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

Chapter 56

The king walked out and ran in a little girl I recognized. She was taller and had a thinner torso and longer legs than last time I saw her.

"Charlie!" She screeches. "I found so many pictures that we missed and rooms with so many little things we've never even read! I've read some of them to you the whole time you were asleep and they all warned me that you wouldn't wake up but I didn't believe them, because I knew you'd come back!"

"I'm so sorry." I whisper. "I'm so so sorry, Addy."

"Just don't go again. It was so boring again and I was back to being alone every moment I was awake." She wraps herself around me and her soft hair falls over me. "But the wedding." She looks up at Alex. "Please don't make her go! Don't let her go again!"

"The wedding has been canceled." Alex tells her, holding her face between his hands. "She isn't going anywhere."

Then we all cried a little, of course.

They wouldn't let me leave me bed, so I sat there asking Alex about the few times I'd heard small conversations or someone just talking to me.

"Your dad wanted to take you home, but I wouldn't let him. If I let him take you home I'd never get the chance to see you again. I just couldn't." Alex says.

"How long until they are here?" I ask him.

"They're gathering them at the airport now. You need to rest." He tells me.

"Alex, wouldn't I know if I was asleep for a year? Like, wouldn't I be able to tell?" I ask him. Everything felt like the day after the wedding. I could tell a difference in Alex. His eyes had dark shadows under them and his eyes were red. His hair had grown out recently and hung carelessly off his forehead.

"I don't know. You missed a year of your life and so did I in the process." He tells me. "Don't worry I'll get you caught up in the morning on anything going on, okay? For now you need to rest, love." He whispers.

He doesn't leave me bed and continues to stroke the fingers of mine that are in his grasp.

•••

I dream of Rae sitting on a bench in the garden. I say something, but she doesn't hear me. I walk closer. I talk to her again. She still doesn't hear me. I see her scratch the side of her head and pull back her hand colored in red.

I scream, but she just looks woozy. She sways slightly before collapsing sideways with blood streaming out of her head. It seemed like forever when someone came To my rescue, screaming my name.

But I was back in the hospital and Alex was by my bedside.

"You have some visitors." He whispers to me. Had it already been the hours it took for my family to get here? But as I sat up I realized it wasn't my family, but three people as familiar as them.

"Wendy! Summer! Tailor!" I exclaim. They all cried as they each hugged me.

"I didn't know if you were going to wake up and oh! We would've gotten some absorbed teenager from a high caste and–" Wendy cries.

"I'm back." I tell them.

"For good right?" Summer asks. "We heard about your engagement. We couldn't be happier, miss." They all smile at me.

I return it. They all look older and matured, while I was just confused. Confused with everything.

•••

I slept again, but woke up peacefully to a gentle shake from Alex.

"Your family is going to be here soon. They said it isn't a good idea to see close relatives all at once they are sending two at a time." Alex tells me.

"You aren't going to leave are you?" I ask him.

"No I promise." He tells me. "Also I brought you something." Alex sighs and leans closer to me a little. "Before Jason and Payton's wedding there is this guy that always comes with beautiful selections of rings. He came for them so Jason could finally give Payton the ring he wanted to, and I was allowed to go ahead and choose one. I picked out one for you. When all this happened, I kept it in my room and didn't show anyone yet. Eventually they told me I had to continue with the selection, but I refused to give Kaila this ring... so I still have it."

He opens up a precious little velvet box to a beautiful ring. It little silver diamonds, each attached to each other and didn't quite go all the way around. One side ended higher than the other and had a blue diamond flower connected to it. The other side had a small diamond on the end of it.

"I thought the diamond would match your eyes." He tells me. I don't dare touch the precious jewels.

"It's– I love it, Alex." I whisper. He takes my hand and slides the the diamonds onto my ring finger.

"I thought so. Jason said he thought you would." Alex tells me.

"Jason helped you?" I ask him.

"Yes. Very kind." He replies.

"I'm not that excited for them to be coming. I saw them yesterday..." I whisper the ending, remembering that was only right in my head.

"They haven't seen you in a year." Alex whispers to me. "They're going to be very excited. Your dad and Louis will probably come in together maybe with Paisley. Jason and Payton and Henry and Tayloe. They said there aren't allowed to be but so many people in here at once for the first two days then you'll be released to your new room."

The princesses sweet is supposedly beautiful. Absolutely, gorgeous.

"We aren't married yet, though." I say, confused.

"Close enough." Alex shrugs and causes me to laugh aloud.

"I guess." I answer laughing, still.