''Flying''

Who You Are

Laying in bed that night, Bella can't sleep, her conversation with Josh replaying in her mind. Tired of tossing and turning, Bella gets up and walks out onto her balcony, hoping that some fresh air might help.

However, a memory suddenly appears in her mind. A memory from when she first met King Henry, years ago.

Flashback

It's been a year since Jensen died and Bella is now facing her first celebration of the claiming of Tidaholm without him. As if still mourning the loss of her husband wasn't hard enough, she has to greet people and smile as if she is having the time of her life. Sometimes she really hates her life.

She walks through the large garden, greeting people as she goes, heading for the lake shore where she knows Mackenzie will be. Mackenzie is always a great buffer between her and people that want to know more than what they are entitled to, and Bella desperately needs that right now.

Bella approaches the lake shore and sees Mackenzie talking to a man, both smiling wide. As much as she hates to interrupt, Bella is on the verge of telling a few people off and she needs Mackenzie to prevent a Royal scandal from happening.

She approaches the pair and smiles at Mackenzie, before greeting them. Mackenzie is quick with the introductions, telling Bella that the mystery man is King Henry Cavill and that they have known each other since they were children, although it has been a few years since they've seen each other. She also mentions that he is about to get married.

Bella gives him a smile and bows, seeing the King doing the same for her, before sincerely congratulating him on his upcoming wedding. King Henry thanks her and offers her his condolences, having heard what had happened.

Bella thanks him, a sad smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes at the mention of Jensen's death and tries to maintain her composure. It's still hard for her to hear others say his name without starting to cry.

End of Flashback

Bella thinks that fate has a strange way of working for and against a person. Who knew that the man she met all those years ago, a man that was so genuine when he offered her his condolences and had such a kind smile, would eventually earn the reputation of being the Devil himself, a reputation earned by being ruthless and cold, on and off the battlefield.

She remembers when she first heard of his reputation. It was not even a few months after his wedding, when his wife was killed in front of him by Rogues. Bella knows that pain a little too well, the pain of watching the person you love being taken away from you in such a brutal way and right in front of you.

Bella can still hear what Josh had told her at the time, how Henry went mad and went on a killing spree, killing almost every Rogue that lived in his Kingdom. The few that survived had escaped to neighboring Kingdoms, Josh's included.

But what stuck out the most wasn't what Josh had told her, no. It was when, later that same day, Donna had confided in her and Mackenzie, telling them how when Henry found the man that had killed his wife, he tortured him for three days, only stopping because he succumbed to his injuries.

Bella knows that that was the moment his reputation truly began. Until then, people saw him as a King who was cleaning his Kingdom from those that were harming his people. But when word got out about what he had done, that was the moment he went from King to Devil.

She can understand, though. She can understand the want for revenge, probably better than most. Even after all these years, Bella still wishes she could make her father pay for what he has done without it causing a new war between both Kingdoms.

Bella starts thinking that maybe he's not as bad as everyone just assumes he is, even if he can get under her skin like no one has ever been able to. All their conversations over the years have been everything but friendly, often heavily laced with sarcasm and disguised mockery, from both sides.

She shakes her head slightly and lets out a deep breath, knowing that, despite all that, at the end of the day, this isn't just about her. She has to think about Alexis as well. And if he is being truthful about giving her his name, as much as she hates the idea, she needs to put some thought into this.

Bella heads back to bed, deciding that she needs to talk to Alexis about all of this. Although, before she does, she needs to make sure that Alexis will be safe in the middle of all of it. Because if it isn't safe for her daughter, then the Devil can go riding straight back to hell.