The Prince Chose Me

Chapter 3

A few weeks had passed since the passing of the king. The palace was the busiest Aria had ever witnessed. There were kings and queens, Dukes and Dutchesses, bishops, deacons, and ministers. People of high caliber trooped in and out to express their condolences. The maids had had to clean harder, serve quicker and yet be as invisible as possible. Aria was drained physically and emotionally, she hadn't had time to go back to the library since the king’s passing. The palace was too full making it more risky for one, but the main reason was that after a day's work, Aria could barely move her limbs. Jasmine and she had to hold each other up when walking back to their rooms now. That was how much work they did every day.

However, It wasn't only the maids that were feeling the strain of the king's death. The young prince was on the verge of breaking down. The Prince was not lazy by any means. He was courageous, and hardworking, and showed nothing but strength and vigour. He had thought he was ready to take over the throne. He had known that his father would die soon. He had known he would have to step up immediately. But even though Lysander had practised for this all his life, even though he had basically ruled the country for the past few months of his father’s illness, Lysander was still overwhelmed.

Lysander was in his Father’s office or rather his office now. Ha sat on the table set aside for tea. He had often had intellectual conversations with his father at this same table or listened in on meetings with council members. His mind wandered off to the morning after his father's death.

The royal family was given a few last moments with their father before the corpse would be taken away. It was a tradition.

Sitting calmly on a stool at the corner of the room Prince Lysander watched his mother sob quietly at the side of the four-poster bed as she held onto her husband's hand. He was the only one who had access to the soft side of her. He was the only one she showed love to. The queen had trained her children as one would train apprentices. She hardly cared for them or showered them with kisses like other mothers did. She corrected and changed and pruned them, preparing them to serve the kingdom. As their father’s sickness worsened, the Queen became colder and colder. But Lysander did not hate his mother, all he had for her though, was respect.

His siblings were huddled together on the other side of the bed. His brother's arm was wrapped firmly around Lillian the last and only girl of the family. She had hurried home from her husband's home in Southern England. Her pretty nose was flushed and her eyes had tears running.

Watching this had made Lysander emotional, tears threatened to drop from his eyes. His father had been closer to him than them all. He had been his advisor, his friend and his supporter. He had shown his children all the love Clementia had withheld. Lysander idolized his father. His father had been a wonderful father but a not-so-great king. He had told Lysander severally that he would be the one to fix his mistakes, He told him he was capable because he was a mix of his mother's wrath and his father's warmth. Leopold was his son’s bestfriend.

“He’s in a better place, free of pain and agony,” Lysander said. He didn't want to keep on thinking, he didn't want to let himself cry.

“Our father wouldn't have wanted us to mou-’ Lysanders voice failed him. It cracked.

He couldn't believe he was speaking in past tense about his dear father.

The queen looked up sharply.

“You dare not weep. You are our king. You shall not show weakness” she said coldly, glaring at him with her bloodshot eyes

Lysander nodded immediately.

“I shall attend to the Affairs and address the country now.” He said rising

She nodded in response, fixing her gaze back on her love.

Since then Lysander had immersed himself in work. He had not let himself acknowledge his father's death. He had not thought too much about it and let his mother handle the burial plans. But even when Lysander had decided to face his reality, he had been interrupted either by a meeting or an official call. He didn't have time to himself, and he felt like he did not know what he was doing. He felt not in control of anything. He was going to be a terrible king. As these thoughts wandered through his mind, he stood up and paced around the office. He stared at his father's portrait. His words kept ringing in his brain.

There was a knock on the door

“Your majesty,” Maximillian said as he opened the door, taking a sight bow

“It’s time, we need to join your family at the burial grounds”

The Prince chuckled,

He hadn't realized it was today.

…

Aria was at the burial. But not as a maid. Madam Mary had insisted she stayed off, it would draw attention to her being the only black maid on the grounds. People would talk. Aria didn't complain. She had time to rest this morning. She had lazied around all day and was very happy because she knew by tonight all the guests would have left and she’d have time to get back to her books.

She couldn't really see the rites clearly from the spot she’d gotten, but she could see the royal family. Prince Lysander looked handsome as always, he was calm and collected, but his eyes betrayed him. She stared at him throughout and watched how he hid his true emotions. For some reason, she could see through them all. As his father was lowered into the grave, Aria watched him flinch and fight within himself. She watched the rest of the family, as they sobbed quietly. He wasn't allowed to.

Aria tried to imagine herself in this situation. She hadn't gone through all this, but she felt her pain was similar.

Aria had lost her father very recently. It was the reason she had taken this job at the palace, the reason she snuck out to read every night.

Aria’s father had taught all his kids to read quite early. He thought it was a useful skill. It was what made her one of the most useful maids at the palace. Most girls Aria’s age could not read. They were more interested in men and gossip and dresses, or at least that was what they were supposed to be interested in. Aria loved to bury herself in books, they were an escape from her current reality. The terror of all the thoughts that would haunt her if she laid in her bed all night trying to fall asleep. So she preferred to read until she was sleepy. She thought back to the Origin of her love for books. She thought of her father the fair Jeromiel. He used to read to her from an early age. All her siblings knew she was his favourite. There was a unique way he treated her. He was strict but yet so soft. But that was all before. That was when Aria’s life was blissful. Things took a downturn when her father left home one day and never returned. At first, it was like a dream to the members of the Bristle family. They knew their father had been working on something significant of late, but he would never leave them for this long, hell! He couldn’t stay a day without coming home. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months. Search parties were sent out, but he was never found. It’d been almost 2 years, and her mother’s health had deteriorated. So Aria and her elder brothers had to work to take care of her younger siblings and her mother. Her brothers were suddenly given spots in the army and she was appointed as a maid in the palace. It was like the universe knew what they were facing and had prepared to help them cope.

So Aria felt pity for the prince, but at the same time, she knew that he was lucky. She had never gotten the chance to truly say goodbye to her father.

….

It was once the coffin was lowered that it really hit him. Lysander flinched, clenching his fists to stop himself from acting rashly. The rest of the burial went like flash a to him. He attended to guests and greeted the nobles unconsciously. He was pale, barely a ghost. Sooner or later it was over. The visitors left, and nobody cared that he had lost his idol. He walked around the empty palace staring into blank space.

The prince's footman stared at him with worry

“Your majesty, shall I call you a doctor,” he asked, the worry in his voice evident.

The Prince shook his head

“You can go to your room now, it’s way past your resting time.

Maximilian attempted to disagree but the stern eyes of the prince advised him otherwise

“Your majesty’ He said, taking his bow and walking away.

Finally alone for the first time since his father's death. The prince felt the weight of it all. He felt his pulse quicken and his heart race. The tears threatened to spill. He needed to let it all out. On a normal day, the prince would’ve gone to the garden where he had his private spot. He had started going there as a child when the weight of his mother's pressure got to him. But it was too far, he needed to find a private place now, where there weren't guards constantly watching him. He suddenly remembered a place that was basically forgotten in this palace. His father's leisure library.

Immediately after the burial, Aria joined the other maids to clean up. She was quite energetic as she had barely done anything throughout that day. She finished her work quickly and of course, went to assist Jasmine who had worked all day. Cleaning up after such a big event wasn't easy, rearranging the halls, putting away chairs, washing dishes. The girls were weak after, but Aria was determined to read tonight. Little did she know that tonight was the beginning of many more secrets to come. Once she had tucked Jasmine in successfully, she took a shower got into her robe and headed straight for the library. She picked up her novel and got so engrossed in it that she didn't notice the door of the Library open.

To be fair, Lysander had opened the door as quietly as possible. He didn't want the guards across the hallway to interrupt him. He was also so weak that he didn't notice the candlelight deep within the library. Safe to say these two were oblivious to one another's presence.

Lysander sat down on the nearest chair and placed his head on the reading table. He let the emotions overwhelm him and he felt the tears rushing out. He ran his hands through his hair trying to soothe himself. Lysander felt ashamed of himself for this show of weakness. He wiped his eyes and let out a loud sigh.

Aria jumped in fear making her candle fall with a bang!

They both froze.

There was silence for the next few seconds.

“Who’s in there?” The prince said in a calm voice

Aria who was trembling at first suddenly felt calm. She had never heard that voice before. But it soothed her. It made her feel like there was nothing to worry about. Like she was safe.

Lysander stood up and switched on the library lights.

Aria winced at the brightness, she had never put them on

Lysander walked slowly to the source of the sound. He didn't know what he was expecting. But it wasn't this. It wasn't her

Aria was shocked at who stood before her. She had thought it’d be a guard. She stood up hurriedly.

“Your majesty,” She said shakily, curtsying

He stared at her intensely. She possessed an ethereal beauty that captured the attention of anyone who crossed her path surely unless they were blind. Her ebony skin glowed under the soft candlelight, contrasting with her expressive eyes that shimmered like dark gems. Her raven curls framed her face with unruly elegance, cascading in waves that whispered secrets of the wind.

Aria was stuttering flimsy excuses trying to explain to the prince what exactly she was doing here. She couldn't look at him, because if she did, then she would freeze. He was too handsome.

She saw him stretch his hand out, to help her up from where she sat behind a shelf. She took it, keeping her head down.

“What is your name?” he said.

“Aria, Aria Bristle, your majesty” She replied quietly, finally matching his gaze

His brown eyes pierced hers and the spark was instant. They both knew.

“Why have I never met you before, why are you here?” His stare was so intense

“I am a maid, your highness. I just wanted to read some books”

“A maid that reads?” he said with a chuckle

Aria frowned slightly

“Is something funny, my king?” She asked gaining a bit of confidence

“Not at all Aria, come come, tell me all about this reading maid. I had no idea we had..” he stopped mid-sentence

“Colored maids?” she said

“No offence, of course” he replied

She smiled at his politeness.

“I am the only one there is”

Aria had never felt so comfortable instantly with someone. She knew she should excuse herself, she knew she should get up and leave, she knew she should have gone straight to bed and hoped he wouldn't tell a soul, she knew she shouldn't have laughed at his jokes, or touched him ever slightly on the arm with each chuckle, she knew she shouldn’t have told him her whole story, she definitely shouldn't have told him about her father, or listened to him talk about his own father, wiping his tears when they fell was a terrible idea, and placing his head on her lap and telling him he would be the best king in the whole of Portishire was the worst thing she could have done. But Aria, who normally was the most realistic and obedient person ever, found herself doing all this and wanting more.

She fell asleep on his shoulder that night. And he just kept staring at her for hours.

He thought of all the possibilities the future held. He knew then that he was going to feel something so strong for her. But at the back of his mind, he could hear the voice telling him that his mother would never allow it, that she would do everything in her power to keep them apart. But even that reality couldn't wasn't going to stop him.

The truth is, even if Aria had left, he would never have stopped chasing her.