4 Princes

XXXII

Adam
Ariel was a bigger burden than I thought. What was I expecting? To just raise a little Royal. In this day and age, it was practically impossible. But knowing Belle was going to be there made the situation not even half as bad.

It almost seemed sweet. I had always wanted kids, I had really honestly always been excited to find a wife. I had the blessing my siblings did not, a retirement. My siblings stopped fighting when they died, that was their duty to this kingdom. Once King, I would no longer have to be on the fields. I would be focused more on foreign affairs, money, the people. I would be focused on my wife and raising children, training them.

Granted, I thought children would come later. I thought finding a wife would be later. I thought being king was still going to be a while. Things moved too fast, they had been for the past couple months. The war, the deaths, the women. I was King now, and I was no longer obligated to fight in wars, although I probably would. I would not abandon a cause I wanted to join first.

Everyone needed to go fast for a bit. I was no exception. Soon things would calm and all would be well.

After I killed Hans.

And raised a child by myself.

"Miss Rose, can you just please, I-"

"It would be my pleasure, King Leon," she smiled. The maid smiled swiftly at me before moving to Ariel's room next to mine. She was crying, having awful night terrors. I wasn't sure what the extent was that the girl had been through, but it couldn't have been easy for someone who was not used to it.

I just wished I hadn't been so cruel towards Belle. I was learning to be gentle from her, but those lessons didn't last all the time.

I was the villain in every story told about me, and I wasn't a relatable one, nor an attractive one, not a victim who had a reason to be that way. I was just... never good enough. In more senses than one. It was me who caused Ariel to be orphaned, and I would never tell her. I was cruel to Belle, and I scared her away.

I stared out of my balcony, it faced out towards the woods, beautiful scenery of clashing greens and reds as the world outside died to become new. I loved autumn, I loved the symbolic nature of the leaves falling just to regrow even grander.

Someone knocked on my door. "What is it!?" I yelled.

I moved from the balcony and to the door. "Hello?" I repeated.

I leaned over and grabbed the sword sitting next to my armor stand and held it up. I would not be caught off guard like dad. I opened the door too quickly and lurched the sword out.

Belle.

It was under her sharp chin, her big brown eyes looked down with serenity. I'd never hurt her, she knew that. I made that a clear point far too many times. She was not someone who would ever feel my hand, no woman in this castle would. Save Hera, for she was more brutal than I at some points.

She removed the hood from her head deliberately, slowly.

"I heard you were poisoned and-"

I dropped the sword and moved into the hallway, grabbing her and pulling her to my chest. I set my cheek on top of her head and held the back of it with one of my large hands. She was so frail, so kind. I squeezed her to my chest.

"I'm so sorry. Why did you come back? Please, I didn't mean to hurt you or,"

She twisted slightly so she could look up at me, her mouth parted open slightly. "Adam, are you okay?"

She was asking if I was okay. It wasn't a question I heard very often. "No, but I will be. I might be now."

I rested my palm on the side of her face. Her brown hair was pulled into a bun, but little strands fell down and tickled my knuckles. Wind outside had knocked wild strands out, and I wanted so badly to just fix it for her, like I would any problem that faced her. Faced us.