Regal [h.s au]

35. Protect him

AMELIA

The warmth of the sun above me does little to melt the ice running through my veins, my heart pounding in a steady rhythm, every beat being almost physically painful as it breaks a little more with each passing second. She looked beautiful in her white dress, her dark hair styled to perfection with a glistening silver tiara resting on her head. Her smile was brighter than the shining sun as they went to greet the gathered mass of people in front of the palace walls from the lavish balcony.

It's been an hour or two since the ceremony and I should have left by now, but I didn't have it in me to do so just yet. I had to give my own silent goodbye to one important part of my life and offer my aching heart a chance to adapt to the harsh reality that my prince doesn't belong to me anymore. All I now have left are memories of him, memories of the time he had been truly mine. It hurts to know that was mere days ago and now another shall share a bed with him, listen to his troubles, bask in the sight of his smiles and support him on his journey of becoming King.

I selfishly hope I have left a mark or two on his skin for her to see when he is forced to bare his body in front of her. A strong slash of pain slices through me at the thought, my fingernails digging into the crevices of my palms as I tightly clench my fists, barely stopping myself from marching in there and putting an end to this entire thing.

A hand on my shoulder pulls me from my daze, my anger clouding my head and caging me away from the world, making me momentarily forget about my plans. Zayn's honey eyes meet mine and I see compassion swirling in them, and in that moment I realise how broken I must look if I have managed to bring out his usually carefully concealed emotions to light.

"We should go," Zayn quietly says. "Lilly and Silas are waiting for us in the woods."

My lips part as a heavy puff of air leaves my mouth, the weight in my chest magnifying and spreading to my throat, making it hard for me to breathe suddenly. My eyes fix on the beautiful grand palace standing tall in the distance as I slowly take a small step back. Keeping my emotions locked away proves to be harder than I thought when I feel a slight prickling sensation in the corners of my eyes, alerting me of the salty liquid that will soon gather to slide down my cheeks.

I allow myself to have these final moments of grief until I completely close that chapter of my life and prepare myself to move on. I am aware this is for the greater good, for preserving one entire kingdom and all the people living in it. It's a grand sacrifice and act of true selflessness on Harry's part and I shall make sure to let as many people know about it as I can. Everyone should know they are going to have one of the greatest kings leading them one day, someone who is never going to put his needs before the needs of his people, someone who always sees the light in the times of darkness.

Twigs crunch beneath Midnight's hooves as we move steadily over the forest ground, the whisper of Zayn's horse heard behind me. The reins are clutched between my fingers, the blanched colour of my knuckles prominent from the tightness of my grip. The edge of the tree line is visible now and once I reach it, there is a slim chance I will ever get back into these woods again.

I must do everything I can to protect my family from the harshness of the war that is about to break out and their only condition is for me to leave with them no matter how much I want to stay. I wouldn't be of much use here anyway, Harry doesn't need me, he has his army and now the Roseburne's army as well, which puts my heart to ease.

The sight of Silas' distressed expression greets me as he hastily moves towards us, my sister waving frantically behind him, trying to signal us something. Immediate rush of panic flashes through me as I flick the reins to quicken Midnight's pace, seeing Zayn speed past me before he jumps off his horse. Silas grasps Zayn's shoulders as they almost collide, ragged breaths leaving his mouth, chest heaving heavily.