each other eyes like watching the night sky.
"I have business to attend, will you be okay here?" he asked as he fidgeted with his tie. It was twisted the wrong way which caused me to smile. I took the tie from his hand and fixed it for him.
"I'll be here," I said letting go. Concerned washed over me because of the amount of work I had to do. "How do I get out of my duties?" I furrowed my eyebrows as he let out a chuckle.
"Darling, you work for my kingdom. You're going to be with me in the future. It's about time you let go of your servant duties. Once you recover, I'll teach you the ways of how this kingdom runs." He stroked my hair softly.
"Promise?" I said putting my hands on his shoulder and intertwining them on his neck.
"Promise."
_______________________
The rest of my day was merely dull. I just circled around Aiden's room for an hour, picked up some books and scanned through, and took naps. The food was delivered by the butler who placed it right in front of me whenever I opened the door.
I made my way towards the window and peered out. You could clearly see the greenhouse from here. I saw a hat moving around near the roses.
"Fabio."
I wanted to go down there and talk with him. But I couldn't leave this room looking like a mayhem. I fell on Aiden's bed and made mouth popping sounds to amuse myself. I heard a soft knock on the door which made me sit up and stroll towards the door. It opened to reveal Mary standing with an envelope.
"IRIS!" She exclaimed quite loudly. I gave her a shocked look and placed my palm on her mouth, dragging her in. "What happened to your face? Where did all these bruises come from?" She kept touching and poking me. I squirmed and grabbed the envelope from her. It had my name on it.
"How did you know I was here?" I whispered sharply.
"The letter arrived at the dorm. I came to the main hall to find you but all I saw was a butler walking up the stairs and your face peeking from the door. That's how!" She ended with a big eye smile. I let out an exhausted sigh and scanned my name written in cursive. Who sent me this?
I ripped open the envelope which made Mary back away and laugh nervously. I flattened the paper and read the first sentence which made my heart stop.
"To my beautiful daughter Iris," I said so quietly that even I couldn't hear myself. My heart rate was racing like a wild horse being chased by hunters. My vision was turning blurry from the tears forming in my eyes. Mary quickly placed me down on the bed as I held the letter so tightly it made wrinkles on the side. "R-Read it for m-me." My voice was dull and dry. Mary gently took the letter and cleared her throat. My eyes were focused dead ahead at a drawer as tears ran down my cheek and onto my lap. All the pain from my body felt numb.
"To my beautiful daughter Iris, I'm so sorry that I am writing after so long. My nation is in danger. The people who trust me are in peril. After your mother and I parted because of the war, I settled myself on an island not so far from the Kingdom of Alexandria. My darling, I am writing to you because I need help. We have been overtaken by a cruel and vicious ruler. He is ignorant and ruthless when it comes to his power. There is no possible way that an old man like me can defeat him."
Mary took a breath before continuing.
"I know how much you must despise me right now. A father who never contacted his daughter for countless years. I promise you, that once I come back I will never leave you. You must come to my island. I have my most trustworthy gentleman watching you. You've probably already met him. His name is Fabio." Both Mary and I took in sharp breaths, but I just froze. "His name is Fabio. He will help you escape. Iris, get as much help as you can from the people of Alexandria. I've heard the news of your engagement with Prince Aiden. Fabio has apprised me that the coronation is just a few months away before you become his queen. We need as much authority from your side as we can. Come back to us, let us reunite. It's what your mother would have wanted. I love you very much, Iris."
My body felt so lifeless and my vision was turning blurry second by second.
"Iris you're turning pale. Lie down!" Mary said quickly resting my head on the pillow and tucking me in. I observed the ceiling without blinking. He needs me. Does he really miss me? Or just the power of being a king? At that very moment, the door opened.
"Iris!" It was Alex's voice. He rushed over to my bedside and brushed the hair from my face. The sweat was piling up and my body was turning warm. He watched me with concerned eyes and stated some things to Mary, but the sound was a ringing in my ears. My brain was turning off causing me to fall unconscious.
"You know Iris, the world is a dangerous place."
"Are these flowers dangerous too, mommy?"
She crouched down to be at her daughter's level. Stroking her hair and smiling at her calmed Iris down everytime.
"You are named after these flowers darling. My daughter will never be a danger to anyone."
Iris bent down on her knees and cherished the flowers. They really were beautiful. The greenhouse had all sorts of nature, but this was the best set in there.
"Where's daddy?" Iris asked. Her eyes on the flowers, but her smile gone. Her mother sighed from her nose and looked out into the distance.
"On an island. Surrounded by water. He's in a better place than here."
Iris' eyes drooped down with guilt. She felt that her father disappearing was her problem. She had never met him or spoke to him, but her mother told her that he loves her very much, no matter where he is.
Suddenly, the flowers in front of her crumpled up and withered away just like everything else in the garden.
"It's all your fault sweetheart."
Iris whipped her tiny head up and watched her mother glaring down at her. She started to hyperventilate as her mother stepped away from her and kept repeating the same sentence. Her body turning to dust and fading with the wind.
"It's all your fault."
My eyes opened with force as an intense pain went through my head. Sweat was forming on my forehead as my hair stuck to it. My orbs scanned the room as they stopped at someone holding my hand.
"Alex," I whispered quietly. He was resting on the ground next to the bedside, his head leaning on the bed and his hand holding mine. He was snoring softly as if he hadn't slept for days. I tried shifting my hand, but right as I did, Alex stirred up. He sat next to me and placed the back of his hand on my forehead for any signs of a fever.
"You're doing much better!" He exclaimed joyfully. With the help of Alex, I sat up and rested my head back. That dream - or nightmare - that I had wasn't real. It couldn't be.
"Where's Mary?" I asked as the remainder of the letter popped into my head.
"She went back to work. Once you feel much better you can go see her, okay?" he said. I nodded and shut my eyes. "What happened?"
"Uh, work exhaustion."
He didn't say anything, but I don't think he believed me either. I couldn't just tell him about my father's letter. I needed to talk to Aiden first. I need to help my father. Or maybe he just wants the power I have and use it for his own good.
"I'll let you get some sleep," Alex stood up and walked towards the door. "I'll let Aiden know." He gave me a smile and I returned one back. He wandered out the door, shutting it behind him. I sat still 'till the noise of the footsteps were gone. I pushed my hair back and jumped out of bed. Making my way towards the window, I observed for any trace of Fabio. I unlocked the window and glanced behind to detect if anyone was about to step in. With a quick stride over the sill, I reached for the ladder that was attached to the wall in case of any fires. I climbed down and jogged towards the greenhouse.
"Fabio!" I shouted as I searched for him. I clenched my jaw in frustration as I came upon his hat. I picked it up to find a note on the ground.
"Meet me in town when you are fully ready," I read to myself. The paper crumpled in my hand from anger. I looked nearby, trying to think of a way to solve this problem.
"Iris."
I spun around and found Aiden standing near the entrance of the greenhouse. I quickly stuffed the note in the back pocket of my jeans and gave him a nervous smile. He walked towards me and gave me a firm hug.
"Can't breathe!" I attempted to say. He chuckled and let go before stroking my hair back and trying to make eye contact. How could I possibly tell him that I needed to leave? Did I even want to leave? Things were just getting better between us.
"What's wrong? Alex told me you were in bed. Now you're standing here -" he said glancing around at the plants. "- in the middle of the night." He took my hand in his and helped me out of the conservatory. I followed him inside the palace doors. It was quiet since everyone was asleep. Queen Alexandra had left today to go on a vacation as a birthday gift from Aunt Rosie. Maybe Aiden went to go seek farewell at the airport.
He led me to the library and took a seat on the couch. I sat down next to him and laid my head on his lap and my feet up on the furniture. He played with my hair and everytime we made contact, he would give me a soft smile. We stayed like that for a few minutes before I formed the courage to tell him.
"Aiden?"
"Yes, love?"
"I have to go see my father."
_________
woah, another update.
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