A King's Love

Chapter 3- New Reality

Ariana.

Just a few hours ago everything was right, everyone is alive and happy and now my loving father and mother had been murdered. I felt tears running down my cheeks and I hear a loud cry as Maria wraps her hands around me to console me. I realized I was the one crying and I collapse in her arms. Maria takes me to my room and puts me on my bed. I don't know how long it is that I cry myself to sleep. I vaguely remember my grandmother checking in on me. She asks me I want to eat anything? I don't respond to her. I'm numb, I kept thinking how the best day of my life turned into the worst day of my life. 

After five days of that horrible night, I'm standing next to my grandparents at my parent's funeral. A Royal funeral is a huge affair, every one of the father's friends, acquaintances, and allies are here. My father was a very well-loved king, There was a huge crowd in attendance to pay final respects to him. I don't remember most of it, I got through it numbly. 

Maria takes me to my room after the funeral to change and rest. Liam and Lyala showed up after few minutes. They spend most of their time with me in my room trying to engage me in conversation or a play but I don't have any interest. I let them stay with me because having them close by brings me some comfort. 

A month later one morning I woke up when I hear a loud bang as my door open. I see aunt Lilith walking in and Maria behind her with a panicked look on her face. I sit up and look at them confused. My aunt stops at the foot of the bed and says "Ariana, you are moving into another room. This room belongs to the royal heir which is not you anymore." 

I was shocked to react to what she said. Maria says "Your highness, if I may? she is just a little girl who lost her parents, and imposing such a change on her so soon is not advisable". 

Aunt Lilith glares at her "then it's a good thing I did not ask you for advice Maria.". she turns back to me and yells "get up and get moving". I hurry off the bed and go with aunt Lilith to my new room. We keep walking and leave our private quarters and head to the guest wing on a floor that we rarely use. I don't remember being on this floor before. Aunt Lilith stops at the end of the corridor and points to the room "This will be your room from here onwards. Oh, and Maria is no longer your nanny. You don't need one anymore as you are the heir to the throne anymore. You need to follow a new set of rules from here onwards"

I'm still in shock but I hear myself asking "what are they, aunt Lilith?"

"You are not allowed to leave this room without my permission."   

"You are not allowed to attend any of the political studies anymore"

"You are not allowed to play with Liam and Lyala anymore"

"Your meals will be brought to you by the staff and you will have them in your room"

 "You are not allowed to attend any of the functions that happen in the palace"

"If you follow the rules your life will be easy here. otherwise, you are asking for trouble". she says and walks off without even looking at me once. Maria gives me a pitiful look and follows aunt Lilith. 

I'm still in shock at how my life is changed so fast. Aunt Lilith has never talked to that way. She never showed interest in me but she was nice before my parents died. Thinking about my parents brought tears to my eyes. I wiped my tears away and opened the door. 

The room is so small compared to my old room, but it was clean and had a bed in one corner and a table and a chair in the other corner. There is a small bathroom attached and a small closet as well. 

I don't care where I live. I just want my parents back. I crawl into bed and cry myself to sleep. 

My days go by without any event. I miss my parents, I miss my cousins. Maria came by to check up on me few times. She sneaked in few books I could keep up with my studies. She sometimes even brought some sweets because I love them so much and aunt Lilith's order was to never give me any. 

Once I tried to go find my cousins but I was caught and punished and I was locked in my room for a week and I was allowed only one meal per day. I try not to break the rules anymore, when I do the punishments got worse as I got older. I don't know who I'm anymore or who I  will be. 

I guess this is my new reality.