Chapter 47: Honesty Is The Best Policy

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Marry him. Marry Forrest. Become a future princess then the future queen? With recent events I didn't really think about what direction my life was headed in. I never even thought about marriage. I like to consider myself as someone who always thinks ahead so I wouldn't be speechless in moments like these. This was all I ever wanted, wasn't it? To get my golden ticket out of my miserable life? I think what I failed to recognize as I made my plan to manipulate the princes in the beginning is that I wasn't escaping a cage to be free. I was escaping a cage just to fly into another one. That was before I actually fell in love with a man who claims I own his everything. But it goes both ways. The feeling I had of losing him forever was an unbearable pain. I even had a new found respect for Elise, who lost Michael and still continued on with her life. I wouldn't be able to.

So marriage actually wasn't that difficult of a concept. I could either live without him and go back home. Not feel threatened every time I walk out a door. Or, I could stay with him and try to fix the mess all of Illéa is in. If I do that, I would become a ruler of Illéa. Me. A girl who dreamt of not a knight in shining armor to come and rescue her, but dreamt of her parents walking through the front door of her foster home and reclaiming what they had left behind.

I got my knight in shining armor anyway, even though I hadn't wished for one. And he had issues that were going to be hard to deal with at times, but I would do it anyway because I loved him. I would love him anyway because he saved me from myself. I was drowning in a pool of self loathing and despair and he was the only one who bothered to reach down and grab my hand to save me. Forrest Schreave had stolen everything from me, but that wasn't a bad thing in my opinion.

"Lila, if you don't say something soon-"

"Of course I'll marry you." I say, tears pooling in my eyes. "How could I not? What kind of question is that?"

Forrest grins like he just won some big prize. He walks over to me on his knees to my side of the blanket and hovers over me until my back is pressed against the blanket.

"Lila Schreave." Forrest studies me like he will never see me again. "Has a nice ring to it," He leans down and when I think he's about to kiss me, he takes my hand in his. He pulls something out of his pocket before I realize it's a small black box. He pops it open with one hand and presents to me a beautiful diamond ring. "It was my grandmother's ring. She told my grandfather to give it to me if something ever happened, because she thought that if someone like me can fall in love the world isn't completely hopeless."

I laugh softly. "That sounds like a backhanded compliment to me."

"Oh, it totally was." Forrest smirks. "But I was a pretty obnoxious teenager with absolutely no morals. You can't really blame her."

"No, I guess I can't. You are pretty obnoxious."

Forrest laughs as he kisses the corners of my mouth. "Ready for a round two?"

****

I sit in a chair right beside Elise's bed. Her body looked so frail and delicate hooked up to all those wires and tubes. Her breathing was steady as I studied her red hair. The horrible feeling of guilt was too much to take so I grip the arms of the chair tightly. She was like this because of me.

"They told me that you could hear when I talk, that sometimes you listen. I know you probably hate me- hell, I would hate me too. But I want you to know that Romeo is alive and well. You saved him. Taylor may have thrown the shoe that stopped it from happening but she wouldn't be there in the first place if it wasn't for you. I just want you to know that I am sorry. I am so terribly sorry. And I promise you that when you wake up I will clean up your world for you. Right now, a war is breaking out between Germany and Illéa. You're probably safer here than you are out there." I take a deep breath and reach over to take her cold hand in mine.

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