𝒯𝒽ℯ ℛ𝒾𝓈ℯ 𝒪𝒻 𝒜 𝒬𝓊ℯℯ𝓃

Chapter |6| Trapped Without Her King

A R A B E L L A ' S   P.O.V

"Then, how did I..." She abruptly cut me off.

"That's apart of the story I cannot tell. The charm prevents me." I couldn't believe this. No, this had to be a lie or some sort of sick dream. There was no way I lived part of my life with this woman, surely I would have been able to remember something.

And what about my file? Why would whoever wrote it bother to lie?

There were too many questions and not enough answers. The only way to find the truth would be confront King Benjamin or get the charm off my mother. I didn't know what he had to do with my past but whatever it was, I knew it couldn't have been good

"Tell me more about him. My father." It was reckless, I know. I should leave right now, sneak back into bed before Hardin finds me missing, and ask all of this later but my mind was itching to know. I had to.

"He was handsome, the most handsome man I had ever seen. He had hair as black as the night sky, yet his eyes twinkled like a thousand stars. He was fair, and gentle, and compassionate. He even named you,"

"He did?" Tears brimmed in my eyes, despite Clarissa talking about a man I didn't even know, but yet he was apart of me.

"Yes, Bella was his mother's name, and his name was Adam so when he passed, I decided you should have some part of him to carry with you forever. Thus, the name Arabella was born and gifted upon you. My sweet child."

She looked as though she had lived a thousand lives, yet she was quite young. No wrinkles, or crows feet, though her eyes were underlined with heavy bags, I assumed that was more to do with exhaustion and stress.

"How old are you?"

"I gave birth to you when I was 19, so I'm 40. 21 years of age and you're already a Queen, an expectant mother too. Oh gosh, I just realised I will be a grandmother." The life in her voice was increasing, her smile widening. Then, her eyes drifted down towards my chest, her eyes fixed on my necklace that was hanging between my breasts.

"The star? You still have the star?" She dove her hand down her top and pulled out a silver chain, a small dangling crescent moon hanging from it. "It matches."

We were close enough to reach each other through the bars. I lifted up my necklace and placed it against hers, watching as the corners of them both slotted against each other perfectly.

She really was my mother.

Tears began to stream down my cheeks, my hand trembling slightly. "Your father gifted me them both as part of a set. He bought them at a market, using almost all his savings. I gave it to just before we were...separated."

"This really is real." She grabbed my hand through the thick metal bars and squeezed it.

"I'm back, my sweet girl." I smiled, about to speak when the alarms suddenly started to blare.

Red lights dropped down from the ceiling, the loud screeching sound of the alarms, drowning out the scared shouts and screams from the prisoners.

I knew exactly what this was. We had many practice alarms, although none had ever been real, yet this time...it was.

"What's happening?" Clarissa screamed over the noise.