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

Ch. 21

She was pacing her bedroom.

Everything seemed to be falling apart around her.

Damian was still hunting her, dead set on claiming her as his own.

The werewolves were convinced she was this 'Great Alpha'.

She was still lying to her friends about who she was.

And now, she couldn't get Zed off her mind.

Aurelia stopped her pacing and took a deep breath, attempting to calm the storm of thoughts swirling in her mind. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, hardly recognizing the girl staring back at her. She had changed so much in such a short amount of time, and it was overwhelming.

She shook her head, trying to shake off the thoughts of Zed.

She couldn't pursue it.

The girl he knew, that he liked- she wasn't real. Not really.

She paused her pacing, taking a deep breath to steady her emotions. She couldn't afford to be distracted, not now, with so much at stake. Aurelia had always been good at masking her feelings, but with Zed, it was different. He saw through her defenses, reached parts of her she thought were long buried. And that scared her more than anything else.

She sat down on her bed, running her hands through her hair. She had to think this through logically, without letting her emotions cloud her judgment. Yes, Zed was kind, caring, and had stood by her when she needed it the most. But he was also her friend, and she couldn't risk ruining that friendship over feelings that might not even be reciprocated.

And then there was the issue of her true identity. She was living a lie, and sooner or later, the truth would come out. What would Zed think of her then? Would he feel betrayed? Lied to? She couldn't bear the thought of hurting him like that.

No, it was better to keep her distance, to not pursue anything beyond friendship. It was the safer option, for both of them.

A knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts. "Ari? Can I come in?" Eliza's voice called from the other side.

Aurelia quickly wiped away the single tear that had escaped her eye and composed herself. "Yeah, come in," she called, her voice steady.The door creaked open, and Eliza stepped in, her eyes filled with concern. "Hey, are you okay? You've been up here for a while."Aurelia forced a smile, not wanting to worry her friend. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... thinking."

Eliza raised an eyebrow, not quite convinced. "About the werewolves?"

Aurelia nodded. "And everything else. It's just a lot, you know?"Eliza moved closer, placing a reassuring hand on Aurelia's shoulder. "I know. But you're not alone in this, Ari. We're all here for you."Aurelia felt her eyes well up with tears again, touched by Eliza's words. "I know, and I'm so grateful for that. I just... I hate lying, especially to you guys."

"Lying?" Eliza's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Aurelia's eyes widened at her slip-up.

She took a deep breath, realizing that she had just opened a door that she couldn't close again. "I... I haven't been completely honest," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Eliza's expression changed from concern to surprise. "What do you mean?"

Aurelia hesitated, the weight of her secret pressing down on her. "Willa was right..."

Aurelia placed her hand on the ribbon that held her hair back, hesitating.

Eliza's eyes widened in realization, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "You mean about the enchantment?"

Aurelia looked down, "There's more."

Her hand trembling as she untied the ribbon, letting her hair fall freely. As the enchantment lifted, her true appearance revealed. Her white hair cascading down her back. She looked up at Eliza, vulnerability in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Eliza. I didn't want to lie to you or the others."

Eliza was silent for a moment, taking in Aurelia's true appearance. Finally, she sighed and sat down next to her on the bed. "Ari, we're your friends. You don't have to protect us from the truth. We would've understood."

"I'm not so sure," She looked down, "My real name is Aurelia, I'm the crown princess of Auradon."