Cicatrice

Chapter XXXVIII

QUEEN ESTELLE BELSHAW

Peace.

One moment of peace was all I had longed for. Each moment I grew a stronger feeling that I did not belong here as queen, or at all, for that matter. Father had gotten himself killed but I couldn't help but feel as if I were the one responsible for it all. I should have fought against father and told him 'no, I cannot become a queen, the kingdom will fall apart,' but it was a year too late for that.

Alas, at least one good thing came out of this whole debacle. With little Elias lying in my arms, I rock back and forth on the wooden rocking chair in his nursery. Despite all the chaos around me, my priority was to ensure that Elias had a safe home and environment. Although he was just a tiny little child, he had grown to become my safe space. 

For a while, the offer that the queen bellowed as we ran away from her had echoed in my mind, over and over again like a broken record. 

"Abdicate the throne, and I can make you both disappear,"

Her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. With her words so bittersweet, my brain was fighting against my heart. Deep down, I really did want to leave my queenship. But to leave it to her, I must have been out of my mind. 

But I knew that it would only be a matter of time until Eddie is revealed to be the father of our child, and citizens of France would come marching with their torches and pitchforks, wanting to see our heads on a stick. If it hadn't been revealed within time, the queen would be sure to blackmail us to get her desired power. 

I didn't think I had it in me for another fight. 

-

"Eddie?" I whisper as he snores lightly, his eyes fluttering open in the dead of night. With my mind flying with ideas, I couldn't bare to fall asleep. 

His eyebrows form into a knit. "Everything okay, darling?" he asks groggily, tossing away in our large sized bed. I stare at his fair beauty and realised I couldn't lose him, ever.

"Do you remember the offer your mother had made us, about the throne?" I whisper, playing with his blonde locks as he moans under his breath. "How could I forget?" he asks, raising his eyebrows as Elias coos. 

"Would it be absurd if we took her up on that?" I pause, sighing. "Think about it: we could disappear. Raise Elias on our own. Get married. Have more children. Get away from all of the chaos. Your mother would have it all under control," I say, trying to convince him.

He glances at me with his endearing blue eyes, staring into my soul. "I can't bare the thought of anything bad happening to you," I whisper as he pushes a strand of hair out of my face, pulling my chin close and kissing me gently. 

"You will never lose me, Este. I promise that to you," he whispers in an endearing tone, his eyes staring into the window of my soul. 

I smile widely before he sits up onto the bed, pulling something out of his wooden nightstand. "And that's why I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Este," he whispers, pulling out a beautiful diamond ring. 

With my jaw dropping like a brick, my hands fly up to my face as I sit up with him. "Morning, afternoon, evening, through sunshine, rain and storms. I want to be with you for absolutely everything, my love," he pauses as a singular tear rolls down my cheek, wiping it with his thumb.

"And that's why I'm asking, would you do the honour of being my wife, Estelle?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowed in love as his hands slightly shake whilst he holds up the ring. "Of course I will!" I cry, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

Ecstatic.

He slides the beautiful diamond ring onto my finger, fitting like the last puzzle piece.