𝒯𝐻𝐸 𝐿𝒪𝒩𝐸𝐿𝐼𝐸𝒮𝒯 || a selection roleplay (closed)

🅃🅆🄾

the prince was ready. he'd done enough waiting. he was no longer listening to those who were telling him to wait, to make sure. him and angelina had been together for four years, have known each other for eighteen. his parents supported him, he already had the captain's blessing, and her mom... her mom was hard to crack at first. she never said no, but it had been clear she wasn't fond of the idea. eventually, she gave in. she gave the prince the typical speech. 'if you hurt my daughter!' and all that.

it was october 2nd. the perfect fall night. it was angelina's favorite time of year, and soon she would be in their favorite place. he had a note sent to her, asking her to meet him in their old tree house at the edge of the woods. he claimed he had a fun date planned. that was no lie. he sat inside the small, wooden room, making sure everything was perfect. beanbags, blankets, snack and fairy lights. a projector lit the ceiling, a generator powering it from the outside. he had her favorite movie queued up. finally, he heard the ladder creaking. the prince stood and walked out to the little balcony, his face lighting up as he saw his girl climbing the ladder.

"about time!" he called, giving her a hand to pull her up the rest of the way. angelina frowned and pulled his wrist towards her to look at his watch.

"you baby. i'm one minute late!"

"one whole minute of our precious time together!" angelina snorted as he dragged her inside.

"oh, wow, j! this is incredible!" angelina looked around the room in awe, taking in everything. the prince looked around proudly.

"i've got snacks, blankets, a movie, a ring... everything for the perfect night." he wasn't sure if what he had said went unnoticed. she didn't seem to respond, still taking in everything. the prince shifted nervously on his feet, waiting.

"snacks, blankets, movies, a ring-" angelina had repeated what he said, checking everything off. but she stopped cold, eyes widening. "-a ring? a ring? what do you mean a ring?" there was only one thing on her mind, and she was praying so hard she was correct. the prince smiled and shuffled some of the blankets out of the way, before slowly dropping down to one knee. angelina dropped down with him, unable to remain standing.

"my dearest angie, you are the love of my life. i've told you countless times how much i love you, and i hope to be able to tell you until the end of time itself. you are my best friend, my soulmate, the love of my life. you make me happier than anyone ever has before." the tears started for both of them. "you are such a light, no one can turn my frown upside down the way you do. you are so vibrant, so alive. if i needed one thing to keep me going, it would be you. i want you to be by my side for forever. i want you to be queen when the time comes. you and i both know you'll be a perfect one. i want a family with you. and as many chickens as you wish." a laugh. "angelina fawn dover, will you marry me?"

angelina couldn't even get the words out, she was a blubbering mess. all she could do was nod her head and throw her arms around his neck, pressing a smattering of kisses around his face before landing on his lips. they remained like that for a while. lips on each other, in their arms. once the tears had calmed, they finally got on with the date. it was a perfect night. they would be marrying each other! oh, and that day couldn't come soon enough. they would have to announce it! then start planning! how could anyone's life be more perfect?

too soon, the movie ended. the snacks were gone. the air was chilly. they both knew it was time to go in for the night. but until the engagement was announced, they would have to remain in separate rooms in order to prevent rumors from starting. they wanted to be able to tell everyone themselves! not have their families hear from some maids who would see angelina walking out of the prince's room in the morning. he helped her down from the tree house and took her hand, his thumb running over the ring as they walked inside, making their way to her room.

"good night, my beautiful fiancée." he loved that. the only thing that would sound more right would be wife. he leaned down to kiss her deeply, lovingly. the colors of pinks and deep purples, the taste of the richest, most delicious chocolate. that's what that kiss was. that's how their love was. she kissed him back.

"good night, i love you."

"i love you, too. i'll see you tomorrow. we'll tell everyone at breakfast." angelina nodded. the prince shut the door and turned on his heel, finally making his way to bed. he slept better than he ever had. he was engaged! so in love and engaged. he was the luckiest man in the world. everything couldn't come soon enough.

••••••••••

angelina was dead.

murdered in the night, they say.

the prince thought it had been weird when she missed breakfast. it was supposed to be when they announced their engagement! maybe she slept in. they had a late movie night, after all. it was clear something had been off that morning. everything seemed darker than usual, quieter. though the prince blamed that on his nerves and the lack of his fiancée. he looked to his parents, then the royal advisors, then angelina's parents. they all seemed normal. yeah, it was just his nerves.

then a shriek came from down the hall. immediately, the entire room was up on their feet. guards dashed out the door to the direction, and a sobbing, red faced maid came rushing in.

"she's dead! she's dead! i went to wake her up and she was dead!"

the prince felt his heart sink, and ran out with the others. it had to be someone else. it couldn't be angelina. not his angelina. it had to be a maid. someone else. he followed the commotion, to the crowd on the second floor to the top, just outside the first door on the left. he felt a hand on his shoulder pull him back. he turned around.

"son, wait. i don't know if it's a good idea for you to see," the king said gently. the prince didn't have time for this. he was in too much of a panic because maybe his angelina just saw a dead body! he needed to man up, to be able to see this kind of thing.

"no! i need to go take care of my fiancée! i need to see what happened!" and that was the announcement. a hush fell over everyone. then the whispers changed. a mix of the death, and of the proposal. the prince tore away from the king and pushed himself through the crowd.

(warning: this part gets a graphic! there will be another note when you're in the clear)

the prince froze. his worst nightmare come true. there was angelina, dead in bed. but not just dead. murdered. blood stained the bed, still wet, coming out the side of her mouth. and her stomach. her stomach and neck were slashed open, her guts pulled out of her. as if whoever killed her had been wanting to make a show. to prove to the prince that she was dead. he carefully stepped forward, as if what he was seeing wasn't real.

"angie?" he whispered, the tears finally leaving his eyes. and that was when he saw it. her ring finger on her left hand, messily sawed off. the new, sparkling ring now tainted with her blood. and a note, written in dark red ink. not ink. also her blood.

(you're in the clear!!!)

don't ever try that again.

that was it. that was all it said. the prince fell to his knees, breaking down into heaving, gasping sobs. his life. his future. it was all torn away from him like that. he swore, right then and there, in the middle of his cries, that he would make the person who did this regret it. but was it an empty promise? the prince could never act on something like that. he would try, though. he would find who did this to his love.