Prince | phan (COMPLETE)

XXIII

My parents made me stay in my room. My mother wouldn't stop crying and my father wouldn't stop yelling at me for being stupid. I felt like crying,  my chest heaved. I asked William about Dan and he told me he was being hung the next day. It was so soon, the worst kind of punishment given to someone. Dan on death row because of me.
I couldn't belive that, Dan wasn't going to die... in most countries the death punishment is abolished but not here, why not here? My first decree will be to abolish it here but by then it'll be too late. Maybe I can do something. What if I postpone it by having a wedding tomorrow as that'll hold off any punishement. Then the day when Dan is supposed to die I can ban it... but it won't work that quickly. I squashed my face against my pillow and screamed.

The next day rolled by. I heard a knock on the door. I didn't say anything and the person peered around it.
"I heard about Daniel," Ella told me and closed the door. "What happened?"
"He didn't kidnap me," I whispered.  "I love him."
"I'm not surprised," Ella sighed and gently rubbed my forearm.
"You're not?" I sniffed and sat up on the bed.
"I'm not stupid. I could tell you were in love with someone and I knew that someone wasn't me." She shrugged and I felt the bed shift under her weight. "It wasn't hard to put two and two together when I saw the news. You ran away with the man you love." I nodded but stayed silent. Ella was really smart.
"I don't know what to do," I whispered and pushed my face into my palms.
"Marry me," she said suddenly.
"What?" I looked up sharply.
"Get Daniel back and marry me," she repeated and I couldn't help but look at her confused.  "Make the village believe you want to marry me. Tell them you went to your friend because you were nervous about our wedding."
"A-are you sure? You're putting your whole life on hold for me... I can't love you Ella, I love you as a friend but that's all. I don't want you to think that I'm taking advantage..." I wanted to jump at the chance of saving Dan but I couldn't stop Ella's life for Dans.
"Come on," Ella told me and grabbed my hand before I could object. I was still in yesterday's clothes as I travelled down stairs with Ella.

"We need to be quick." She whispered to me.
"Philip is grounded," William spoke as we approached.
"William.  Philip and I wish to take a walk together, I'll keep an eye on him." She flashed him a cute smile and her eyes shone. William tried to stare her down but eventually gave in and agreed to let us go - as long as we were back within the hour.

As soon as we were out the gates we ran the the building Dan would be in. Crowds of angry people were gathered outside, waiting to hear the news that my kidnapper was dead,  but they would never hear that news if I could help it. People with cameras cheered when I arrived and asked about how happy I was now my kidnapper was caught. I didn't reply. I pushed past the crowd as quickly as I could.

I entered the building just as someone pulled the handle and a body dropped. I clenched my eyes shut, the guy had brown hair... was it him? My body froze and my heart beat had slowed down to almost nothing. I couldnt live without Dan - how Romeo and Juliet is that?
Ella knocked my shoulder and I took a sharp intake of breath as she pointed to Dan who was next in line.
"Dan!" I rushed over to the hanging area and stood between the rope and Dan as a buff man held onto his shoulder. Dan looked shocked to see me. "Everyone stop this!" The crowd looked expectantly at me as my eyes felt sore and my heart stung. "This is a democracy, let's vote what we should do."
"Kill him!" A man yelled and everyone roared the same thing afterwards.
"Wait! Hear what I have to say first," I pleaded. They fell quiet. "Dan is my friend.  He didn't kidnap me, I ran away because I was afraid to marry but I'm not afraid anymore. Dan has done nothing but help me out of so many rough times and killing him would mean killing me too." The crowd still looked angry and I remembered how Toby said no one would believe me. I held my breath and looked at the piece of rope hanging down. I gripped it, feeling the firm nylon beneath my fingertips.  I slowly put it over my neck. "It's your choice."
The crowd was silent, the rope felt itchy against my neck.

"Who thinks Dan should go free?" I put my hand up and slowly other people followed suit until the whole room had their hands up. The muscular man let go of Dan and took the rope from around my neck.
"Take him," he pushed Dan to me and Ella smiled at me from the crowd. Dan hugged me desperately.
"I thought I was going to die," he whispered into my ear.
"I'd never let that happen," I replied.

AN: one more chapter to go, get ready
- Rach x