Royal (A Selection Fan Fiction) (Book One in my Selection Series)

Chapter 55

"I have to get married now." A deep, sad voice tells me. "You're going to a hospital near your home. I won't be seeing from you again if you wake up. Unless you think you could wake up now for me?"

What was going on. I had to ask him.

I don't make out words but I make out a weird gurgling sound.

"Charlie?"

I couldn't let him leave so I gripped his hand. I feel a weight on my bed and force my tired eyes to open.

"Charlie? Charlie!" I felt someone else's tears drop onto my face. "Come back! Come on I just heard you say something!"

"Alex.." I mutter and watch his face. I felt my strength coming back to me.

My head wasn't against the pillow anymore and I'd felt it bob against a familiar shoulder.

"She's awake! Nurse! She's awake!"

"Why wasn't I awake?" I ask quietly.

"Shhh..." he whispers in my hair. "It's okay just be okay right now just... stay right here and please don't go."

He cried so much. I thought it impossible. He was in such a neat white, shiny white tux and he was just talking about getting married.

I didn't say anything I just nodded in confusion and let him hug me. What was wrong with me?

Nurses came into the room sticking needles into me and eventually demanded Alex at least move himself to the bottom of my bed, which he did. He sat by my feet as I twitched from needles and listened to nurses babble on about something to each other.

"You have to go contact your parents. And her family has to come in soon." One of the nurses tell him."

"Call my father down here. I'm not leaving." Alex says without even looking at her. "Please. Get my father down here."

The nurse looks oddly petrified then hurries out of the room. Apparently there isn't much more they are allowed to do until the king and/ or queen get here.

Alex comes to the top of my bed after the nurses have left and strokes my hair back from his face.

"Tell me what's going on please?" All I asked for was information. "What happened after the wedding?"

"Charlie you lost consciousness do to internal bleeding, and it's hard to tell what caused it but you didn't wake up for a while."

"How long has it been?" I ask quietly. A grim look sets over his soft features.

"I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you that." He whispers quietly like he could speak any louder.

"Please just tell me. A few months?" I ask.

"I've reached the end of the selection– the longest the rules would allow. Father was livid even that happened." Alex carries on. I search my mind for how long the selection was allowed to last. If if ever been told. But I couldn't do it.

"How long?" I ask. "Please. I'd rather you tell me than someone I've never talked to."

Alex leans down and kisses my forehead where he had just brushed away my hair.

"It's been a little over a year." When he whispers it, it feels like he was telling it to my skin.

I can't help but notice how pale my hands were.

"And now you've got a wedding to attend to." I whisper. "I'm sorry."

The ghost of a smile spreads on his lips but he looks at me with all seriousness.

"Only if that's what you want."

"What?" I ask in surprise.

"I said, if you want I'll marry her and then you can go back home, but I don't think Kaila wants that, but she said she'd do it, if all else fails. I trust her to be a good queen, but I don't want her as my wife. She'll never really be my wife."

"What're you saying." I mumble.

"If you want, I want you to marry me. I didn't think I needed motivation to marry you before, but after losing you that's all I really needed. I don't know what I'd do without you any longer." He whispers. Tears slipped from my eyes. I sit up but my back refuses to straighten so I let myself hunch. 

"Okay." I mutter to him. "I'll marry you." I can't help but smile just a little. However scary it was for me, after listening to that I couldn't say no. "Just give me a little while and don't rush the wedding. Let them take their time planning it and We can recover then."

He doesn't answer, only leans down and kisses me once.

"Okay." He smiles at me. A genuine happy smile.

The doors open to the hospital room and the king comes in with the nurse at his side.

"Your family has been notified." The King says to me and sighs. "And Any further decisions of your care I will let rest with the Prince. He never sent you home yet, so I guess the selection wasn't over yet anyway."

"So is my family coming?" I ask. How big was Paisley now? Was Jason and Payton still as happy as they were for what seemed like only days ago?

"Not now." The king finds his words eventually. "Families of the selected are only allowed to visit on the one week we have specialized for them, but if you happen to get married they will indeed be here. After the engagement, your family will visit for a week or so and then leave until the wedding then, it is your choice whether they live in the castle or around the outskirts."

It was so much to handle. Why would they let me see them? I wondered how much they'd missed me...

"I cancel the wedding. Tell Kaila I am very sorry, but she will understand." Alex nods. "Charlie and I are already engaged so allow her family to come immediately."

The king nods and leaves.

Around all the happiness, the confusion smothered me.