Rose screamed and thrashed around as the two giant male guards struggled to keep a hold of her lithe body. She could not comprehend what Korian had decreed. He wanted to take away Romi's life. The world would mourn the loss of such a beautiful soul.
Romi struggled valiantly but could not free himself. Any moment now he would take his last breath as a sword plunged through his prefect dark skin taking away his life force.
Then suddenly there was a commotion outside and the doors burst open as the Aubriemian Royal guard marched in, much to Algernon and Korian's shock and horror.
"Surrender and let them go!" Captain Yohana ordered, and Rose said a silent prayer of thanks that they had come in time.
Korian's men gulped and shifted on their feet, as they were clearly outnumbered, but did not let go of Rose and Romi.
"No! Come any closer and we will kill them both." Korian screeched as he rose to his feet totteringly with an angry red face.
"Surrender and this will not become any worse. Your sister is on her way and will declare what we shall do with you. I would not be surprised if you are all charged with a public execution." The general announced with a smug smile.
Rose felt the men holding onto her in a death grip shift uneasily and relax their hold a little. The four men surrounding Romi nervously eyed each other and the twenty new guards that had burst into the room, wondering whether to surrender or fight.
A quick turn to Algernon showed he had pasty, clammy skin and eyes spitting anger. Would they give in?
"We will never surrender! We have an army coming! Korian is the true King!" He shouted with gnashing teeth.
Rose's eyes locked with Romi who gave her an encouraging smile, although the sword still dug limply into his back killed the victorious mood.
"No he is not. I am the reigning monarch, and will be until the day that I die." Nijah suddenly announced in a voice that demanded attention as she pushed through the guards and came to the front, Henri just behind her. She looked spectacular in full armour and as if she had just descended from the heavens like a vengeful angel. Her long black hair was tightly pinned back showing off her flawless brown skin and defined bone structure. She was truly beautiful.
Her eyes widened and lips pursed in anger as she took in her injured and dead guards on the floor. Their families would be taken care of, but nothing could replace or make up for a life.
"Nijah? My sister..." Korian murmured suddenly looking ashamed and regretful as he leant heavily on his sword dug into the carpet.
"Yes Korian it is me. Stop this foolishness. You look sick. Give up now and I promise you... I will look after you. You will be treated and kept in nicer conditions." Nijah promised with heartfelt compassion.
Korian would always be her little brother, no matter how far from the path of righteousness he strayed.
Rose noticed one of the Aubriemian guards sneaking around the back of her from the corner of her eye. She did not move or make a sound though, as at the moment he was passing by undetected as everyone was too focused on Algernon and Korian.
"No Korian do not listen to her! She locked you up remember! She is a liar, she will kill you!" Algernon screeched as he finally let go of Romi and hurried over to his puppet.
Korian's expression hardened.
"You are trying to trick me! I know all about the evil things you have done, stealing my son," Rose tensed hoping no one would question his words, "changing the way our ancestors ran the country and allowing women to have dominant power!" Korian spat as Nijah shook her head pitifully.
"Can you not see that Uncle Algernon has manipulated you? Aubriemia is richer and a happy place to live now. There are no unsatisfied reports apart from those from misogynistic men who refuse to keep up with the evolving times. You have always been incredibly closed minded Korian. Let Rosilabeth and Rommich go and we can discuss this privately. This is your last chance." Nijah warned as the tension climbed high in the room.
Rose held her breath to see whether Korian would do the right thing. She had no idea where the sneaking guard was now, but she hoped this would soon all be over and she would be in Romi's arms once again.
"No! Kill them! Kill them all!" Korian called out in a crazed voice making Rose whimper in fear, but before the bloodshed could begin, there was an audible gasp and clang as Korian suddenly dropped his bloodied sword.
"On your knees!" A gruff voice called out, and Rose turned her head to see the guard had successfully sneaked through and was now holding a sword around his neck, which was glinting maliciously in the sunlight. "Drop your weapons!" He demanded fearlessly as Korian clumsily dropped to his knees with a look of terrified madness.
Algernon's men looked to him unsurely, wavering on where they stood.
"No, no attack!" He screamed, not caring about his nephew and blackening his heart some more. The seed of greed and power had completely hollowed out the good, and as his eyes turned black with anger, he looked like a child of darkness.
However, it seemed as if his men had different ideas. It started with two men holding onto Romi who dropped their swords and fell to their knees in submission to Nijah. Next the man on the left of Rose released his grip on her and sullenly followed suit.
"What are you doing?" The remaining bald man holding onto Rose furiously whispered.
"To fight is suicide." The man on the marble floor murmured with raw emotion in his hazel eyes.
A few seconds later Rose was free and the Royal Guard beckoned her to them.
"No! What are you doing?" Algernon roared before turning and punching the huge stonewall, not wanting to accept defeat.
He was never destined to be King.
The remaining two guards let go of Romi who audibly exhaled and hurried across to safety.
The General made his way to Algernon and forced him to his knees with a sword, angry that someone could dare try to undermine and harm his Queen. There was a cheer as all of the traitors were gathered up and led away in shackles to determine their fate.
"Goodbye Korian." Nijah uttered with a sad smile as he was led passed her.
He did not say anything in response as he was prodded forward and walked with empty eyes. Algernon spat abuses at them all as he was dragged out in an undignified manner, but Nijah did not even glance at him knowing she was the Queen of a mighty nation and he was a sad old man who would never see the light of day again.
"Rosilabeth are you alright?" Henri asked as he pulled her into a tight hug, taking her by surprise.
She was desperate to see Romi although she knew she had to convince her brother that she was fine before he released her from his bear-like hold.
"I am fine..." Rose gasped out as Henri squeezed her tighter.
"They tried to trick us with the explosion at the gate, when in fact there were only two men there who ran away - although they are in our custody now. We thought no one had gotten into the castle, but a group of suspicious men were spotted, and a maid who was hiding told us she heard screams from the throne room." Henri revealed as he let go of Rose, only for her to be attacked with a hug from Nijah.
"Oh!" She exclaimed as she slowly wrapped her arms around Nijah's tense form.
"We were so worried Rose! The guards could not find you in my quarters and then you were not in any of the safe rooms, and I just knew you had gone to Romi! I am so glad you are ok, and I am sorry for locking you in my room." Nijah apologised with a guilty look on her face as she let go of Rose.
"Do not be silly Nijah; it is I who should be apologising. I put everyone in danger and I am so sorry about that, and for any who lost their lives I take... I take full responsibility." Rose sniffled as tears pricked at her eyes.
"It was not your fault Rose. You are in love. I would have done the same for Henri." Nijah smiled supportively, but sighed when she rotated her head to her side and watched as a white sheet was placed over a third body. The other injured men were being carried out on stretchers and had the best doctors in the land attending to them. "They would have gotten in one way or another."
"Thank you Nijah I am sorry again though. Is Aurora and her family ok? And where are the children?" Rose asked anxiously.
"Do not worry about them Rose, as soon as we received reports of trouble at the gates they were all escorted out of the castle with the other top officials and the finest men guarding them. They are on route to a safe house, and I will send word for them to return once we have secured the castle." Nijah revealed, before she was called away by the general to talk about safety. "I think someone's waiting for you..." She smiled before turning around to talk.
With her words, Rose snapped her head to the right, warmth and love filling her heart as she saw Romi waiting for her nervously. Meeting him was fate, being his friend; a choice. And falling in love was bound to happen. He was the one who painted her world, kept her shielded from the darkness and never once judged her murky past. She would have died a thousand times for him, and she knew that he would do the same for her.
Although a small part of her was scared to give her heart away, she knew he was nothing like Korian and would never purposefully hurt her.
She stepped up to him timidly with her hands clasped behind her back and a nervous smile on her lips. Her stomach was twisted into excitable knots, and as their eyes connected, dark on light, the tension in the room grew and Rose could only see him. The badness washed away as they were finally reunited. Before she could think of something to say Romi suddenly reached out and pulled her into a hug, burying his face into her neck.
"I thought I'd lost you." He murmured, the movement of his lips tickling her neck.
Rose hugged him back even tighter, delighting in his homely leathery scent.
"Me too," Rose murmured, but her voice was muffled against his chest.
Romi then pulled back and kissed her sweetly on the forehead, but Rose secretly wished it were on her lips.
"You are my first love." He whispered as their foreheads rested on each other's.
Rose was well aware that they were drawing a lot of attention to themselves as there were audible gasps, but she could not bring herself to care. How could this be wrong when it felt so right?
"You are my first love too... I never loved Korian, just the idea of him. I wish I had never met him." Rose revealed with her eyes trained on Romi's thick lips as his pink tongue darted out to wet them.
"Good." Romi smiled looking pleased. "Although in some horrible play of fate if you had not had your... relationship with him, then you and I would not have met." Romi sighed and Rose nodded sadly.
"But Rose... Are you sure you want to be with me? I do not feel like I am enough for you." Romi confessed making Rose look up at him in surprise.
"What! Romi how could you think that? I do not think I am enough for you! You... you are perfect, and so kind and hardworking, and me? I am just a spoiled Princess. And your mother hates me." Rose sighed bitterly.
"That is not true my love, do not be so hard on yourself! We all have our flaws, but in my eyes, you are perfect. You are kind, loving, self-sacrificing, and my mother does not hate you. She just needs time to get to know you." Romi assured her as he held her close to him. "But are you sure you really want to be with me? I cannot give you the life you have grown up in."
In answer, Rose reached up and kissed him right on the lips. She felt Romi smile against her as he pulled her in tighter, feeling her soft curves press against his hard muscles. He kissed her harder as his hand smoothly crept up her back and tangled in her hair. Rose felt like she was drowning in passion when someone cleared their throat rather violently causing them to part and Rose to drop back down to rest on her heels. Romi's arms stayed around her waist and hers dropped to his chest.
"I do not mind giving up my title of Princess if it means I am with you. The only time I am happy and glad to be alive is when we are together." Rose promised. "I chose you, and I am willing to choose you over and over. A million times over. I hurt you several times, yet here you are, kissing me, as if I am your hope. I feel incomplete without you. Every time I look at you, I feel love and joy coursing through me. I want to spend a lifetime with you. I need you by my side, and together we will face the challenges life gives us."
"Good... There is no one else I can even think of to spend my life with. You are my dream girl. I love you my Rose." Romi proclaimed as his fingers flexed around her waist.
"And I love you my Romi." Rose replied with a dreamy smile, before she rose onto her tiptoes and he leant down to kiss her again, unable to get enough.
They heard Henri groan and Nijah supportively cheer as Rose gave up her heart to a loving man and sealed her happy future.
Edited