Fall for Me

eight

~ l e o r a

IT WAS ONLY a week until the Ashton's birthday ceremony, and the days were growing longer and more tedious. The other princesses always had something to do and Mason hadn't appeared at all since the party. The prince was always busy organizing the ceremony and dealing with the country's affairs, so I rarely saw him. I had been in the palace for less than just a couple of days and I was already bored out of my mind.

I kept thinking back to the night of the party when Ashton had claimed me as a friend. Any girl would be dying to be anywhere as close as just an inch from him, but somehow, the thought of being a crown prince's companion was somewhat unnerving. Would he treat me differently than he treated others, or would I just be the same as any other person in the palace? This made me remember how I spoke to Rylan back in Rheane and it was painful recalling the way he stormed off after he had called me selfish. I promised to myself that I wouldn't let the same thing happen to me and Ashton.

I was currently holding a book in my hands and staring out the window dazedly. The princesses and the duke and duchess, who had arrived only a few hours after us to attend the party, were either conversing together or sewing under the blazing sun. The duke was a man of steady built and nearing the age of forty. His wife was much younger than he was, with caramel-blonde curls piled atop her head. She always wore gowns of extravagant taste and design, which were like waterfalls cascading from her small waist. I always wondered how she managed to get around so gracefully with the weight of her skirts and hair dragging her down.

All of a sudden, the doors to the lounge flew open and nearly chipped off bits of the wall behind it had it not been for the guards on the outside who caught it. Three girls emerged from the hallway and strolled carelessly into the room. The one carrying the little girl dressed in a frilly purple dress looked the oldest, her sternly set jaw and straight back making her seem undeniably important and mature. The girl to her left had a look of pure excitement written across her face. She was bouncing up and down on her feet.

"Oh, my goodness, you have to be Princess Leora!" The young girl raced over, grabbing my hand in hers. She was around thirteen, if not younger.

"Calm down, Paradise. You will scare her," the oldest of them said harshly. Her voice was silvery and like velvet- smooth and fragile.

"Oh Lord, you're right! I am terribly sorry if I have alarmed you in any way! I never meant it," the girl, Paradise, apologized swiftly, setting my hand back down into my lap.

"It's alright," I replied slowly, shutting the book I clutched and placing it in the bookshelf I retrieved it from. I inclined my head so that I faced the young woman carrying the child. "Can I help you with something?"

"We heard you were in the lounge, so we came to see you! Our brother hasn't stopped telling us about you! It's so romantic." Paradise pretended to swoon. 

That's when I saw the resemblance between the three girls and the prince. They all held the same dark hair and sharp features, but the girls' eyes were mix of blue and green, with a sparkling ring of gold around the pupils, whereas the prince's were a charming silver.

"You are Ashton's sisters?" I couldn't stop myself from calling him by his real name. It had stuck ever since he had told me he wanted me to call him that. As if noticing, all three of them raised their eyebrows.

"More or less," Paradise shrugged. My eyes enlarged and I moved to stand and curtsey, but the oldest girl told me not to bother. I shuffled to the side to leave some space for them to sit and they sank themselves down onto the sofa.

"I'm Euphoria. This is Paradise and Aekalliara, but everyone just calls her Kalli," the young woman introduced, waving a hand at the other two girls who were giggling with each other. "We apologize for not introducing ourselves to you at the welcome party. It was rude of us not to." I suddenly recalled seeing one of their faces in the crowd once Ashton had invited me back inside for some more dancing.

"Please do not apologize to me, and it is not rude at all. After all, I should have been the one to introduce myself first. It would be terribly wrong to blame you," I shook my head. Euphoria, to my surprise, smiled. "So, did Ashton tell you to come here?" Paradise and Aekalliara both stopped what they were doing when they heard their brother's name.

"Oh, no! Not in a million years! Taking orders from our brother is one of the last things we would do, isn't that right, Kalli?" Paradise cooed, poking one of Aekalliara's round cheeks. The little girl squealed.

"We have already visited the other princesses down in the garden and you were not among them, so we had to search the entire palace before the guards outside told us you were in here," Euphoria explained, sighing.

"Useless, am I right?" Paradise groaned, glaring at the closed doors with Aekalliara fiddling with one of the ribbons on her gown.

"Paradise! Watch your mouth!" Euphoria scolded, taking Aekalliara into her own arms. The little girl yelped. "It did not take as long as we expected to find you. It was quite a refreshing walk around the castle after all that work if I may say so myself."

"Oh! I am so sorry I caused you use much trouble. You did not need to search the entire castle for me! If you had just summoned me into your rooms, it would have been much much easier." My eyes widened once more.

"No worries. Like Euphoria said, it was fun!" Paradise threw her arms up and sprawled herself across the sofa, her body taking up almost half of the space around her. Euphoria jogged her elbow and the girl swiftly shot back up without a complaint.

"I never said it was fun." The eldest princess narrowed her eyes at her sister. Paradise scowled back.

Suddenly, a scream pierced through the silence and I jumped, petrified. The others looked just as startled as I was. I peered through the window and the blood drained from my face. The duke laid unmoving on the grass, his head c****d sideways, his arms twisted in an awkward angle. A dark red patch stained the white shirt of his suit and a long arrow protruded from his chest, blood pooling from the wound it made. My breath hitched inside of my throat. I felt the other girls lean over my shoulder to try and see what the matter was.

"T-That's the duke," Euphoria paled beside me, her hands pressed against the eyes of Paradise and Aekalliara. I nodded, unable to find the words.

"What's going on?" Paradise whined, her voice ringing out in the silent room. Aekalliara was grappling at Euphoria's fingers. 

"Keep quiet, Paradise, and listen to me." Paradise immediately stopped protesting. "Take Aekalliara with you and find somewhere safe to hide. Whatever you do, do not stay too close to the window."

Wordlessly, Paradise obeyed, clutching her younger sister's hand and guiding her past the bookshelves, taking care to avoid nearing the windows. I looked out through the glass once again. The duchess and the princesses were all crawling toward the duke, trembling at what they saw. Guards were bustling from the palace, but the none of the members of the royal family were with them.

"Leora, wait right here and take care of my sisters. I'm going to go warn my father and mother about the Freedom Warriors, and hopefully my brother is with them." Euphoria ordered, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"But will it not be dangerous?" I asked, panicking. 

"I will be fine. There are guards everywhere. If I need help, they will come. For the meantime, just stay here and wait until I get back." Euphoria answered hurriedly

"But what if something does happen to you?" I glanced warily around us, foolishly searching for any signs of intruders. 

"I will be fine." Euphoria said calmly. I opened my mouth, but she shot me a challenging look, warning me not to argue with her before sprinting through the doors and disappearing within a heartbeat.

Sighing, I crouched down and shifted gradually over to the area where Paradise and Aekalliara had vanished to. At this moment, my gown was suffocating, the bodice crushing against my lungs tightly, caging me in. The skirts dragged along the floor as I crept cautiously behind all the furniture. The back of the room was dark and engulfed in shadows, but I could easily make out the outline of the frame of a portrait. I scrambled to my feet, edging closer to it. 

The frame was occupied by the portrait of a young maiden with skin as pale as frost, and eyes as cold as ice. Her blonde hair was pulled back, revealing the details of her face. Her lips were pulled inward slightly, pressed in a thin line. She held a goblet in her hand, but the contents were spilling from it. Red wine poured over the brim, coursing from the cup and staining the skirts of her dress. My brows furrowed. Reaching out a finger, my skin brushed along the portrait and a gasp escaped my lips.

It was damp. 

Pulling my finger away, I jumped back, my chest heaving up and down. The only explanation for the dampness of the portrait was that there was an open area behind it which could allow rain to seep through. 

Was this where Paradise and Aekalliara had went?

Hitching up the skirts of my gown, I pried the frame open. It swung to the side and I was met by a rush of unbearably cold air. I had chosen to wear a sleeveless gown today, which I had just realized turned out to be a bad idea. Unsurprisingly, the hallway behind the portrait was damp, and reeked of a stench that sent chills running down my spine. I gagged.

Slowly, I stepped inside, careful not to trample on my skirt and trip. The gentle, distant sound of trickling water could be heard, penetrating through the unendurable silence which rang in my ears. My footsteps resounded throughout the hall, making me halt in my steps as I waited for the sound to stop. My breath was ragged and harsh, coming out in puffs before my face. I rubbed my hands along my arms, struggling to keep myself warm. My eyes wandered about, taking in the structure and build of it all. Statues of knights gripping the hilts of swords lined the walls, pointing in a direction which was none other than forward. 

This was most likely to be the place where the royal family would hide during attacks by what Euphoria had called Freedom Warriors. I had heard about these kinds of attacks which had been going on for years and years and my brother had died trying to protect my family and me. I hadn't known their name until now.

The Freedom Warriors.

A passage appeared to the left and I turned sharply. The backing of another portrait came into view. The side of it had been curled, as if someone had tried to force it open. I squinted through the gap. Ashton and the king stood facing each other, but there was no sign of Euphoria. Judging by the size of the castle, it probably would take her quite a while to find her parents and brother.

"-force them to." Ashton's voice filtered through the gap. I held my breath.

"You don't have a choice, Ashton. It is your duty to do so." The kings was enraged, his face red with anger. 

"But I can't do this to them. They don't deserve it," Ashton countered, raising his chin defiantly.

"You need a wife sooner or later. Why not do it now when you have the chance? It is a precious offer you must take into consideration." The king looked as if he were about to explode.

I remembered that one of the princesses had told me the prince was to choose a wife soon. He had other intentions other than inviting us to celebrate his birthday. Although he was still arguing with his father about it, he still agreed to us coming to Aecho. It had been a trap all along. I suddenly felt disgusted toward the prince. How could he have done such a thing?

Ashton opened his mouth to argue, but I didn't give him a chance. Without a second thought, I charged into the ballroom from where I stood behind the portrait, interrupting them. Ashton whipped his head in my direction and his brows knitted together in puzzlement. The king sent me a death glare.

"How did you get in here? What were you doing behind that portrait?" The king bellowed. I shrank back and caught a glimpse of Ashton gazing at me in bewilderment before speaking quietly.

"Your Majesty, the Freedom Warriors have attacked. The duke has been hit by one of them. " Ashton and the king exchanged a look.

"I asked you a question. What were you doing behind that portrait?" The king leaned toward me, his eyes reduced to mere slits. "And do not think that I would let you off so easily just because you were born into royalty, Princess."

"Father, she only came to warn us. She meant us no harm." Ashton stepped in. The king flared his nostrils.

"She could even be one of the attackers, if we are not careful, Ashton!" The king warned his son.

"Father!" Ashton cried, seething. The king turned his head away.

"I'll go and fetch your mother. Take this wretched girl with you and go find your sisters," the king commanded, rushing out the ballroom. I winced at his hurtful words.

"Are you alright? Have you been hurt?" Ashton hastened over to me, grasping my shoulders in his hands. I spun away from him, unable to face him.

"I'm fine. Let's just go find your sisters." I edged out of the ballroom door and ran the way from to the lounge in my head. My strides were quick, but the prince caught up with me with ease. My heels clicked against the floor noisily. Ashton was silent the whole way and I was glad. I didn't really want to speak to him.

When we reached the lounge, guards were swarming from all over the place. The body of the duke was sprawled across the sofa and a team of specialists surrounded him, trying to suppress the blood from pouring from the wound. The duke had not yet passed. He was groaning in pain and the duchess was whimpering behind the guards who prevented her from nearing him.

Guards were stationed on either side of the door, their rifles raised just in case the attackers decided to show up. In the corner, Euphoria and her sisters were being watched by a dozen guards who were ready to lay down their lives for the royal family. When the girls spotted us, they waved.

"Ashton! I'm so glad you are alright! I was unable to find you and I was so worried!" Euphoria scurried over to us and embraced her brother before balancing on the tips of her shoes and looking over his shoulder at the door. "Where are mother and father?"

As if answering her question, the king and queen entered through the doors, the queen's face etched with a look of pure distress and fright. She hurled herself at her children and I could hear Paradise and Aekalliara's quiet whimpering. The room was chaotic.

"Leora, are you alright?" A soft voice questioned. I turned to face whoever had spoken, recognizing her immediately. She was the second oldest of the Rheane royal family, and the one who I had gotten the closest to in the past few days.

"I'm fine, Brielle, thank you," I assured her, trying to keep my voice steady. "How is everyone?"

"Everyone else is completely unharmed." Brielle twisted her body around to look at the duke. She grimaced at the bloody sight.

"Did you see who did this to the duke?" I wrapped an arm around Brielle as she shook her head, a sob escaping her lips. 

Whoever those Freedom Warriors were, they were not people to be meddled with. If they could commit such a thing as to harming the duke without being detected, they were even more dangerous than I had thought to be possible.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" I patted her gently on the shoulder, comforting her. She nodded.

"We were just relaxing in the garden when out of nowhere, an arrow flew past and hit the duke in the chest. We started to panic, and the guards all came rushing out. The duchess was crying so much, and...and I-I just don't know! Everything went by so fast!" She shuddered and I gave her a hug. Even though she wasn't my real sister, she still needed my comfort and re-assurance. "I'm so scared, Leora."

"Don't be. Everything will be fine. Everything is under control. You don't need to worry about a thing." I calmed her, stroking her hair and back.

Everything will be fine...

But I wasn't so sure anymore.

~*~

~ a s h t o n

April 20th, 2020, 10:21 pm

My dearest Leora,

I have to apologize for what happened today. I know it was terrifying, but you, my dear, were the strongest of all the people in the room. I could only stand and watch you as you comforted your sisters and the duchess. Thankfully, the duke made it, and thankfully, you warned my father and I in time.

These kind of attacks from the Freedom Warriors have been happening for decades, and it has been almost impossible for us to stop them. They are vicious and beast-like.

Before you had come to warn us of the attack, my father spoke to me about how I need to choose a wife soon. Your father offered you and your sisters to me in exchange for an army to be sent to Rheane to protect the innocent citizens in the villages which are being attacked by the violent Freedom Warriors. I do not agree with keeping all five of you here and forcing you to become my bride. It is wrong, but as the prince of Aecho, I can do nothing but obey the king, who is also my father. 

I am sorry, Leora.

Yours truly,

Ashton