A Royal Ransom

XVII

I carry the weight of you in my heavy heart
And the wind is so icy, I am numb
I carry the weight of you heading back to start
With the thousand eyes on me, I stumble on

-Sirens, Cher Lloyd

♛

"Diana!"

"Five more minutes."

"You don't even have two minutes, get up!"

"Then one more minute," I mumbled.

No reply. Every minute of sleep counted.  I felt my lips curling into a smile at my accomplishment. That was until I heard the sound of metal clanging and my eyes flew open.

"One minute is over."

I looked up to find Edward pulling open the bars. To my cell.

That was when I remembered where I was. Imprisoned. Accused for something I couldn't even begin to imagine doing.

"What time is it?" I groaned as I brought myself to a sitting position. I could feel every bone in my spine crackling as I straightened my posture. Whoever said sleeping on the floor was good for you was probably on something at the time.

"Almost five." Edward told me as he helped me up onto my feet.

"In the afternoon?"

"In the morning."

"What? Why are you here?"

"Your mother has called for your hearing."

I fisted my hands, rubbing at my sleep-filled eyes. The edges of my lids were caked in what I assumed to be dried tears. "Of course she has."

I shivered realizing I was still wearing the dress that Francis had dumped ice all over the day before. The corset must've pushed my ribs together permanently. I reached behind my back, pulling at one of the strings, which released a bit of the tension.

We walked past Ryder's cell, I took the risk of looking at him. He was leaning against one wall, asleep, eyes furrowed. I frowned, his words still echoing somewhere in the back of my mind.

As I lost myself in thoughts about Ryder's words, I didn't notice I was beginning to head up a set of stairs, leading me to fall to my knees. Who did that? Who the hell fell going up stairs?

Me. Of course.

"Watch your step." Edward called from ahead.

"Yeah, thanks for the freaking warning." I scoffed, pushing myself up again.

Edward pulled open the door revealing the banquet hall. I squinted at the sudden exposure to the lights in the hall. I hadn't realized just how dark and cold the cells had been.

"Could I possibly get a change of clothes?" I asked as we headed out of the hall.

"No. We're already late."

I let out a huff of air through my nose. "Fine."

Together the both of us headed to the Great Hall. The hall had been arranged in the form of a court, with the Royal Judge, Harrison Brown, sitting up on the stage, my mother sat on the right side of the hall and a vacant seat, mine, on the left. The rest of my family, including Francis, were all sat on the seats behind my mother.

Oh, so this was like a hearing hearing.

I had no idea how this was going to go down. I only knew a bit of law from a couple shows and movies I'd watched a couple years ago, actually being placed on trial seemed absolutely ridiculous.