A Princess and A Zombie (A Z-O-M-B-I-E-S and Descendants AU)

Ch. 17

Aurelia had been on edge all week, the weight of Lumiere's last words still hanging heavily in her mind.

He called her brother.

He called Ben.

She knew it was only a matter of time before he came, guard in tow. He hadn't wanted to initiate the Briar Rose Protocol in the first place, but now that she was potentially in danger once again...

Aurelia couldn't even imagine what Ben's reaction would be. She had always known him to be protective, sometimes overly so, but this situation was different. There was an unknown element at play, a threat that neither of them understood fully. The Briar Rose Protocol was put in place for her safety.

As she paced around her room, her thoughts were a whirlwind of anxiety and anticipation. She had to be ready, to have answers for the questions Ben would undoubtedly have. But how could she explain the inexplicable? How could she make sense of the mysterious stone, the girl from the woods, and the wolves?Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing, followed by hushed voices downstairs. Her heart leapt into her throat as she realized the moment she had been dreading had arrived.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Aurelia made her way downstairs, her steps hesitant. As she entered the living room, she saw him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Jay sent her a small smirk, "Ben had some King stuff to attend to. As the head of the royal guard, he thought it would be best if I came to check on you."

Aurelia's eyes narrowed. "I don't need you to check on me. I can take care of myself."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "I never said otherwise. But it's my duty to ensure the safety of the royal family, and that includes you."

She bit her lip, realizing that arguing with Jay wouldn't get her anywhere. "Fine. But I don't want you hovering around me."

Jay nodded in understanding, his expression softening slightly. "I'm not here to be a babysitter, Aurelia. Just to make sure everything is okay and report back to Ben. He's really worried about you." Jay hesitated, "We're worried about you."

Her eyes hardened at his statements, "You lost the right to worry about me, Jay, the day you decided to walk away. So, just do your job and report back to Ben. I don't need your concern."

Jay's jaw tightened, a flash of hurt crossing his face before he masked it with a neutral expression. "Fine, Ari. I'll just do my job. But for the record, I never stopped caring about you, regardless of how things ended between us."

Aurelia turned away, her arms crossed over her chest as she tried to shield herself from the vulnerability of the moment. "Well, you have a funny way of showing it," she muttered under her breath.

Silence hung in the air for a moment before Jay spoke up again, his voice softer this time. "I know I messed up, Ari. And I'm sorry for that, I really am."

But she didn't falter, "Don't call me Ari, you lost the right to use that name. Just stick to the formalities, Jay. It's what we are to each other now."

Jay nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of regret and understanding. "Yes, your majesty. I respect your wishes."

She turned to face him, her gaze steady. "Good. Now, if you have a job to do, do it. Otherwise, I have places to be."

Jay nodded, stepping aside to let her pass. "I'll be around if you need anything," he said, his tone professional.

Aurelia didn't respond as she walked out the door, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. The unexpected encounter with Jay had thrown her off balance, dredging up old feelings and memories she had tried to bury. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. She had more pressing matters to attend to.

As she made her way through the town, she could feel Jay's eyes on her, his presence like a shadow trailing behind her. She knew he was just doing his job, but it didn't make his presence any less irritating. She had to find a way to shake him off, at least for a while.

"Ari!" There was a flutter in her stomach at his voice. She turned her periwinkle eyes meeting Zed's brown.

"Ari!" Zed called again, jogging up to her with a smile.

Aurelia took a deep breath, trying to push the encounter with Jay to the back of her mind. "Hi," she said softly, meeting Zed's gaze and finding a small measure of comfort in his presence.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was actually on my way to see you," Zed replied, his eyes searching hers. Aurelia felt a small flicker of warmth at his words, grateful for the distraction from her turbulent thoughts.

"Oh?" she replied, trying to keep her tone light, "And what brings you my way?"

Zed's smile broadened as he pulled a small, wrapped package from behind his back. "I found something in the market that made me think of you, and I wanted to give it to you."

Aurelia's eyes flickered to the package and then back to Zed, a mixture of surprise and curiosity in her gaze. "For me?" she asked, her voice softening. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I wanted to," Zed responded earnestly, holding the package out to her. "Go on, open it."

Hesitant, Aurelia took the package from him, her fingers delicately unwrapping the paper to reveal a small, intricately carved wooden box. She gasped softly, her eyes widening in admiration. "Zed, it's beautiful. Where did you find this?"

"At one of the stalls in the market. The craftsmanship reminded me of you-delicate but strong," Zed explained, watching her reaction closely.

Aurelia looked up from the box, her eyes meeting Zed's. She was touched by his words and the thoughtful gesture. "Thank you, Zed. This means a lot to me."

Zed's smile deepened, his eyes lighting up with joy. "I'm glad you like it. I just wanted to... I don't know, do something to make you smile. You've seemed a bit off lately."

Aurelia's heart warmed at his words, but she also felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't realized her mood had been so apparent to others. "I've just had a lot on my mind," she admitted, her gaze dropping to the box in her hands.

"If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you, Ari. You know that, right?" Zed said earnestly, his concern for her evident in his eyes.

Aurelia nodded, her heart swelling with gratitude. "I know, Zed. Thank you."