Beatrice paced around what little room she had to move. She stopped at each extremity the chains around her ankles permitted, repeating it over and over.
The guard that occasionally came to check on her arrived. He reached to draw his sword, as he did each time, but paused. He no longer felt the need to remind her of what he could do. Besides, it seemed as if the prisoner had her mind elsewhere.
She looked up at the guard, acknowledging his presence.
He turned to leave but stopped, looking back at her. "I am curious, prisoner. What have you done to end up here?"
She laughed and sat on the bench. "Be in love."
"Surely our King is not that heartless," he muttered. "In my whole career as a guard, I have never once seen a prisoner in this cell."
"This is less of a cell than a torture chamber," she told him. "The King wishes to keep me alive and remind me of what I am missing above."
The guard shifted uncomfortably. "I thought you were but a servant?"
"The prince was courting me," she let out, wincing at her own words. "We were in love."
"Were?"
"Of course," she snapped. "I am in no position to leave this cell, am I? How am I to expect him to still love me if he has no idea where I am?"
"True love would persevere no matter what," he offered.
She laughed, grinding her teeth. "Look what true love did to me."
The guard paced in front of her cell, thinking. He had been assigned to guard a funeral yesterday, but was never informed of who the funeral was for. He had noticed, as did the crowd who attended, that the prince was visibly suffering.
If the prisoner before him claimed to be the prince's true love, then why would she not be by his side at a funeral?
He stopped and stared at her. "The funeral was for you?"
Beatrice stared back at him.
The guard furrowed his brows and shook his head in disbelief. He could not fathom how awful a person must be, let alone a King, to orchestrate such a situation. I suppose the castle guards are truly misinformed, he told himself.
The echo of footsteps filled their ears as the guard straightened himself. He stomped his foot and saluted to the King, who had just arrived at the floor.
Marcus nodded to the guard and waved him away, eager to be alone with the prisoner. The guard bowed, reluctant to leave after discovering such interesting news, but knew his duty to the crown was far stronger.
"I have news," Marcus spoke when they were left alone. "Wedding news."
Beatrice watched him open the cell doors and walk through.
"Tobias has proposed to Princess Lauren today. They will be married in a few days," he taunted.
She closed her eyes. She did not wish to believe his words were true, but even she had seen the guest list. She knew such a situation was bound to happen now that the prince thought she was dead. He no longer had a reason to deny Lauren's engagement.
"I can already imagine the bundle of joys their marriage shall bring to the kingdom," he continued.
His taunts were cut short by the rapid echo of loud footsteps coming their way. The guard from earlier panted before them, bowing quickly.
"Your Majesty, you must come at once!" he rushed out.
Marcus furrowed his brows, disturbed by the sudden commotion. "How urgent could this be?"
"It's the prince! They found him at the bottom of a pond!" the guard stuttered out. "They have only just retrieved him, but no one knows how long he had been submerged in the water."
Marcus stared at the guard. He had no words to say. An emotion washed over him; fear. Yet, not fear for his son's safety, but for what his son attempted to destroy.
He sneered and pushed the guard out of the way, storming up the steps.
Beatrice opened her mouth and screamed. She curled onto herself, inhaling shakily and screaming all over.
Her hands shook as they reached her ears, pressing onto them to drown out the imaginary sounds of Tobias' cries. Her nails dug into her skin as she screamed, tears streaming down her face.
It was the loudest sob she had ever produced.
The guard watched in horror, afraid even the slightest touch would result in her shattering. He pitied her endlessly, not understanding what more she could have done to ever deserve such a fate.
"Please!" she screamed at him, sobbing. "Let me go to him!"
Beatrice's eyes turned alarmingly red as tears persisted. Her throat burned with her sobs and screams. Everything hurt within her, but she would not stop.
The guard clenched his fist and turned away, trying his best to ignore her painful pleas. He rushed up the stairs and close the cellar doors behind him, leaving her cries down with her.
Servants ran amok in the halls, all trying to find out what happened to their crown prince. He turned away from the commotion and ran up the steps, blending into a crowd of fellow guards. He and his peers stood protectively in front of the hospital wing, blocking servants from crowding around.
Inside, the doctor repeatedly pressed against the prince's chest while another continuously checked for his pulse. Nurses circled around as they lifted him into seating position, trying to the best of their ability to have him regurgitate the water.
Tobias' eyes opened as his mouth parted to release the water in his system. The nurses clapped beside him, sighing in relief that the prince had gained his consciousness. He inhaled sharply as he turned to the side, trying to drown out the yelling of the doctors and nurses.
Once he understood where he was, Tobias shook his head and cried out.
At that same moment, that same minute, that same second, the pair of star-crossed lovers cried together.
The doors to the room flung open as Evelyn cried out, rushing to her son's side. She had rushed out of her bedroom at such speed, forgetting to cover herself with a robe. The servants quickly lowered their gaze in her respect.
"Tobias!" she screamed, holding his face in her hands. "What happened?!"
Marcus pushed open the doors, furious. He shoved the servants and nurses in his way as he reached his on. Without a care in the world, Marcus reached forward and grabbed Tobias by the collar, forcing him to sit straight.
"Marcus!" Evelyn protested, but her efforts were thwarted.
"You imbecile!" Marcus roared, clutching the collar harder. "How dare you try and destroy everything I built!"
Tobias stared at his father. "The same way you destroyed everything I cherished," he said groggily.
Marcus sneered. "You dare to talk back? After everything I have done for you? After providing you the means to succeed?" he pulled him closer. "You are who you are because of me. Your life is endetted to me."
Evelyn pushed her husband's hands off her son. "Enough!" She turned and waved away the personnel in the room. "Leave, Marcus."
"Do not start with your holier-than-thou attitude, Evelyn!" he yelled. "I have grown tired of it!"
"Leave!" she repeated.
Marcus turned away from the bed, stomping away. He slammed the door behind him, causing the paintings on the wall to rattle and the contents of the nightstand to fall.
Evelyn took a deep breath and turned back to her son. "Why?" she asked softly.
"Beatrice," He replied simply, as if the answer were painfully obvious.
She sighed and nodded. "Right," she reached for his hand. "I know, Tobias. But she is gone, dear. You need to understand that. Drowning yourself will not bring her back."
He turned away.
"I know the pain you feel having lost her is one I will never be able to relate to, but I do understand the burden of sacrifices," she sighed. "I know you had no sort of closure with her death, but you must understand your duty to this kingdom. You are to be their King. This one loss can never compare to the millions who depend on you and who will be lost without a King."
Tobias sneered. "Leave me," he managed to say.
Evelyn stood, respecting his wishes. She left him alone in the room, faltering at the sound of his soft crying. She turned away and spotted her husband not too far, but decided to continue ignoring him.
She prepared to head back to her bedroom when a guard stepped forward. She widened her eyes at the motion.
"My apologies, Your Majesty," the guard quickly said, bowing to her. "I was only wondering how the prince is."
Evelyn smiled, touched to think the guard cared. Soon, Tobias will see just how much this kingdom loves and needs him, she told herself. "He is conscious and should have a speedy recovery."
The guard bowed once more, watching her feet leave him. He redressed himself and walked toward the hospital wing, determined to meet with the prince. He reached out to grab the door handle, but stopped at the sudden slide blocking him.
Eye to eye, he stared at the King, now in front of him.
"What do you think you are doing?" Marcus asked him slowly. "Did I not assign you to something?"
The guard stepped back, hiding his sudden fear. "I was only going to protect the prince from any further danger."
Marcus squinted his eyes. "Not you. Go back and guard the prisoner."
Knowing he could not dare defy a direct order, the guard inhaled and bowed, nodding to his command. He turned and walked back toward the cell where the prisoner was held, unsuccessful in his plan to speak with the prince.
The guard walked back down the steps, surprised to still hear Beatrice's wailings echo against the walls. Her eyes lit up as she saw him, inhaling to prevent her from crying further.
"The prince is alive," the guard told her.
Beatrice sighed in relief, leaning against the wall as she cried tears of solace.
Her reaction, along with the King's determination to keep his son's room locked from the outside, only confirmed to the young guard the situation at hand.
He approached the steel bars. "This life you live is not deserved by anyone," he told her.
She looked at him, confused by his sympathy.
The guard sighed, remembering the funeral. "Find courage within you, Miss Prior. You never know what might happen."
Beatrice gasped silently. Hope filled her whole, even though she knew hope was futile in her current state. This guard could be attempting to fill her head with falseness in order to break her down further...yet, as she stared at him, she believed his words to be genuine.
Perhaps, just perhaps, Beatrice would be able to see her beloved once more.