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

Ch. 22

Eliza's eyes widened, "Come again?"

Aurelia gave her a weak smile, "I'm the Crown Princess of Auradon. My real name is Aurelia. The King, Ben, is my older brother."

For a moment, there was silence as Eliza absorbed the revelation. Then, slowly, she began to nod, her expression turning from shock to understanding.

"That explains so much," Eliza murmured, more to herself than to Aurelia. "The secrecy, the constant tension, the way you carry yourself. It all makes sense now."

Aurelia's heart was pounding in her chest as she awaited Eliza's response, fearing rejection or anger. But when she looked up, she saw none of that in Eliza's eyes. Instead, there was only compassion and a hint of sadness.

"I wish you would've told me sooner," Eliza said softly, her hand finding Aurelia's.

"I couldn't. The Briar Rose Protocol's number one rule is to keep your true identity hidden."

"The Briar Rose Protocol?"

Aurelia nodded solemnly, her eyes filled with a mix of relief and sadness. "It's a safety measure put in place for royal families. In case of danger, we're given new identities and separated from our families to protect us. I was brought here for my saftey."

Eliza squeezed her hand, "What are you hiding from?"

Aurelia sighed, "His name is Damian, he's the son of Gaston." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she continued, her gaze shifting to the ground, haunted by the memories of that fateful day. "He became obsessed with me, believed he had a claim over me. During my brother's wedding, he tried to kidnap me."

Eliza's eyes filled with horror as she processed the gravity of the situation. "Oh, Ari, I had no idea..."

Aurelia gave a small, sad smile. "How could you? I've been living under a false name, a false life, all to protect myself from him. But it's been hard, Eliza. So hard to keep this secret, to be so close yet so far from my family."

Eliza's grip on Aurelia's hand tightened, providing a silent support as she absorbed everything her friend had just revealed. "You don't have to carry this burden alone anymore, Ari. We're here for you, no matter what."

Aurelia felt a tear slip down her cheek, touched by Eliza's unwavering support. "Thank you, Eliza. That means more to me than you can imagine."

Eliza wiped away the tear gently. "You're my best friend, regardless of what secrets you may have."

The two of them sat in silence for a while, the weight of Aurelia's revelations hanging heavy in the room. It was a lot for Eliza to take in, but her presence and understanding meant the world to Aurelia.

"That explains why you ignore all of Zed's flirting," Eliza said after a moment, a small smile playing on her lips, trying to lighten the mood.

Aurelia chuckled, despite the heaviness in her heart. "Yeah, it does. I can't risk anyone getting too close. It's too dangerous."

Eliza raised an eyebrow, "Even Zed? He really cares about you, you know."

Aurelia sighed, her smile fading. "I know he does. And I... I care about him too. But it's just not that simple."

Aurelia looked away, her heart heavy with unspoken words and suppressed emotions. She knew her feelings for Zed were more than just friendship, but the complexities of her situation made it impossible to act on them.

Eliza studied her friend closely, seeing the internal struggle playing out on her face. "Ari, life is rarely simple. But that doesn't mean you should deny yourself happiness. Maybe Zed can handle more than you think."

Aurelia sighed, a mixture of hope and fear in her eyes as she considered Eliza's words. "Maybe. But what if he can't? What if it puts him in danger? I couldn't live with myself if something happened to him because of me."

Eliza nodded understandingly, though there was a glint of stubbornness in her eyes. "Maybe. But don't you think that should be his decision to make? He deserves to know the truth, just like I did."

Aurelia looked up, her eyes filled with conflict. She knew Eliza was right, but the fear of putting Zed in danger held her back. "I just... I don't want to lose him, Eliza. If he knows the truth and still gets hurt because of me, I'd never forgive myself."

Eliza squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Ari, Zed is stronger than you give him credit for. And so are you. You don't have to go through this alone."