He Found Me

Chapter 1

5 Years Later

E M I L Y

"Who's the cutest baby alive?" I squealed, twirling around while holding up a six-month-old baby, named Stephan. "It's you! You are the cutest baby alive. Oh, yes you are!"

I blew raspberries on his soft tummy, earning myself a series of adorable giggles from him.

I could listen to his giggles forever.

Stephan then watched me with his big, blue eyes.

I could stare at his alluring eyes forever.

Completely smitten by him, I sat down on a bench and placed him on my lap, continuing to entertain him by making funny facial expressions and producing weird sounds. The park was rather deserted, except for a few elderly people, which was expected.

They chose to stay.

"My sister told me that they targeted her village," I heard a hoarse voice say.

I traced the source of the voice: an elderly woman was sitting on a bench behind mine, and she was not alone. 

"They did not find her, yet they still punished the people. Some were looted. Others were imprisoned," she continued.

"My brother-in-law said that they burned everything down. Everything, Laura. Not a single house – not even a single tree! – was left standing," her companion said in a sombre tone. "The whole village was decimated. Many, many were killed."

"How could one be so cruel, Fiona?" Laura said. "Thousands of people are being killed because one stupid girl refuses to reveal herself to the Prince! The Prince has everything – wealth and power. Why did she leave him? Oh, why does their personal matter have to affect all of us in the most horrid of ways?! He is killing everyone in sight in search for her."

"Well, the King's condition is getting worse," Fiona sighed. "Which gives the Prince more authority."

"I heard that he is being pressured by the Council to wed and produce an heir as soon as possible."

"Well, that explains why the terrorisation has gotten a lot worse. They have started to abduct young ladies, regardless of whether they meet her description. The Prince is using every means possible to find her."

"Even if it means harming countless people... Do you regret not leaving?"

There was a pause of silence, during which Fiona took a deep breath in.

"I was born here, Laura," she said. "My parents brought me up here. I fell in love with Richard and got married to him here. Our children and grandchildren were born here. Their safety is all that I care about – and they are safe. With that in mind, I have no unfinished business in this life. Mother, father, and Richard are no longer around, but they are together. If I have to die anywhere, I'd prefer to die here, just like they did – on this very soil that I call home."

My vision blurred as I stared at Stephan, who was trying to stuff his entire fist into his mouth. With a heavy heart, I rubbed traces of tears away from my cheek with my sleeve.

"Shall we go back, Stephan?" I whispered, watching him pull out his drool-covered hand, only to put it back in.

At the sight of his chubby arms, a smile made its way to my face. They literally looked like rolls of fat.

"Let's go," I said.

***

The sound of glass shattering graced my ears the moment I stepped into the house.