The Selection - Aarmau

Chapter Twenty Two

"I cannot believe you, you are acting like a child. Invite at the very least Ms. Santos back, so we can announce something!" Derek says, frustrated with his son. He bashes his fists against the wooden table.

"Father, I'm sorry. I just," he clears his throat. "I'm not over everything."

"It's that girl, isn't it?"

"What?"

"That dumb girl from Calgary. It's her, isn't it? What has gotten into you? I worked out that problem for you, now you're home free to propose to Michi and make the entire country happy."

"They wouldn't be happy if I were with her."

"And why not?" Derek snaps right back.

"Because they don't like her, father. They don't. She's a spoiled rich girl who has no empathy for anyone."

"Your mother was not a spoiled rich girl, and she had empathy for days, and she lived a miserable life where she died, alone sick in her bed."

"Because you didn't love her." he muttered under his breath. His father whipped around quickly.

"What did you just say to me?"

"You didn't love Mom. It's true. She made things easy because Illea loved her, but you can't lie and tell me you ever did. Why do you want me in a loveless marriage?"

"Because you need to be strong, Aaron. You don't have time for romance, you're supposed to be the king."

Aaron huffed, walking out of the study, the door slamming behind him.

It was frustrating, to him. That mentality. That if you loved, you'd be weak. It was wrong, he knew it was wrong.

If loving made you weak, then he wouldn't have even remotely thought of taking the leap of faith and leaving behind the royal life for Aphmau.

If loving had made him weak, he wouldn't be standing up to his father.

But then again, maybe love did make you weak. In some ways. With Aphmau, he turned to mush, he was vulnerable and he didn't care if he was. He didn't have up any walls, and perhaps that was what he meant by loving making you weak.

He went to his room, and sat on the side of his bed, putting his head in his hands. The box with the ring sat on his desk, across the room, along with the necklace he'd gotten Aphmau for Christmas.

He wondered where in the palace Melissa was right now. She'd been back for the funeral, and remained for a bit longer. Perhaps she was in the library.

He fell back onto the bed with a sigh.

It was silent. Dead quiet, for a moment, until he heard the sound of something shattering outside the hall. One of the palace guards then burst into his room.

"Your Majesty, the palace is under attack, we have to go."

...

Aaron sat in silence for hours. He was used to silence around the palace, but this type of silence was different.

He was in the royal safe room, alone, completely isolated. He had no idea where his father was, and the soundproof room made it impossible to know what was going on outside.

The only reassurances he had right now were the fact that Aphmau wasn't here, and therefore she was safe, and he prayed that Melissa was too. Wherever she may be.

He'd been in here with his family before. The most notable instance, he was 6.

Melissa sat in the corner and cried in fear, and his mother held onto her tightly, and him. His father stood by the door, checking the time as if this was ruining his day solely because it was an inconvenience.