The Dying Rose

Chapter Seventeen

The walk down the paths felt like a lifetime for Corla. She was annoyed with the woman's presence because she wouldn't stop talking about herself and what kind of dress she was thinking on wearing to the ball the next day. Corla had walked beside the prince with a decent silence, and though she didn't hate him directly, she hated his family and that was enough not to even utter a word unless she had to.

"It has purple and pink pearls on a beautiful blue dress," Quinn said with excitement. Corla glanced toward the guard and saw a forced smile curl on his lips as he gave a strict nod. "I really think the prince will like it," she whispered to the guard, but it wasn't quiet enough to keep the words hidden from both Corla and the prince.

"Well, one of his favourite colours are blue," the guard said through his forced smile. Corla nearly smirked at how little the guard was interested in the woman's conversation. Even the prince looked slightly annoyed by how much she talked. She tried to ignore her words as best as she could, but every so often she'd hear a certain word and pay all of her attention on what she had to say. Corla let out a soft breath of air and focused on the path ahead, until the prince asked her a question quietly.

"So, Corla," the prince started and gave a little smile. "Where are you from?"

Corla thought on the spot for a second before replying. "I'm not really from here. My aunt lives in one of the villages, though. I went to come surprise her but I bumped into Quinn." Corla said the woman's name in a whisper to make sure the woman wouldn't focus on their conversation.

"So you're the mysterious niece, huh?" The prince grinned but then a frown folded on his lips. "Your aunt, as weird as it may sound, was charged with a crime and locked away."

Corla blinked and made her slight smile curl into a shocked frown. "Like the dungeon?"

"Yes. The king thought it would be the most appropriate for now, but after the ball he was thinking of," the prince took a breath and that was when Corla closed her eyes and slowed down. The prince stopped as well, but the woman and the guard continued to walk, dispite the little glance back the guard did. "I'm so sorry. If I could change the outcome, I would. Your aunt was a very polite woman, Corla."

"So he's going to kill her?" she asked bitterly, not caring that she was getting angry.

"Unless he has a change of heart, yes. Apparently she had tried to stab him and his guard's while in his office but she didn't get away with it." The prince said softly before he put down the box and looked at Corla. "He goes too far sometimes, I understand. But if what he says is true, killing her may be the only way to protect the castle."

Corla opened her mouth as she looked up to focus on the prince's face, but she closed it just as fast as she opened it. Instead, she bit her bottom lip to keep away all the screams she wanted to burst into the villages and castle. She took in a deep breath through her nose before she closed her eyes and lowered her gaze. "I haven't seen her in so long," Corla whimpered, realizing that she wasn't even thinking about her guard anymore; she was thinking about her mother. "She was always so protective and loving and now I'm going to be all alone." Corla tried not to sniff or let out another cry but when the prince wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back, she couldn't hold it in. She hadn't cried in months and it felt like a different life. She slowly wrapped her arms around the prince and stood there with him crying for a good thirty seconds before she let go of him and rubbed her eyes. "Thank you, Your Highness."

The prince's voice was quiet, but she could hear his words easily. "How about you call me Vincent?"

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