I Choose You

Fifty-Five

Maven

I finished my morning errands. I got a check-up for Mare set up; I do hope that goes well. Now that I think about it, really think about it, Rei is being very suspicious. When I asked her if I could set up an appointment, she seemed nervous, like she had no clue what she was doing, fumbling with things in her office. Then it seemed as if she was forcing her anxiety down with forced excitement and weird, teenager-like giggles.

After I had scheduled her appointment, I left swiftly. I did other random King things that I don't need polluting my thoughts. I grabbed a small snack for a quick breakfast. Now, I walk to the gardens to find Mare, she should already be sitting, or roaming in the gardens.

While I am walking to the gardens, I let my mind ponder. It isn't often that a King gets to marry for love, in fact, it's been generations since. Kings always married for power, while I married Mare because I love her.

I know we got married only a few days ago, but it seemed like so long ago. Since we got married, Mare's life was threatened, I accidentally spilled out the news of Mare's pregnancy to the world during a meeting, went to see my insane aunt, figured out the genders of the babies, found out the babies were mine, helped a complete stranger have a baby, had an ice cream date, and looked at the stars together.

That is a lot of action for 2 days.

Mare and I deserve a day off. Alas, being royals and running a kingdom doesn't give us any days off.

As I near the gardens, I hear a nightmarish scream. It's Mare, I know it is.

I transfer from walking to a sloppy run.

"Somebody come help!" I hear her scream. I run even faster, my spidey sense spiking.

I reach the gardens in a flash, and I see no one. No screaming. Nothing. No one.

"Mare?" I ask with a raised inflection.

"Mare?" I ask again. No response.

"Mare?!" I yell.

A flank of guards runs into the gardens. I turn to them.

"Where is Mare?" I ask them strictly.

"We saw her come here, we heard her scream and came here as soon as we could," The one in the front middle explains. Two other guards are behind him.

"Aren't there guards already in the garden?" I ask them, a hint of annoyance in my tone. The guard speaking to me raises an eyebrow and walks around me, his other two alliances follow him. I watch them from a distance and look around the garden. I can sense Mare was just here, but it's like she vanished without a trace.

"Your Majesty...?" A guard tells me, shock and fear in his voice.

I walk toward the guard; he is looking behind a bush. I look behind it as well, and my breath catches when I see the sight.

A dead guard with two stab wounds, one in the crotch and one in the back of his neck.

"He was murdered," The alive guard says.

"So was this one!" Another guard says, standing next to a bush.

"Along with this one!" Says the third.

I run my fingers through my hair. "An ambush. This was planned."

The guards look at me in shock. "She was taken, this was planned, we have no clue what these jerks could do to her." A guard states the obvious. I look up at him firmly.