Riding to Vanity Fair

Overthrown

Paul's POV

"My Fairpeople, I love you all. Thank you for giving me this castle and worship that you're showing. Presents and love for everyone!"

"Yay!!"

"You...you're the exception. Rose and I would never come back to you. We've found our place. We don't need reality! Guards, seize her!"

"Paul! No...I'm your Valentine..."

I jerked awake at that awful nightmare I had ever since I pushed Nancy away like a peasant. It's eating me up inside, making me feel like I'm the monster. Nancy...Mary...even Stella, when she returns...they all probably think I'm a newfound dictator. Inside, that's what I feel. I don't want power anymore. I want my family back.

Yet that might not be possible...

My eyes are wide open now at the realization, and it goes downhill from there.

My sights behold me at the broken stained glass window in my room, yhe guards in new uniforms, and the chains tied around me.

Guards crowd around my seemingly helpless body. "Um...hello, guards...were we robbed last night? The glass broke. And what's with the new uniforms? And...why am I in chains?"

The guards laughed right in my face.  "Well, Mr. McCartney, let me tell you something. We worshipped you. But we're worried you might be a dictator like leader. From watching you and your experience with your wife yesterday, I can certainly prove that. No, we were not robbed. Why is it broken? Because we broke it, stupid! We don't want you here anymore! We have new uniforms because we want somebody else to reign!" He gets super close to my ear and growls "And you're in chains because you're gonna get it, you frail old man."

My heart was jumping out of my chest. Excuse me? Are you serious? I've been nice to them, kind, polite, and just because I might have been a bit nasty to Nancy yesterday means that I must be kidnapped and dragged to who knows where and then have something horrendous happen to me? And then to call me a frail old man...you don't know who you're messing with, buddy.

"Rose, help get daddy out of here-"

The guards hysterically laugh at my plea. "Oh, need not worry about your pooch, sir..." they smirk, revealing Rose in a giant cage, her paws scratching against the sides, begging for release. Her poor, defenseless puppy eyes were soul crushing.

"Oh don't worry, Mr. McCartney, you'll be with her in the punishment hall. She'll get her part of it too."

Hearing that when being dropped into a wagon with Rose's cage right next to me is like ripping my heart into millions of pieces. I wanted to reach out and touch her paw, and I could tell she craved that touch, but alas, I could not escape.

"Get comfortable, you might be in there a while, you two. It takes a while to get to the punishment hall...and it's also hard to find, dumb location."

I sighed and just decided to take his advice. I laid down towards Rose, both of us stuck in our own prisons, and somehow, I managed to fall back asleep.

Somebody save me...I want my old life back...