Becoming Royal

[34]

"YOU HIT MY DAUGHTER?!" Grady's strong voice yelled at Fitz.

The guards and doctor in the room struggled to keep him from killing Fitz.

"I'm sorry sir, it was an accident and-." Fitz tried.

"Shut your mouth!" Grady stopped struggling and the people restraining him went still. He grabbed Fitz's collar. "You have no idea what that little girl has gone through, for you. She went against my orders and nearly got herself killed just so she could see your stupid face again. I hope she realizes how foolish she was."

He let go and Fitz stumbled back. His back hit the wall and he could immediately knew there would be a bruise.

When he looked up, the king was struggling to stand and Edaline helped him back into bed.

Fitz rose and took a cautious step forward. "Your majesty, I beg for your forgiveness. Believe me, the rise here I couldn't stop my mind from racing with possible ways to apologize. I don't deserve your daughter, I always knew that and I just...hoped that she would see past that and want me."

Grady snorted. "Yeah, and what has your marriage done for her? Rumors are she was stabbed, attacked by her kidnappers on her wedding night. I entrusted my daughter into your hands. And now she's lost, because of your foolish choices."

Clearly, talking nice wasn't going to get Fitz anywhere near a plan on finding his wife.

"Listen to me." Fitz demanded. "You said it yourself, it was a foolish mistake. But don't act like you haven't made them either. You stripped Sophie away from me because of hardships she experienced. That was unfair and cruel. So shut up, and let's find Sophie."

The room went silent and Grady's stare turned murderous.

But Fitz stared back with a determined look.

"Fine." He spoke at last. "I'll send all my troops. But if we don't have her back, it'll be your head on my wall,"

Blinding light cut into Sophie's eyes. Her brain hurt like someone had stabbed her.

It wouldn't be the first.

Probably not the last.

When she opened her eyes, she expected white walls and maids running through the halls. Instead her feet were covered in dirt in structure.

If the building could been be called that. It's walls were warped, aged over time.

"Where am I...?"

She looked out of place in her fancy getup. She wore an emerald green skirt with literal emeralds sitting at the ends and a train and a white fitted bodice with no sleeves.

The floorboards were covered with dirt and vines, turning Sophie's heels almost brown.

A burst of noise broke into Sophie's ears, making her realize the world had been ringing.

She snaked her way through a series of doors, warped wood that had snapped stuck out at her.

Her head poked out of what had to be where a door stood.

Tall and over brown oak trees surrounded the small house, but a run down path led into a town square, bustling with color and life.

Shock washed over her. She recognized the house now, the town and the trees.

"Not the right place, Sophie." She muttered to herself. "Why am I here...?"

When no one, or nothing, answered her, she took in a deep breath and stepped out of the shady trees.