Epilogue (Part 4)
July
The sound of my sunshine crying makes me rush to his crib. He whines and cries for me, and it is just the sweetest thing. The second I lift him out of his crib and into my arms, his crying ceases.
"You are a fussy little thing today. I can't get anything done today with you always wanting me to hold you." I try to set him back down in his crib but he begins to cry again. "Alright, alright. You got me. I will hold you." I say, giving in.
Marko is an easy-going baby. Well, most of the time. He is about a month old now, and he is a healthy baby. Marko weighed exactly six pounds. Additionally, he is a handsome fellow. I don't know how I am going to keep the girls off of him when he gets older. Also, when he was born, he had a headful of light brown hair. I knew he would have Charlie's hair!
Marko is a stubborn child, too. I was in labor for almost twelve hours! I am never having another kid. Don't get me wrong, I love him with all of my heart, but I don't want to go through that ever again! I don't know how women with seven kids do it!
"Ari," I hear Charlie call out as he enters the nursery, "mother wants us to come down in an hour to attend the meeting."
"Alright," I hold Marko closer to me as he squirms around a bit. Then, Marko lets out a huge yawn from his tiny body that makes me giggle. "He is a bit sleepy."
"Babies are always sleepy." Charlie says.
"Especially, this little guy. Anyways, what is the meeting about?"
"About if we should move back into our castle in London." Charlie says. Since then, Queen Chelsea has been suffering from depression and even the birth of Marko didn't cheer her up. She has been less demanding of us and she has been kinder to us recently. Her and Charlie made a full recovery and my lil' sunshine was perfectly fine.
"Oh, I don't want to go back. That castle holds too many memories for it to be any good. This palace is like a fresh start for all of us..." I state.
"Yea..." Charlie's face goes serious, but he shakes it off and puts on a smile. "Can I hold my son?"
Gently, I hand him over to Charlie. Charlie is surprisingly great with babies. He is so careful and tender. I always love watching him hold Marko. Charles always has the most loving look in his eyes and the happiest smile across his lips.
Miles and Dylan saw Marko a few hours after he was born and Dylan was ecstatic. She was telling me how many cute outfits she has seen that would be cute on Marko. Miles was saying how he looks a lot like Charlie. Also, Miles asked me if I named him after Jasper for a reason. I said I just liked the name.
Speaking of Jasper, I haven't talked to him since January. I sent him a letter, but there was never a letter returned. I asked Miles if he has talked to him and he said that he hasn't talked to Jasper, but he did see him at a restaurant with a girl on what seemed like a date a couple months ago. I expected Jasper to move on, but I wish he would've sent me a letter telling me that he was or that he wanted to just stay friends instead of never replying. Sometimes, I wonder if he has completely forgotten about me or if he still thinks about me. Nobody wants to be forgotten.
Marko lets out another yawn and I laugh, "How can such big yawns come from such a tiny body?"
"Marko is a funny lil' guy." Charlie chuckles.
"Don't you love that the tiniest lil' things can bring so much happiness?"
"I do love that. I love how this guy can make us so happy when we were so sad." Charlie states.
I look at my baby in Charlie's arms ad whisper, "I will love you forever and ever, sunshine."
***
After the meeting...
For now, we aren't returning to the old castle, and we are staying here. This castle is peaceful, loving, and happy. Things are easier and most of the evil is gone.
Charlie decided to go to bed since the meeting lasted for a long time and Marko is restless like I am, so I decide to take a stroll down the city street with him. As I step out into the warm night, I see all the city lights shining and glittering. The stars are hidden tonight, but the lights replace them. A warm breeze blows and my hair gets tossed around from it.
People begin to recognize who I am but I continue on my walk with my son. After looking around at all the shops, I look down at Marko and he has fallen asleep. He is a peaceful child with no worry in the world. I hope that one day he won't have to be a Royal. It is a terrorizing thing, but I will save that worry for another day.
I sit on a bench in the street, and just look at all the bright, shining lights that light up the night sky. Marko is like these dazzling lights. My life was surrounded by this darkness, but then he came into my life and brightened it up. There is always a little light in the darkness.
***
September
I sit in a rocking chair in a room that resembles the Sitting Room. I think things through of what exactly is going to happen once I leave here. I am no longer Princess Arizona, I am Queen Arizona. Charlie is like me, he no longer has parents. In four months, King Randolph and Queen Chelsea have died.
Someone poisoned her a month ago, and who that is, I have no idea. When she was on her death bed, she apologized for everything she has done to us. Queen Chelsea knew she was going to die so she told Charlie and I that when we become Queen and King, we have the power to undo the marriage which is exactly what we are going to do.
We were crowned King and Queen a week ago, and we spent all this time planning out what we are going to do. Charlie feels like he would lose the kingdom's trust if we told them about it, so we came up with a story -- another lie to cover up the truth.
Charlie is 'divorcing' me and I will no longer be a Royal. I get to keep Marko, and we have decided to change his name from Marko Charles White to Marko Marley Touris. He is taking on my last name, and we are going to bury any evidence that he was ever a Royal. I don't want him to know, and I don't want him to know his father is the king. We both think it is best if he never finds out so that he will never have a chance at becoming involved with the Royals. We don't want him to be a Royal. He will be a normal boy with his mother.
We finally died my hair back to the blonde hair it was before, too. I guess so I will look a little different from I was. We have already announced to the public that we are separating, and King Charles has ordered for press to not follow me.
Charlie also said that we will stay in contact through VisualCall and letters. Since he won't be in Marko's life, he wants to at least somehow see how Marko does throughout his life, so I will let him know how Marko is doing. Also, Charlie is going to give me money so I can take care of Marko full-time instead of getting a job. Also, he found me an apartment in London near Miles's and Dylan's new apartment.
I am sad because Charlie is a close friend of mine and chances are I won't see him in person ever again. Today is the day that I leave and we part ways. I have to say goodbye... for good.
Bethany rushes into the door, "Arizona!"
Oh, and Bethany and Emerald were still in the dungeon in the old castle. We were finally able to get them out and to this castle. This is the first time I have seen Bethany since the wedding, so over a year. I have missed them both so much! Charlie is going to marry Emerald and Bethany doesn't have to work for the Royals anymore.
"Oh, Bethany!" I practically run to her and give her a side hug since my other arm is occupied.
Her eyes light up, "Is this my great-grandbaby I have heard about?" I nod and hand my sunshine over to her. She holds Marko tight and looks at him for a while, then she returns her gaze to me. "Oh, he is an adorable fellow. My, my... you look so much like your mother... Oh! It is just so good to see you!"
"I have missed you."
"I've missed you, too, dear."
"Sadly, I have to leave soon because that flying car won't wait for me for too long. You can come visit me in London. VisualCall me sometime, and I am pretty sure I will need a babysitter once in a while." I tell her.
"Oh, I hate that you have to leave so soon."
Then, I get an idea, "Come with me. You can live with me in the apartment. It is a three bedroom and it is large."
"Oh, I don't know if I should."
"Come on!"
Bethany gives in and she gives me Marko. She says she needs to grab her things before she leaves with me. I sit back in the rocking chair for a few more minutes, but a servant comes and informs the car will be ready to take off in a few minutes. I hate saying goodbye...
I exit the room and find Emerald and Charlie kissing in the hallway. They break apart as soon as they hear my footsteps, and Charlie has the biggest smile. Then, he must notice that I see everything as a bitter-sweet moment because his smile fades a bit. Leaving someone that you have been through so much with is hard. Goodbyes are hard.
"Is it time to leave?" Charlie asks.
I nod, "Yep, just about." My stupid eyes start to tear up a little but I refuse to let them fall. I hand Marko over to Emerald and Charlie embraces me in a hug. "I hate goodbyes, Charlie..."
"But it is for Marko's own good. Just think, he won't ever have to go through what we went through. We will still be in contact, Ari. And it is hard on me, too. I have to let you and Marko go." Charlie says.
I don't let him go, "Yea, but staying in contact isn't as good as seeing each other in person, and you're right... it is for Marko's good."
Then, when we finally let go, I look over at Emerald. "It is so good to see you again. I hope things turn out well for you two."
She smiles, "Thank you. I am sad to see you leave, Ari."
"Yea, well, it is what we all want. We are all free, now. We are no longer contained. We have the choice that we have always wanted. We just have to see things that way." I say with a smile.
Charlie takes his son from Emerald and holds him tight, "I am going to miss you, son." I can see Charlie even tearing up. "You will be a strong fighter, and every once and a while you will have your stubborn moments but you will grow up to be a great man." He sets a light kiss on Marko's forehead. "I love you."
"Queen Arizona," a servant calls out, "the car is ready."
Charlie slowly returns Marko to me. "What a short goodbye..." he says.
"Sometimes short goodbyes are easier that way." I say.
We all say our last goodbyes and we part ways. I meet up with Bethany in the car and the car takes off. The castle turns into a tiny speck and I watch it slowly fade away from my sight. As the castle disappears, I hold Marko tighter.
As the day transforms into night, I stare at all the shining stars that seem so close that I could reach out of the car and touch them. It reminds me of my first date with Charlie. We looked at all of the stars until I drifted into a beautiful sleep. My experience the last year and a half had been a terror but it is the little happy moments that catch my eye. Those thoughts fly around in my head and they leave a small smile across my lips.
My experience as a forced Royal was absolutely crazy, but now, I am not trapped. I am free, and that was what I craved the whole time. I have a choice! I am no longer being pinned to the ground. I am no longer somebody's puppet.
I am as free as a bird. Free to fly anywhere I choose. That was all I ever wanted.
And now I have it.
A/N: What has been everyone's favorite part of this book? I wanna know what you guys think.
This will be entered into the Wattys, so I need as much support as I can get!!!
Keep my grandfather in all of your prayers. Thank you!
(This Author's Note is short since I will be doing a Thank You later on.)