I felt like I was in a dream, the entire journey to the palace. It didn't feel real. I found myself in a moving vehicle with black cars in front and behind us. Louis was in one of them. Even when the captain tried to ask me questions, I couldn't find the words to respond. I was simply too terrified about what was going to happen to Louis.
It seemed like years had passed since I had last passed through the fortified gates of my home. The procession of vehicles stopped at the front steps of the palace and my door was opened by someone. A hand reached out to help me out. Shakily, I stepped down onto the cobblestone ground and looked up to see familiar faces rushing down the grand steps toward me.
My father, brother, and sister.
Where was my mom? Oh...right.
At the sight of my family, whom I hadn't seen in nearly a year, I momentarily snapped out of my trance. I rushed forward and flung my arms around my siblings who reached me first.
"Aria! I missed you so much, I'm so glad you're alright!" Flora exclaimed, squeezing me tightly.
Finn rubbed my back. "It's been horrible without you. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. I missed you." I teared up, pulling back to look at them.
"I was beginning to think I'd have to be king, but now I don't have to." Finn said, relieved.
"I told you Finn, I would gladly take the crown for you." Flora said seriously.
"And I told you that you'd suck at ruling." Finn replied.
My father walked up just then and my siblings parted to make room for him. My first look at him made me pause in concern. He held a cane in his right hand and he seemed to have aged twenty years since the last time I saw him. His hair was snow white, a thick beard hiding his joyous grin. He was hunched over, wobbling toward me. Mother was right, he wasn't well at all.
He looked at me with such love and relief. I rushed into his arms as he held them open for me and my heart hurt at the sound of his soft sobs against my shoulder. His frail body shook uncontrollably.
"My sweet Aria. You're alive." He cried.
"I'm alive. I'm okay, father. Don't be sad." I whispered, hugging him tightly.
That was when I noticed cheering coming from the gates. I pulled back to see the closed gates and saw a crowd gathered behind them waving and cheering at me. The people of Verdelle were ecstatic about my return. I waved to them. I frowned when the excited cheers suddenly morphed into angry shouts and jeers.
I glanced over at one of the other vehicles and saw Louis being pulled away and up the palace steps still restrained by chains. He didn't turn his head and I swiftly moved in his direction.
"Where are you going?" Flora asked.
A few guards hurried to block my way. "Highness you must not get too close."
"But..." I looked after Louis anxiously, not knowing what to do or how to help him.
There was nothing I could do right now. My hands were tied. I didn't want to push my way to Louis and make the entire kingdom freak out by announcing that I cared about the criminal they'd feared for years.
"Aria, darling. Let's go inside so we can talk." The king said, his free hand not letting go of me.
The four of us entered the palace and I had nearly forgotten how grand it was. It was expansive and exquisitely beautiful. It was only then that I realized how much I missed it. Home hadn't exactly been on my mind lately. Typically Louis was the only thing filling my mind.
As we walked slowly through the halls, I fell into step beside my father. "Father..." I said hesitantly. "What are you going to do to him?"
He glanced at me, a frown settled onto his features as he took my hand. "He hurt my daughter. He took you away from me and made you marry him. Who knows what other horrific crimes he committed against you, my beautiful precious daughter. I am going to make sure he dies a very painful death as soon as possible."
Fear gripped my heart as I stopped walking, causing Finn to bump into me. "I...father. I don't know how to say this so you'll understand..."
The king touched my chin gently and tipped it up. "What is it my child?"
"Please don't kill him." I blurted out, feeling my eyes stinging with tears.
My siblings stared at me like I was crazy and the king seemed horrified. They would never understand. That much was clear by the disturbed expressions they weren't even trying to hide from me. The King gestured for me to follow him into a private room nearby where we could talk freely without prying eyes.
"Why?" He asked slowly.
"Because...because he's my husband and I...don't want him to die." I murmured, but that only seemed to startle them more.
"Aria..." My father sounded disappointed and horrified as he rested his hand over his eyes. "No, no. It can't be. The queen mentioned something about it, but I didn't want to believe it. Don't tell me you've got stockholm syndrome."
I stepped back. "What? I don't have that. I just don't want him to die."
"Why? Aria, wake up. He kidnapped you." Flora broke in. "How could you ever like that psychopath?"
"I don't like him, I love him. And I know none of you will understand it, but he's not that psychopathic serial killer you saw on TV. Please give him a chance." I begged.
"He'll receive a fair trial just like any other criminal, but considering all the damage he's done in his life, he isn't going to be let off easy." Father said.
"He's my husband!" I raised my voice angrily.
"Not for long." Flora mumbled under her breath.
I glared at her and held up my hand, showing them mother's ring on my finger. "I will always be Princess Aria Tomlinson."
"Aria, how could you even think like this? I'm worried about you." Finn stepped closer to touch my shoulder.
I jerked away, feeling ganged up on and utterly alone. I shouldn't feel like this at this moment, when I've finally been reunited with my family. But I felt like none of them were on my side or wanted to even consider supporting me.
"I understand you're concern, but you don't know him. You've never even seen his face until now. I've been living with him for almost a year and I've watched him transform into a man I could love. And he loves me too." I said with conviction.
"That's bullshît!" Finn exclaimed.
"You're brainwashed!" Flora agreed with our brother.
"Enough." Father cut in before things could get anymore heated. "Children...we've just found our missing Aria and it's hurting me to see all of us so upset with each other. No more talk of the serial killer today."
I wasn't done talking about Louis at all, but I honestly didn't know what else to say or how to get them to understand. The situation seemed hopeless.
After that everyone seemed to be trying to ignore the criminal in the dungeon below the palace. Yes, we had a dungeon even in 2218. It was cold and dreary and heavily guarded. No one had ever escaped from it that I could recall. It was more for holding criminals temporarily than long term. It pained me to think that Louis would be locked up down there until he was sentenced.
From then on, my family attempted to be kinder and appreciate the fact that I had finally returned. They refused to speak about Louis. So I spent time catching up and listening to everything that had been going on in my absence. Without Louis in the conversation, I could enjoy our time together and was reminded of the happy times before all of this started. Mother wasn't brought up at all.
That night, after many failed attempts at sneaking down to the dungeons to see Louis, I found myself in my old bedroom. It was an expansive suite with a sitting room, a bedroom, a closet the size of my and Louis' bedroom, and an enormous bathroom with a jacuzzi. As soon as my lady's maids Susan and Gigi had turned down the bed and left me alone for the night, I got into my king size bed.
I turned the lamp off and laid down, trying not to think about Louis. But as I settled down on the right side of the bed and faced the left side, all I could picture was Louis lying beside me. My hand moved on its own to the empty space where he should have been and my heart ached.
He was in the palace, but seemed miles away. I wanted him there with me, holding me in his arms while I fell asleep. I felt such longing that I couldn't help but softly cry. How was I suppose to go on without him? All this time I had had nothing but him. All of my focus and time had been solely on Louis and now that he was gone, I was having trouble figuring out how to exist on my own. It was like I had forgotten how to be a princess.
I didn't want to sleep alone, but I was forced to.
The next day was Louis' hearing. I wasn't allowed to attend because Father didn't want me anywhere near Louis even if there was zero chance of contact between us. He even made me stay in my room the entire day while the hearing was going on. I supposed they were going through every recorded crime Louis had ever commited, which would indeed make the process take much longer.
At last Susan announced the kings presence as he entered my bedroom and she quickly hurried out to give us some privacy. The door clicked shut and I stood there waiting for the news that I knew would be bad, but was desperately hoping would be good.
He sighed, watching me closely as he rested both hands on his cane. "He was sentenced this afternoon."
Maybe he had pity on me and made sure Louis would receive a lesser sentence. Maybe he wouldn't be executed. I wouldn't be able to go on if I lost him. If he simply went to prison I could still see him. Maybe he would simply be banished and I could go live with him in another kingdom. Unrealistic hopes kept swirling through my brain and I had to force them away.
Swallowing the bile rising in my throat, I rang my sweaty hands together in anxiety. "And?"
"He's been sentenced to death." He said.
My entire body went weak. My legs suddenly couldn't hold me up and I collapsed to the floor. I covered my face with my hands as all I could feel was agony. I couldn't even cry I was so devestated. He couldn't die. He couldn't.
"Sweetheart please. Try to understand." My dad stepped over to me, resting his hand on my head gently.
"When?" I choked out. My throat hurt.
"Tomorrow morning." He said.
"No, I need more time." I gasped out, hardly able to breath.
"Aria..."
"I need more time!" I begged, lifting my face up to stare pleadingly in his eyes and I clutched his suit coat. "Please, I need more time. I can't lose him this soon. It'll destroy me."
"Aria, the decision's been made." He said gently.
"You can change it! You're the king. Please, for me. I just lost my mom; don't make me lose my husband too in the same month. Please, Father! I can't. It'll kill me." That's when I started to cry.
I stayed kneeling before him, begging him to give me more time. Tomorrow was too soon! I wasn't prepared for this at all. It had been likely, but it hadn't seemed real until now and I couldn't handle it. There was no way I could go through this and not be completely destroyed by it.
"My baby, I wish I could kneel and hug you, but I'm unable. Please listen. I won't stop this from happening, but darling, maybe I could push the execution off a few days." He gently stroked my hair.
"Yes, please delay it. Thank you." I sobbed against him as I rose to my feet and threw my arms around him. "Please, just don't do this. Don't kill him!"
"It has to be done, sweetheart. I'm sorry, but it's the right thing to do." He held me in his frail arms. "He needs to pay for his crimes."
"But Daddy I love him!" I cried.
"No, Aria. You don't." He replied.
Stiffening, I pulled away and stepped back. "You don't know how I feel."
"I know you've been through a lot. You were kidnapped. He probably tried very hard to get you to like him, but in the end, he's the bad guy who took you against your will. You've grown sympatheric towards him. Honey, you have-"
"I don't have stockholm syndrome. Stop saying that." I said harshly, wiping at my eyes which continued to produce tears.
"There's something else I need to tell you." He changed the subject.
"I don't want to hear anything else. You've completely ruined my life already by telling me my husband is going to die. Please, just leave me alone for a while." I pleaded, turning to get back in bed.
"I've invited a prince to the palace." He spoke up.
"Great." I replied as I threw back the covers, preparing to lay in bed so I could cry in peace.
"Aria this is serious, listen to me. I've invited him here for you." He said.
I paused as several horrible thoughts entered my mind. What was he getting at?
"After Louis' execution, it will be your duty to wed this prince." The king explained.
I nearly vomited I was so shocked. "What?"
"It's important for this to happen quickly. Directly after the serial killer is gone, you'll marry the prince I've chosen." He said and I thought I might faint.
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Could things get any worse? 😭
I updated five times time in February. I usually just update like twice a month lol. I'm so proud of myself.