Bellezza hangs on desperately to her fiancée’s hand as the priest goes on and on about their wedding. She has the fight the urge to roll her eyes. Hearing the monologue again is about as stimulating as the first time she heard it. When the old man is finally silent, Belle is on the verge of unconsciousness. With her head on Aber’s shoulder she unknowingly lets out a soft snore. Aber shakes her awake and she struggles to stand upright. Her face is bright red when the priest marches off into the confinements of his office. She looks up at Aber sheepishly.
“Was I too loud?” She asks, squeezing his hand for reassurance.
The new prince chuckles and pulls her against him. “You were a little loud.” At her blushing face, he kisses her cheeks and lifts her chin to see her eyes. “But it was cute.”
She laughs and falls in step beside him as they walk back to the palace. A comfortable silence fills the air and Belle takes this time to really look at the man she is to marry. Since becoming a prince, Abernathy has a different air about him. He no longer is shy when speaking to someone like her father or mother. He doesn’t stutter like he used to or be overcome with nervousness. This new Abernathy is a lot more comfortable with himself and others. He also has a new authority. He doesn’t take orders from someone unless it’s from his father or his bride-to-be.
What surprises Bellezza the most is that he’s still the same hardworking, boyishly handsome farm boy she fell in love with. He won’t let servants carry his things if he is around to do it himself. He hates for doors to be opened or closed for him. And he cannot stand being called ‘You’re Highness’. He is still sweet and caring and this fact alone is enough for Bellezza to fall even more in love with him.
Noticing her staring, Aber tugs her closer to him and gives her a bright smile. As the stone palace Aber has learned to call home begins to enlarge, Bellezza suddenly feels a sense of dread. Instinctively, she looks in the direction of the sea, looking for her castle. Knowing that her home is too far away, she swallows her homesickness and looks at Aber.
“Have you thought about where you want to stay?” She asks after a minute of silence.
The boy’s brows furrow. “What do you mean, ‘stay’?”
“I mean after we get married. Where do want to stay?” Her prince is still confused so she elaborates. “Once we are wed, you have to decide where you want to rule. I don’t have a say because I will be your queen wherever you decide. You could stay here and rule as your father’s successor; it’s tradition. Or you could move to Sahara and rule as my father’s successor. Although that kind of arrangement is rare, it is possible.” She bites her lip, not daring to say more.
A part of her wants to persuade her prince to move to Sahara. Her parents don’t have successor besides her and if Aber decides to stay, Vita and Richard will have to pass the crown to one of her cousins, ruining the Johnson bloodline that has been residing on the Saharan throne before the dawn of time. If they move to Sahara, Bellezza can take her place as queen with Aber by her side and in Liam, Nicolas, Aber’s younger brother, will take the throne after his father. The latter of the two seems to be the best decision and Belle almost wants to mention that to her fiancée. But the other part of her wants this to be his choice. She will follow him anywhere even if it means never seeing Sahara again.
Aber looks down at Bellezza who is still nervously biting her lip and playing the hem of her skirt. Smiling, he squeezes her hand, bringing his princess out of her thoughts.
“Where would you like to stay?” He asks her curiously. He already knows the answer; that much is obvious. But he wants to hear her say it- say that she wants to stay where she’s always been, where she is destined to be.
She shakes her head no and averts her gaze to the pavement beneath their feet. “It’s custom for you to choose. I will follow you anywhere.”
“Belle,” he stops walking and lifts her face to meet her eyes. “If you want to rule Sahara, all you had to do is say so.”
Her eyes light up. “Do you mean it?” She asks, squeezing his hands. “Do you really want to rule Sahara with me?”
At her enthusiasm, Abernathy grins and kisses her cheek. “I’d follow you anywhere.”
Bellezza wraps her arms around him and snuggles her face in his chest. “I love you,” she whispers against the cotton of his shirt. “Did you know that?”
Resting his chin atop her head, Aber tightens his grip around her waist. “I love you too.”
Stepping away from one another, they continue their path towards the palace but are stopped by Neamh. She walks toward the couple with Alex at her side. The prince had traveled from Ludania to Liam just last night. He couldn’t stand to be away from his love more than a week. Right now as the couple approaches the newly found prince and his bride, Alex’s heart is pounding against his chest. From where he’s standing Abernathy looks big and intimidating. Even when Neamh whispers encouraging words in his ear and holds on tightly to his arm, Prince Alex is still worried about what her brother will think of him.
Neamh and Bellezza embrace as if they had not seen each other in a very long time. While the women begin animatedly talking about the wedding, Aber crosses his arms and looks at his sister’s fiancée. In his eyes the boy is scrawny and doesn’t seem worthy of having his sister’s hand in marriage. Neamh needs a man that can protect her from anything, not a boy who appears to be shaking in his boots.
Choosing his words carefully, Abernathy begins the interrogation. “You’re Alex, right?” At the young man’s nod, Aber extends his hand. “I’m Abernathy, Neamh’s brother.”
Swallowing loudly, Alex shakes the prince’s hand. Aber has firm grip while Alex’s is weak. Aber’s impression of him is declining quickly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alex says in a shaky breath. “Please excuse me if I seem a bit jittery. I’m a little nervous about meeting you, Prince Abernathy.” He lets out a nervous laugh expecting the prince the chuckle and give him a pat him on the back while saying ‘there’s nothing to be nervous about, I don’t bite’ or something along those lines. Aber doesn’t say a word or crack a smile.
“I don’t like you,” he says finally after a minute of agonizing silence. “I don’t think you can protect my sister.”
At this, Alex perks up. His nervous jitters disappear and the worry that once filled is vision is replaced by powerful determination. “I will do everything in my power to protect Neamh,” he states, angered that Aber had doubted his abilities. “I will do anything she asks of me without thinking twice. She is my light and I will never let it go out.”
Abernathy smiles at this and punches Alex lightly in the shoulder. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
Alex relaxes a little at the sign of affection. “So you don’t hate me?”
“I don’t hate you,” Aber says coolly. “I just don’t like you.” He shrugs and puts his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “But don’t let my opinion stop you from marrying Neamh. I don’t have to like you to respect you.”
Against his will, Alex smiles at the prince of Liam and lets his gaze drift off to Neamh who is still speaking excitedly with Bellezza. Upon noticing the boys’ staring, Bellezza waves them away.
“We’re going to head inside to chat. You guys should hang out and get to know one another.” Aber shoots his fiancée a look that she knew all too well- he wants her for himself. Rolling her eyes, she gives him her most apologetic pout and blows him a kiss. “We’ll see you guys later!”
The princesses walk arm and arm into the castle leaving the two princes to stand in the chilly afternoon air. Alex looks at the prince and shrugs. “Lunch?”
Smirking, Aber nods and shows the foreign prince to one of his favorite lunch spots.
***
Neamh and Bellezza walk into castle together and order a pot of tea. While they wait for their drinks, Neamh continues to ask Belle about her wedding. “Are you excited?”
Grinning, the Saharan native nods. “Every time I think about it, I get these butterflies in the stomach and my heart pounds like crazy.” She sighs and rests her chin atop her hands. “I can’t wait to see him at the altar. It’s going to be magical.”
Mary then walks into the room carrying the tray of tea. She hands Bellezza her cup before handing the other to Neamh. After walking away, she hides behind one of the stone pillars and watches Bellezza take a sip of the warm brew. The princess coughs, almost spilling the liquid onto the couch. Neamh takes the tea from her and puts it on the coffee table.
“Are you alright, Belle?” She asks, frantically searching for any sign of injury.
“I’m fine,” the princess assures. “It was just a tickle. It will pass.”
Laughing silently, Mary tugs on a stray blonde curl with a wicked smile on her face. “It’ll pass alright,” she mutters before disappearing into the kitchen.
Bellezza continues to drink the tea until her cup is empty. When Neamh finishes hers, they walk to the music room. Belle picks up guitar and strums a familiar cord. Neamh grins.
“Do you play?” She asks.
Belle nods. “I dabble.”
Together they play a few simple melodies before talk of the wedding begins to drift into the air once again. “Are you going to sing something? Maybe you’ll play a song.”
Bellezza shakes her head. “I can’t sing to save my life,” she laughs. “And I don’t think I want to play a song, either.” She strums another cord on the vintage guitar. “Maybe I can replace one of the songs in the wedding with one of my own?”
Neamh grins and leans forward in her seat. “What song?”
“The wedding march maybe?”
The young princess claps her hand with delight. “What will play instead?”
Bellezza grins. “I know just the thing.”
***
As night begins to fall, Bellezza starts her trek to her room. She and Neamh worked all afternoon to perfect the song and now all the princess wants to do is sleep. Belle stumbles up the stairs, her head suddenly feeling dizzy. She grasps the railing tightly as the room begins to spin. Sweat falls down her face in rivulets and her legs feel like jell-o. Mustering up as much strength as she can, Bellezza tries to get to Aber’s room. She bangs on the door until he opens up.
Upon seeing his love, pale faced and sweating, his heart begins to race. “Belle, are you alright?”
She doesn’t answer as she falls into his arms, unconscious. Her pulse is a dull thud and Aber immediately carries her to his bed. He runs into the hallway and yells for help. Maids come running as well as the kings and queens. Vita caresses her daughter’s clammy face and holds on to hand while Milis calls the kingdom’s doctor.
Abernathy lies on the bed beside a barely breathing Belle. He moves her head to rest on his chest while he strokes her damp hair. “You’re going to be fine,” he whispers in her ear even though he doesn’t believe a word of it.
~~~
Another chapter signed and delivered!
I hope you guys enjoyed it.
I don't know when'll be able to get another chapter out since my break is just about done, but I'll try my best. In the mean time if your looking for something to read, check out MissLiterati.com. There are some really good stories on there not mention a few of mine that are not on wattpad. :) my username is maddening_love so just look me up and if you leave a comment on my page, I'll dedicate the next chapter to you :)
Thankz everyone!