Maid In Royalty

♛ 25 ♛

I ran as fast I could. The cold air hitting my face right as I stepped out the large palace doors. As I kept running, my imagination got the best of me. I could see images of my father and me together, happy at last. I had to see him. It was the only option for me. I suddenly remembered Aiden's gloomy grimace.

"I have to go see my father."

Silence. I saw it coming.

I lifted my head up and noticed how Aiden's jaw and fist tensed. He was going to say 'no.' Of course, he would. Why would he let me go after everything was settling in its place?

"Do you need to leave?" He turned his head towards mine, his eyes flickering with anger and regret. I nodded and peered down at our hands that intertwined.

"He needs me-"

"Go." He stood up, knocking my hand away. I scoffed at his gesture and stood upright beside him.

"Aiden, I have no choice. I have nobody in this world, and now I finally get a chance to meet him!" I exclaimed. He let out a puff of laugh and looked to the side.

"You don't have anybody in this world?" He repeated what I said, but with bitterness in his tone. I was about to say something, but my words were cut off by Aiden turning to leave out the door. "Goodbye, Iris."

That sentence rang through my head like a church bell. Over and over again. The visions of my father were replaced by how happy Aiden and I could've been. I closed my eyes as tears moved down. Tears that were neither sad or happy. For whom were they? My father or Aiden?

As soon as I entered the city, it was asleep. The only noise I could hear was me panting. I crouched down with my hands on my knees and my hair all over the place. At least that's what my reflection in the puddle below me revealed. I took in deep breaths to soothe myself.

"You made it."

I lashed up and watched as Fabio took tiny steps towards me as if I was pointing a gun at him. He examined me carefully before lifting the hood of his head.

"Where do we need to go?" I asked as he handed me a backpack packed with food and aid. All of this was taken from the palace.

"We take the midnight train towards the dock and then set sail for the island," he whispered, looking around to see if anyone was nearby. I followed his eyes before catching them.

"Midnight train? And a ship?" A ridiculous tone came out of my mouth. "For God's sake Fabio we have cars and airplanes!" I ran my hands through my hair and looked up at the sky. This was a bad idea.

"We have no choice! Your father demanded that way. And as far as I am concerned, none of us have a visa or a passport."

He had a point.

We walked for an hour or two in the direction of the train station. Apparently, Fabio was friends with the captain that conducted the trains and bargained a free ride by telling him, "This girl right here is the daughter of the King."

And so we stepped on the train steps and walked down the aisle until we found comfortable seats. They were approximately fifty people or so inside the trains. Travelling to their destinations that they were happy and knew about for sure.

I leaned my head against the windowpane and watched the empty train station and its loneliness. Just begging for someone to walk in and make it happy. Chills rand down my spine from the cold glass that touched my temple.

"Don't be sorry Iris."

I didn't bother replying and continued looking outside. I ached to run back into Aiden's arms and tell him I was sorry. To tell everyone I was sorry. I sighed exasperatedly at the thought of leaving Mary with Claire. I closed my eyes as Aiden flashed before them. When I opened them, I noticed him standing outside the window. In that empty, dull station, he made it look so radiant. I perched up and put my palm against the window as he stood there emotionless just gazing at me. My eyes flickered a few times, and he vanished. I sat frozen as tears welled up in my eyes once again.

He was there. Where did he go?

The train started up as the engines made a loud noise. Everyone scurried to their seats, men and women pushing the suitcases up in the shaft. Kids becoming excited and looking out the moving train and then back at their mothers. I got stares from the parents and their children as well. I didn't realize I was crying hysterically and gawking at everyone before Fabio sat next to me and embraced me into the most prolonged hug. I wept into his chest, hiccuping every once and then. Fabio stroked my hair which made me mourn more, reminding me of Aiden. I had to let it all loose. My eyes and throat burned like fire. All I could hear was Fabio whispering me hopeful words and telling me to go to sleep. Somehow that worked, and my eyes started to close by themselves. It wasn't sleeping, it was a blackout.

"Iris! Wake up. We're here!"

I awoke with a grunt as my body shifted to see everyone leaving the train to catch the boats by the docks. This was it. Forgetting was my only option, and I had to do it. Using the balance of my hands, I pushed up my tired body as Fabio wrapped a shawl around me.

"What's this for?" I asked as he enveloped it around my head. My eyes were throbbing from all the crying, and the shaking of my hands concerned me.

"You are sacred to that island. I have to protect you."

I looked down at my feet and made my way out the train and towards the dock. It smelled like the fish market. The lamp lights were, and the conversations of strangers were the only thing giving spirit to the streets. The boat captains were standing outside and greeting the passengers arriving upon them. Fabio and I paced to the last boat in the row, which was a tugboat. I furrowed my eyebrows and compared our boat to the rest of them. Every other vessel was either a yacht or a luxurious ship, but ours was the ugly duckling amongst the swans. I watched as Fabio whispered something to the captain in charge. His name tag read Gerald. He studied me up and down in suspicion, before gesturing us to board the boat.

"Are we safe?" I pulled back Fabio and asked in a low tone. He nodded, but it wasn't a positive one. I swallowed as we stepped into a small cabin. There was a bunk bed that presumably had not been cleaned for a few years. A small mirror was attached to the wall across it. The porthole in front of us displayed the view of the docks and ships arriving or set sailing. Fabio immediately took the top bunk and breathed blissfully as he shut his eyes. I tossed my backpack on the bottom bunk and laid down with a huff.

It was around five a.m., and I could barely even close my eyes because of Fabio's loud snores. I protected my body with the shawl and sat on my bed's edge. I stared at the floor for five minutes before standing up and making my way to the porthole. Unlocking the latches and pulling it open caused the cold air to hit my face. Somehow it was refreshing. The smell of salt water hit my nose, and I exhaled it with everything breath in my body. It had been so long since I was near water, let alone on it. I could see the sun coming up slowly, and birds getting ready to start their day.

I narrowed my eyes and leaned forward to make out a piece of land. Or an island. I swallowed hard at the spectacle of where my father could be. My breathing was quivering, and I attempted to look somewhere else, but all the chirping was gone, and it started to smell like gasoline. I slammed the porthole swing plate shut.

"What - what?!" Fabio awoke to wave his hands in front of him. His bed hair made me smile a little. He stepped down from his side and gazed out towards the island. A smile was creeping on his face, but it was a pleasant one. He looked sad and ready to face another miserable day on the island of -

"Canna," Fabio spoke slowly. He looked back at me, his sorrowful eyes gazing into mine. "The Island of Canna."

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sorry for the short chapter loves :(

AMAZING NEWS: WE ARE #98 IN TEEN FICTION WHATTTT thank u so much i love u all

what do you guys think about the new cover? i made it myself :)

also a disclaimer: the story gets darker from here on out

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