The king

34

THE KING
~ Arabella's pov ~

Jaxson was kept in his office, dealing with meetings. I seeked comfort in finding new things from the castle such as new rooms, game rooms, a pool room, and so much more. Finding myself in a long hallway, I was lost but I couldn't help but feel satisfied looking through all of the pictures that were prompted upon the wall.

Pictures of Jaxson when he was a young boy to now, a new picture of him sitting on his throne as he had just received the crown upon his head. His face was stone cold, and he looked alone- all alone in his small mind in a huge world.

I walked further to see a family portrait of princess Lockwood with Jaxson and king Lockwood whom looked angry, stern, and cold stoned just as Jaxson was in his coronation picture.

Suddenly, I stop in my tracks when I find a picture of king Lockwood in his coronation. Jaxson looked just like him, no emotion in the eyes, alone in this great big world, and even in the same throne.

I had always wondered how king Lockwood passed, but never wished to question Jaxson about it. I could not. It would be rude.

"My husband was a great king..." I hear a small voice speak and I look down the hall to see the princess following my line until she steps next to me to take a peek at the picture of her husband. A soft smile forms on her face as she takes a look, sighing, she continues. "He was always afraid of giving Jaxson the throne, he did not know if he could handle the burden."

"I think Jaxson is doing a fine job at being king..." I trailed, hoping I would not cause madness on her. Her eyes cut to mine, and she checks my being up and down.

"Not as great as his father," she speaks. If you call taking someone to the dungeons for not being able to pay taxes then sure, he was a fantastic king. "Jaxson loved his father dearly."

King Lockwood was not the greatest. He was cruel, hardly ever spoke to his people, and raised taxes as if we could not afford them already. He did not care that we suffered in the end.

"Jaxson is changing everything my husband worked so hard for." Her voice had that hidden disgust-one that I picked up on. "You know being queen will not be easy?"

"Of course it is not, it takes courage," I say.

"It takes more than a little bit of courage." The hallway filled with laughter and I felt embarrassed at the awakening at how she was degrading me. "It takes strength, responsibility. Have you ever been taught that as a child?"

"Excuse me?" Was she serious? Was she playing me as a fool? To my face?

"You cannot be excused for the way you were raised, Arabella. You were raised with pigs all while Jaxson was fine dined, you shall see that you two will never work, you two are too different. You two think that your love will be strong enough to conquer it all, but that is not the case, you will sink," she exclaims, her words slicing me with every breath she took. Disgust is now in her vision and she is looking at me that way.

"Jaxson deserves a lady whom can make quick decisions instead of crying and worrying over the problems at hand. The truth hurts sometimes, but royalty is the truth," she adds after my moment of silence. I look away from her stare, tears brewing the lines of my eyes.

She heard us last night, she was invading our privacy but I could not say such words when I did the same to her and Jaxson. She heard my cries, she heard my worrying.

"Do you really believe that this country will rely on you for your choices when you are just a filthy village girl?" She laughs, the picture on the wall shaking from her vileness.