The Prince's Wedding

Secrets. 27

I watch Melissa snore softly; her shoulders slightly rising and falling as the morning sun rays peek in through the window to leave a soft glow on her skin.
Seeing her here in bed with me, it's almost like yesterday didn't happen, like her disappearance was a dream...an awful nightmare that I'm just waking up from.
Except it wasn't.
She was gone for the whole day and the thought of losing her for good terrified me to my core. It was the first time I had no idea where she could be and I don't think I ever want to be that scared again.
In fact, I never want to experience that again.
I never want to be that careless again, I never want to be that close to losing her again, I never want to lose control so much that I have no idea where she is, I never want to witness the sight of her returning to the castle in that state.
Never.
Melissa slowly stirs awake and I watch as she opens her blue eyes, her gaze on me. Suddenly, all the questions I've been meaning to ask her come rushing back...but there's a hint of sadness in her eyes that I just can't ignore.
 
"Stefan." She murmurs and I move closer to her, caressing her cheek with my hand.
 
"Mel... are you okay?" I ask and she sighs.
 
"I'm sorry I left the room at night... I was careless and I don't know what I was thinking. I just wanted to--"
 
"Hey, hey, hey." I say as I pull her close. "None of this is your fault, okay? I don't want you apologising for anything." I say and she looks away, saying nothing.
"I couldn't sleep last night...and I didn't even want to. I was scared I'd let my guard slip again... and I'll wake up without you beside me." I admit but she just remains quiet, her lip quivering.
"Mel," I begin after a few seconds, "What happened? Who took you? Can you remember anything? Did they hurt you?" I ask, fear prickling at the back of my mind and when Melissa looks up at me, her eyes are flooded with tears.
Not again...what did I say?
"Hey, don't cry. You don't have to say anything right now." I say to her but she blinks and the tears roll down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry I brought it up...I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this. I want to protect you, Melissa."
 
"I didn't see anyone." She cries, looking back at me with hurt in her eyes. "I went to the castle grounds for a while and someone hit me from behind."
Anger suddenly surges in me.
She was hit?
"Where did they take you? Do you know where it was?" I ask, unable to stop myself and she just shakes her head.
 
"It was just a wooden cage in the woods, Stefan. When I woke up...no one was there. I just managed to escape before they came." She whispers in tears and as hurt as she sounds, I can't help but notice a certain remoteness in her words.
For a while I say nothing as I observe her, thinking of what next to ask her that'll make her tell me more.
 
"The baby's fine...at least I think so." She adds, her voice cracking at the end and I hold her even closer.
 
"You don't remember anything else?" I whisper after holding her for a while and she just shakes her head.
 
"That's okay." I mutter, "But, if there's anything you're scared of telling me--"
 
"There isn't." She replies too quickly and I sigh.
 
"Alright...but if you remember anything else---"
 
"There is nothing else. Okay?" she says, suddenly pulling away from my arms as her eyes avoid mine.
"I'm going to check on Halley... please don't worry about me."
And with that, she climbs out of bed and heads for the door.
 
"How can I not?!" I yell after her, completely confused. But Melissa just stops at the door for a couple of seconds, and then walks out without bothering to turn back...or even say something.
 
 
***
 
She's lying.
I can't tell which part...but I know for sure her story isn't completely true. Why was she so quick to shut me out? And why would she tell me not to worry about her?
What is she hiding from me?
"You sent for me, Your Majesty?" Caspian says as he walks into the throne room, snapping me out of my thoughts.
 
"Yes. Have the guards shut the gates, I'm no longer hearing matters for the day. And make sure dinner is served in my chambers... I don't want to be disturbed for the rest of the day." I say to him and he bows.
 
"As you wish, Your Majesty." He says and turns to leave when I stop him.
 
"Hold on, Caspian." I say, getting up and he turns back to me.
"You didn't happen to see Melissa on the night she was taken...did you?" I ask, unable to stop my constant worrying and Caspian shakes his head.
 
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I didn't see her or even know she was missing until I saw the guards searching for her." He says and I don't fail to hide my disappointment before I wave him off.
It makes no sense...
How was she taken away from the castle grounds unconscious if no one saw her or saw anyone leave? And if the guards saw her in the woods...then how come no one made mention of seeing a wooden cage?
What's worse is that ever since she left the room, I haven't even been able to talk to her. She has been with Halley all day...it's almost like she doesn't want to see me.
 
"You're going to drive yourself crazy with all this constant worrying and pacing, Your Majesty." I hear Felipe say as he walks into the throne room and I turn to him.
 
"I might as well be crazy Felipe, because I'm losing my mind over this. How can I be a king if there's a killer in my castle...right under my nose and I haven't fished them out? Putting my future wife and baby's life at stake!" I yell and he just keeps watching me.
"Maybe it really is Frederick or Felicia, because is it a coincidence that she got released after I locked them up? I never should have let them go."
 
"Your Majesty--"
 
"The worst part is her silence. She won't talk to me, she won't spend time with me...she's obviously avoiding me and it just shows that she's hiding something from me. I mean, how am I supposed to protect her if she won't even tell me the truth?" I demand and he sighs.
 
"Your Majesty, you should eat and rest. Melissa is probably still recovering from the shock. I'm sure she will tell you everything when the time is right."
 
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! When will the time ever be right?! And how can you stand there and confidently tell me this...?" I trail off as I observe Felipe, my mind reeling, creating a new thought...a new theory.
"Unless..." I begin, considering the thought.
Could it be?
"Unless it's you." I say to him and he frowns.
 
"I beg your pardon, Your Majes--"
 
"You're the only one who knows every detail about my life, about our lives! Who else could easily guess my whereabouts? Who else would know how to get to Melissa? Who else could so simply sneak in and out of the castle with an unconscious body--"
 
"And what in God's name will I gain from killing your wife, Alexander?" Felipe demands, clearly furious.
"No, tell me!" he yells when I don't reply, "What could be so important of a profit to me, that I would disregard everything I swore to your father on his death bed?! Why would I try to take an innocent woman's life? Why would I not want you to be the king you were destined to be?!"
His voice echoes in the throne room, causing his words to sting even more as I hear them.
"I have had nothing but your best interests at heart and you throw such accusations in my face?!" he yells and I sigh as I walk up to him.
 
"I apologise. I am sorry, Felipe." I say, completely remorseful. "Please, forgive me."
 
Felipe sighs, observing me.
 
"I'm just confused and tired--"
 
"Which is why I said you should get some rest. Tomorrow we will speak to Melissa together and hopefully, she will tell us more." He says, placing a hand on my shoulder and I nod before leaving the throne room.
As I head for my chambers, my mind keeps toying with suspicions...making everyone a suspect. But the minute I walk into the room, I spot Melissa standing on the other side and the object in her hand stops me dead in my tracks.
She has her back to me and doesn't seem to notice I'm in the room...so I take in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
 
"Melissa?" I say softly and she gasps as she turns to me, fear evident in her eyes.
"Melissa...what are you doing with a dagger?" I ask, my gaze briefly shifting to the shiny, long dagger in her hand and back to her face and she just lets out a long, shaky breath.
 
"I can't do it." She says in a tearful voice, her eyes pooling with tears and I frown at her, my mind reeling on the next action to take.
Do I call for guards? Am I willing to take that risk?
 
"Do...what?" I ask gently, taking a few steps forward and she instantly points the dagger at me with shaky hands.
 
"No, stay back!" she cries and I stop moving, raising my hands in fear of what she might do.
 
"Alright. Alright, I won't move. But can you please put the knife down?"
 
"I don't have a choice." She says in tears.
 
"Yes, you do, Mel. You do. Just please put down the knife and talk to me."
 
"I can't, Stefan! They could hurt Halley."
So she did see someone.
 
"Who could hurt her? Who is it?"
 
"I can't tell you. I'm so sorry but I can't." She cries and seeing her torture herself like this tears at me.
 
"Melissa, please. I'm begging you--"
She abruptly turns the dagger around and points it at her wrist.
 
""I'm so sorry Stefan." She cries and my heart starts pacing rapidly at how dangerously close the blade is to her hand.
 
"Melissa, listen to me. We are in this together, remember? You and me."
"That's why I don't want to hurt you."
 
"You are hurting me now, don't you get it?! If you hurt yourself, you hurt me and I... I can't let anything happen to you, Mel." I plead and her hand only squeezes the dagger even tighter.
 
"I can't let anything happen to you either."
 
"No, Melissa--"
 
"I love you, Stefan."
And she slices her wrist with one swipe of the dagger, blood pooling out.
 
"NO!" I yell and rush to her just as she drops to the floor, her face pale. "Melissa! Melissa stay with me!"
 
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." she's whispering, slowly fading out of consciousness and I pick her up, my mind racing with fear as I rush out of the chambers.
 
"GUARDS! GET FREDERICK! HURRY!" I yell as I rush to the physician's place with some guards, Melissa's blood feeling warm on my skin as it drips down my hand.
 
*****
 
MELISSA
'Melissa?'
Is this what death is? Hearing the voice of the one you love calling you?
'Mel...'
"Melissa...can you hear me?" Prince Alexander's voice penetrates my thoughts and I open my eyes to see his face enveloped in a concerned expression. He suddenly smiles as relief floods his eyes.
"You're okay."
 
"Where am I?" I murmur as I take in my surroundings and it dawns on me that I'm in the physician's place. "What am I doing here?"
 
"You're staying alive, here." He responds, sitting next to me on the bed and I turn to stare at my bandaged wrist. "And I had everyone leave because I'm not taking any chances with you again. It's just you and me here." He adds, watching me.
No, no, no, no, no.
"Now where did you get that dagger? Who gave it to you? Who took you, Melissa?"
 
"How long have I been here?  Where is Halley?"
 
"Halley is safe with Felipe. Now for once, please just answer me."
 
"Stefan, you don't understand. I have to get out of here--"
 
"What are you so afraid of?"
 
"They could be hurting Halley right now..."
 
"Who is 'they'?!"
 
"...You should have let me die!" I exclaim and he recoils at my words.
 
"Do you even hear yourself?" he demands, getting up and my eyes water at the pain evident on his face.
 
"I'm just trying to protect you, both of you." I say.
"By risking your life and our child's life?" he says and I look away, lost for words.
"Why can't you just tell me who this person is? Why don't you trust me to protect you?" he pleads and I just squeeze my eyes shut, remaining silent.
"Fine." Prince Alexander sighs, "You're obviously terrified and so you won't talk. But I will get to the bottom of this and until then...you stay here." He says and I hear him walk out right before the door shuts.
At that moment, I let the tears come as I sit up in bed, a blinding pain shooting up my wrist.
I wish I could tell him, I really do...but I can't. And as much as I hate to do this to him, I need to leave.
I have to get out of here.
If I can runaway just before he returns or before Caspian finds me here, I have a good chance of escaping...at least until the day of our wedding. That way, they can't find me to hurt me or force me to hurt anyone.
I know Prince Alexander must have placed some guards outside, so I scan the room until I spot the windows. The physician's place is at the ground floor so I can easily climb out and get to my cottage to pack some things before I leave.
Quickly, I grab a sheet off the bed and cover myself in a hood-like manner before I climb out the window, and then I sneak into a carriage carrying hay just before it leaves the castle. When the carriage stops at the market, I sneak out and rush to my cottage...my body already weak from the excess crying and blood loss.
The minute I open the cottage door, the sight of Prince Alexander dressed in normal clothes and standing in the corner greets me. I slowly shut the door behind me as I stare at him in shock and he just watches me, a sad expression on his face.
"I figured you would run away...especially after what happened with the dagger." He says as he walks towards me. "Did you really think I was going to leave you alone after everything that has happened?" he asks and I open my mouth to explain...but I'm completely speechless.
"I won't let you run away Mel, especially with our child. We are in this together and until you tell me who is behind all this," he places both hands on my shoulders, "I'm not going anywhere."
 
"You have to go, Stefan." I cry, "You can't be with me...they want me to hurt you and I can't."
 
"Who wants you to hurt me? Please, tell me Melissa. I'm begging you." He pleads and my lips quiver as I struggle to hold the words back.
"Don't you believe I can protect you?" he asks in a fragile voice, "Because I can. I promise I can. Just give me a name and I--"
 
"It's King Gregory!" I admit in tears and Prince Alexander's expression transforms to shock.
 
"What?" he says and I nod, unable to stop my tears.
 
"He's not working alone. He's been partnering with--"
A loud banging on my door stops me abruptly and Prince Alexander and I turn to it. The banging continues and it dawns on me that it must be Caspian. He must have noticed I tried to escape...
 
"What in God's name--" Prince Alexander begins and I quickly push him into the next room.
 
"It's him. You have to hide here."
 
"What? No way. Melissa--"
 
"Trust me, please!" I plead in a hushed whisper and before he can reply, I shut the door just as the main door opens and Caspian barges in.
 
"You must take me for a fool!" he yells as he slams the door shut and marches towards me. "You stupid, little coward! You had one job and you tried to avoid it by trying to kill yourself?!" he demands as he shoves me to the wall and corners me.
 
"I told you I can't do it--"
 
"One stab to the heart, Melissa! That's all you had to do and now you're trying to escape?! Wait till King Gregory hears this, you will be picking your sister's remains from the woods." He says and turns to leave but I grab him by the hand.
 
"No, please! Please, Caspian just let me run away! You can tell King Gregory that you didn't know I left, please! I don't want anyone to get hurt--"
 
"Well, I WANT ALEXANDER DEAD, Melissa! And you failed! Now you have to pay the price."
 
"Caspian--"
He quickly pulls out a dagger and points it at my neck.
 
"Touch me again and I'll make sure you lose what's left of that wrist. I should have killed you when I had the chance." He says and before I can react, Prince Alexander barges in through the other door, sword drawn, and in one swipe, cuts off Caspian's hand clean off the wrist.
I gasp in shock as Caspian's eyes widen at the sight, then he lets out a scream of agony as he turns to Prince Alexander, his hand spurting out blood.
 
"IT WAS YOU?!" Prince Alexander demands, his face red with anger as he flings the sword aside and grabs Caspian by the neck. "ALL THIS TIME, IT WAS YOU!"
Then he punches Caspian square in the face, picks him up as he opens the door, then shoves him outside. All the while Caspian is screaming in pain while I just stand, prisoner to the spot...Caspian's severed hand at my feet, still grasping the dagger.
"I trusted you!" I hear Prince Alexander say and I rush outside to see him pummelling Caspian in the face.
He's going to kill him.
 
"Stefan!" I yell, rushing to him to pull him off but he nudges me aside and continues beating up Caspian who is almost unconscious at this point.
"Stefan, please!" I beg, trying to pull him off just as villagers gather round, watching.
 
"You're going to kill him, please stop!" I plead and this time, I grab hold of his hand before he can throw another punch and he looks up at me, rage clear in his eyes.
"Don't do this. He's already a dead man...but don't handle it this way." I beg and Prince Alexander turns back to Caspian, already bleeding from his nose and mouth.
 
"Take him and tie him up." Prince Alexander says to the villagers as he gets up and they respond immediately.
 
"Yes, Your Majesty." A couple of men say as they lift Caspian up and begin tying him with a rope.
 
"You will hang for this...alongside King Gregory, I promise you that." He says to Caspian before the men carry him to the castle, and then Prince Alexander turns to me.
"I'm sorry you had to see me this way... I'm sorry you couldn't tell me because of Caspian." He says and I just pull him into a hug.
 
"It's almost over now...that's all that matters."