The King's Daughter

45 The Sentence

I felt like I was in a dream, the entire journey to the palace. It didn't feel real. I found myself in a moving vehicle with black cars in front and behind us. Louis was in one of them. Even when the captain tried to ask me questions, I couldn't find the words to respond. I was simply too terrified about what was going to happen to Louis.

It seemed like years had passed since I had last passed through the fortified gates of my home. The procession of vehicles stopped at the front steps of the palace and my door was opened by someone. A hand reached out to help me out. Shakily, I stepped down onto the cobblestone ground and looked up to see familiar faces rushing down the grand steps toward me.

My father, brother, and sister.

Where was my mom? Oh...right.

At the sight of my family, whom I hadn't seen in nearly a year, I momentarily snapped out of my trance. I rushed forward and flung my arms around my siblings who reached me first.

"Aria! I missed you so much, I'm so glad you're alright!" Flora exclaimed, squeezing me tightly.

Finn rubbed my back. "It's been horrible without you. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. I missed you." I teared up, pulling back to look at them.

"I was beginning to think I'd have to be king, but now I don't have to." Finn said, relieved.

"I told you Finn, I would gladly take the crown for you." Flora said seriously.

"And I told you that you'd suck at ruling." Finn replied.

My father walked up just then and my siblings parted to make room for him. My first look at him made me pause in concern. He held a cane in his right hand and he seemed to have aged twenty years since the last time I saw him. His hair was snow white, a thick beard hiding his joyous grin. He was hunched over, wobbling toward me. Mother was right, he wasn't well at all.

He looked at me with such love and relief. I rushed into his arms as he held them open for me and my heart hurt at the sound of his soft sobs against my shoulder. His frail body shook uncontrollably.

"My sweet Aria. You're alive." He cried.

"I'm alive. I'm okay, father. Don't be sad." I whispered, hugging him tightly.

That was when I noticed cheering coming from the gates. I pulled back to see the closed gates and saw a crowd gathered behind them waving and cheering at me. The people of Verdelle were ecstatic about my return. I waved to them. I frowned when the excited cheers suddenly morphed into angry shouts and jeers.

I glanced over at one of the other vehicles and saw Louis being pulled away and up the palace steps still restrained by chains. He didn't turn his head and I swiftly moved in his direction.

"Where are you going?" Flora asked.

A few guards hurried to block my way. "Highness you must not get too close."

"But..." I looked after Louis anxiously, not knowing what to do or how to help him.

There was nothing I could do right now. My hands were tied. I didn't want to push my way to Louis and make the entire kingdom freak out by announcing that I cared about the criminal they'd feared for years.

"Aria, darling. Let's go inside so we can talk." The king said, his free hand not letting go of me.

The four of us entered the palace and I had nearly forgotten how grand it was. It was expansive and exquisitely beautiful. It was only then that I realized how much I missed it. Home hadn't exactly been on my mind lately. Typically Louis was the only thing filling my mind.