𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰'𝓼 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮

Chapter Twenty-Five: Aftermath

.•° ✿ °•.

I took a deep breath in, wincing as pain shot through my stomach. I didn't know where I was, what had happened. Then, as suddenly as the pain had hit me, realization did too. The marriage, the kidnapping, Christain and Jerome, the shooting. It all flooded back into my mind. I slowly opened my eyes to see a dimly illuminated room, the faint light of dusk pouring in from the windows. I was surrounded by green sheets that felt soft to the touch. I let my eyes trail the room, falling on a slumped figure, seated in a chair, drawn close to the bedside. It was the King.

He looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked unusually pale, aside from the red splotches around his eyes. Had he been crying? My heart ached at the sight of him in so much pain. I tried to sit up, gasping as the pain got worse. The sound startled the King awake, and he looked at me, his eyes widened.

"Rosalie!? Oh, thank God." he reached out and grasped my hand.

"What happened? Where's Christain? And Clara, and the Baron?" I asked all at once.

"They found Christain, and had him arrested. He confessed to everything, including the involvement of the Baron, who's being prosecuted, and will likely hang." the King answered, speaking softly.

"And is everyone alright?" I persisted, "No one was injured?"

"No one except you." he paused for a moment, before continuing, "Why did you do that? You could have died."

"I did it because everything was my fault. If only I'd have told you sooner... Maybe none of this would ever have happened."

"Told me what?" a faint smirk curled the corners of his lips only slightly.

"No amount of injury will ever free me from your teasing, will it?" I laughed, a slight blush colouring my cheeks.

"I'm afraid not, my love." he smiled, "What is it you wanted so badly to tell me, that you took a bullet for it?"

"Seriously? Must I say it?" my blush continued to deepen.

"You must."

"I love you." I blurted out, not giving myself time to think.

"I love you too." he said, causing my head to snap up, "You seem surprised?"

"I only thought that... What with my leaving, that you didn't have feelings for me anymore."

"How could I not have feelings for a woman willing to take a bullet for me?" he broke into a smile, and I returned it.

The door creaked open then, revealing Dot and Darwin's curious faces. Upon seeing me awake, they rushed into the room, jumping up on the bed, making me wince. George opened his mouth to tell them off but I stopped him, turning to the kids, who had each grown considerably since I'd gone.

"Hi guys." I smiled warmly at them.

"Rosalie I thought you were dead." Darwin sobbed, clinging on to me for dear life.

"I'm okay. The important thing is that no one else got hurt." I smoothed Darwin's wild hair.

"Dot, Darwin, get off Rose, you'll hurt her." Anne scolded her kids as she too entered the room, regarding me with a warm smile, "I'm so relieved you're alright, I was worried sick."

"Though not so much as Samuel." Fran popped into the room, followed by Anthony, Alice and Trinity, who all smiled, making their way to my bedside.

"Where is Samuel?" I asked.

"Likely still in his room. He hasn't left it since you were shot." Trinity answered.

"By the way..." Anthony began pensively, "Does... Does it hurt much?"