Must I Be Your Bride? - Chapter Fourteen

William's Point of View

I stare at her, watching her take calm breaths, her hand slowly losing her grip with mine. It looked like Serene was only going into a slumber, so, despite the hypodermic needle I was carefully pulling out of her arm, I made myself believe that. I placed the needle on my nightstand and then my hand slowly found its way to her face, caressing her nose, her flustered cheeks, her temples, her mouth...

She gave me no choice. After the episode that happened out there, I only had a short moment to think it through. Of course, plan B was always developing in my mind, but I hoped it would never get to this point.

So I played along, I pretended to give in, though, I will admit, I almost couldn't get out of the script. I craved for this to end right, for her to stay with me, but I know she won't be happy here. Being selfish was something I would never be with her. Serene had a right to live a normal, horror-free life.

Now, the sovereign will be expecting her, and I have to rush into things. I need to sneak her out of here without Matthew noticing. Once she's gone, out of sight, then she'll be safe.

I let out a shaky breath, trying not to think of the next moments that will bring separation between us, forever. That thought was painful; so painful, I'd rather have a stake go through my heart. Strong? No, my heart was as weak as an infant right now, not prepared for any fight.

As if they were called, the maids rushed in, and I was forced to part from Serene and turn my back to her as they quickly threw the ivory gown aside to slip on the normal clothes she wore that first night I met her, all washed. They were cleaning her up completely; making her look like our kingdom never changed her.

When she came out as a bride, so willingly prepared to marry me, I don't know how I maintained myself. All I could think about, other than her, was how I was going to respond to the maids - they obviously helped Serene with the idea -, three of the few people I've trusted to understand my plan. If it was as easy as Serene made it seem to be, we could have married right then and there. But it's not easy. It never will be.

Once she was fully dress, Rose, the maid who did most of the talking, gave me a sympathetic smile before opening my bedroom door. George and Demitri walked in, none of them knowing what to say. So instead, George clasped his hand onto my shoulder, and we waited in silence.

"She could have just stayed in the village with us, William," George says when Serene is almost completely ready.

"Could have," I repeated his words. "Now with the sovereign involved..." I trailed off, not wanting to think about it. It's happened before. Twice in history has a prince taken his wanted human bride to the sovereign, to plead for the bride to stay a human. The human bride was never heard of again, and the princes were hardly ever seen leaving the castle. I didn't want to become like that; I didn't want Serene to merely never be heard of again.

"Are you sure?" Demitri says, for once, not being able to make a stiff moment like this lighten up with his optimistic ways.

"Do I have a choice?" I snap, my eyes shutting for a moment.

"She's ready, Your Highness", Rose says, handing me the golden chain that Serene had never taken off, the ruby dangling from it. This only numbs me, pulling me toward the resistance of this moment, but I regain my strength; remind myself this is for her protection.

Demitri takes hold of Serene's hands, and I watch as he quickly heals her burns, making sure she was in the healthiest quality she was ever in, and then he backs away, taking his stand beside George near the door.

Placing the necklace in my pocket, I walk over to my nightstand and open the drawer. In a narrow glass container, with a golden thread outlining the top, is the now dried rose I gave her the first time we really kissed, in that garden. She had left it in my living room, and knowing what I was falling into, I made a vow to keep it, to give it to her when the time came. Now was the time.

After handing the box to my brother, I lift Serene's fragile body in my arms, afraid that I might somehow break it.

"Where's Matthew," I ask Demitri.

"John is keeping him busy, along with a few generous people from the village. They're at the platform."

Good, we only needed to rush toward the back of the castle and hopefully make it to the vehicle waiting just before the back bridge. Without a thought, I start to hastily make my way through the halls, everything as familiar as the sky after living here for the two-hundred years of my life. Yet, all I wanted to remember was every distinctive detail of Serene's face; of each one of her hair; of her hands that always clutched onto me when she was trying to hide how horrified she was; her lips that, even though they resisted me at first, learned how to crave for me as much as mine did for her.

After several minutes of walking through the long corridors, we finally made it to the back doors. As we stepped outside, and made our way through the narrow dirt road surrounded by large oak trees, I knew Serene would have loved it here, just as she loved the garden, and immediately regretted not ever bringing her this way.

We arrived at the bridge that was a whole lot shorter than the one that led to the village. This one was only built so people and cars could cross the undertow of a narrow stream. Right before this bridge was George's vehicle, something he hasn't used since the last time he left our kingdom to get Nancy, because he simply couldn't live without her. I only wish it was as simple as that for a prince, as it was for a guard.

I couldn't help taking my time as I neared the dark Toyota Camry, taking every last detail I could of Serene, knowing this would be the last time I would see her in this lifetime. Thinking that, makes me only grip her tighter in my arms.

I caught a glimpse of Nancy's shadow through the passenger window and George opened the back seat door. But I can't; I can't let go of her; I don't want to. This motionless figure in my arms has awakened me from a dream where my life only surrounded at the thought of being king, and I was afraid that once I let her go, I would go back into that oblivious nightmare. Now, something else in my life was higher than that standard. I wasn't ready to let it go.

I feel grips on each of my shoulders, and I know I don't have to look to see the owners of those hands will belong to my brother and George. I'm doing this for Serene, I tell myself. This is for her well-being.

"Nobody knows this little Rose."
It might a pilgrim be."

I whisper, at first unaware, as I carefully place Serene on the blankets that had been neatly set in the back seats.

"Did I not take it from the ways."

"And lift it up to thee," Demitri hands me the glass container, the rose as stiff as I felt, and placed it on the floor beside her.

"Only a Bee will miss it
Only a Butterfly,
Hastening from far journey
On its breast to lie."

I lean in and place my lips on her resting ones, and in the end, only feel her breath on my skin.

"Only a Bird will wonder
Only a Breeze will sigh
Ah Little Rose - how easy
For such as thee to die."

I didn't think this poem related to her, because I was so sure more than only a bird, a breeze, and a bee will miss her. I will miss her, my family will miss her, the maids will miss her, my friends will miss her, the trees, the flowers, the sun, the rain; everything here will miss her.

Holding in my rage, being the prince I was taught to be, I placed one more kiss on her forehead and forced myself away from her; to look away from her, the last picture of her gluing into my mind.

"When you arrive, hide the rose; hide it good. I want her to wake up thinking this was all a dream, and by the time she sees the flower, she'll probably be used to reality by then, and make up some explanation," I say to George. I hated how I couldn't keep my voice straight long enough; how hard it was to compose myself. He slowly nodded, gave me another sympathetic pat on the shoulder, and started to make his way to the driver's seat.

"I'll be right behind you as soon as William and Matthew leave", Demitri says to him.

I asked him to check up on her, to make sure no one followed, to make sure that, if guards were sent to search for her, wouldn't find her. The only ones who knew about her home's destination were the people here right now, surrounding me - George, Nancy, Demitri, and I.

Demitri had to close the back car door for me, because for some reason, my fists forgot how to work. The car engine turned on, my brother's hand tightened on my shoulder, and the car started to run. All I could do to not make myself run after them, to stop them and lie about finding another better alternative, was remind myself that, if Serene stayed, and she gave in to the sovereign - not having much of a choice -, it wouldn't match up to the pain I feel right now, watching her recede with the day, knowing that, unlike the sun, she wouldn't be back in the morning; she wouldn't be back at all.
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If you guys didn't get it William sort of sedated her. This is where I'm stuck. I've written the next chapter two ways, I'm just not sure which one to choose. Hope you enjoyed :)