Arranged Love

Chapter 16:

*3rd Person's POV*

3 days had passed. Lanie had not come out of her room once, not even to eat. Elizabeth had been spending a lot of time with her trying to get her to eat but she continuously refused. Lanie had lost weight drastically and Elizabeth was getting worried. Lanie had been sleeping more and generally getting weaker so she decided to do something.

She came out of the room, "Oh Rafe, what's up?" the prince was standing right outside Lanie's door about to knock.

"How is she?" his eyes were bloodshot, and he was wearing some old sweatpants of his. Liz closed the door behind her before turning to answer him, "Not good. She hasn't eaten since the incident and she's lost a lot of weight. I'm thinking of getting the doctor to come and check on her."

"I will fetch him immediately then."

Rafe ran down the stairs to his office and quickly found the doctor's number.

When the doctor arrived, Rafe and Liz took him up to Lanie's room. Rafe was shocked when he saw how pale she was, how fragile she looked.

The doctor started checking her vitals before hooking her up to the IV machine his assistant brought up with him.

"I hear she hasn't been eating?"

"Yes, she's gone through a lot of recently and has stopped eating." The doctor's eyes flickered to Rafe brooding in the corner.

"Try to get her eating as soon as possible. Start with broth, then pudding or soup like substances, before moving up to solid food. She will be fine if she starts eating but I will come check on her every two days."

He turned away from the bed and fully towards Rafe, "Make sure she doesn't have any more shocks, panic attacks or anything that might make her blood pressure rise exponentially. I will leave my assistant here and another one is on her way."

The doctor started out the door and Rafe followed him, "Thank you for coming to visit Doctor."

"Your highness, may I know why she stopped eating? I assume it has something to do with you."

"No you may not ask." Most people would have been offended but the Doctor knew how the prince was, "Alright then. There is something else I need to tell you. Can we go to your office?"

"Of course."

Rafe led the way to his office and both of the sat down. "What is it?"

"When I was checking the princess I found some marks on her body." He ran his hands through his hair before continuing. "Your highness I have no doubt that she used to cut herself." Rafe's eyes widened and he leaned forward. "The tops of her thighs look like a box of matchsticks. There is one scar on her right leg that is deeper than the others. It's jagged and seems much more erratic than the others. I don't know-

"How long ago do you think the cuts were made?"

"It depends on how her body heals, but it has to be years ago at this point."

The prince leaned back in his chair. He was not expecting this news today.

"Thank you for your help Doctor." The men shook hands and the doctor saw himself out. Rafe felt his anger rising. Melania didn't seem like she was the type to self-harm, but then again nobody really was.

He shoved everything off his desk. He felt completely inadequate. He could protect from everyone and everything but how was he supposed to protect her from herself? There was hope however, the doctor had said they were from years ago. He had to see her, to talk to her, find out what the real reason was.

He ran back up the stairs, not willing to examine the fact that he had never felt this pressed concerning the well-being of a woman.

The prince halted before barging in and knocked. "Come in." Her voice was weak, fragile even. He opened the door and she was sitting up in her bed. The doctor's assistant was sitting at Melania's desk doing whatever on her laptop. Rafe approached the bed slowly.

He stretched out his hand towards her but she flinched away, "Don't touch me," her breaths coming out heavily. Rafe tried to sit on her bed, but her glare and the sudden beeping of one of the machines she was hooked up to stopped him.

"Your highness, her blood pressure is spiking. You're triggering some kind of reaction from her, I will need you to step a-"

"I understand." He straightened and looked at Melania. Really looked at her. Behind her glare, he could see the hurt and he couldn't bear it anymore. "I'll leave." He walked out.

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2 days later

*3rd Person POV*

The entire castle knew at this point how Melania was faring. Very few apart from the family knew why, but everyone knew she wasn't doing well. Elizabeth had only been able to get a couple bowls of broth into her and she spent most of her time in bed sleeping.

Everyone had been taking turns sitting outside or inside her bedroom, depending on who it was. It was currently Jason's shift and he was checking some things on his laptop outside her room with the door slightly open.

Rafe had decided that he needed to see her again, no matter what the absurd machine said or objections that Elizabeth had. Thankfully it was Jason at the door this time. He went to push the door open.

"What are you doing?" The prince stopped. "What do you mean?"

"I can't let you in there Rafe, you know that." Rafe grit his teeth and looked down, "I need to see her Jason. I ca-" his voice cracked.
"I did this to her. I don't know how I can make it right but I have to."

Jason deliberated for a moment, "You can see her. She's asleep right now, don't wake her up. 5 minutes tops Rafe."

The prince went inside and shut the door after himself. He sat by her bed and stared at her. Her cheeks were rosy again but she was just as gaunt as before. Sighing as he brushed some hair from her face he wondered where that girl with the fighting spirit went. From the short time he knew Melania, he figured out she was a fighter. This was not his Melania and he needed to her back.

Then an idea came to him.