The Bride

Chapter 19//: I already chose someone

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 19//: I already chose someone♕✿~♕✿~

Ahren's POV

When I walk through the palace with the other guards, Gregory is waiting for me with pursed lips and his arms crossed over his chest.

Behind him, the remaining girls in the Choosing stand. Emily, Penelope, and Nina are the only girls remaining in the palace, and I haven't bothered to talk to them for the past few days. I come to a stop away from Gregory as Nick goes up to him, explaining what had happened. Gregory's face takes on the look of disapproval as he looks at me. I sigh as I walk up to them, preparing for the lecture I am going to have to listen to.

Nick excuses himself and follows the other guards as they walk farther away to go to the barracks. When they are all gone, and it's the girls who remain besides us, he speaks.

"This is why I wanted you to stay. While you were out there, the Rogue Dawn attacked. You could've been killed!" Gregory hisses at me. I stare down at him harshly.

"It was just this one time. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," I tell Gregory in a low voice. In my peripheral vision, I could see the girls shuffling on their feet at the tension rising around us.

Gregory scoffs. "Yes, and you're lucky you came back to the palace in one piece. Norta could have lost their future king today," Gregory tells me with a pained look in his eyes. And I understood at that moment; Gregory was frightened for my safety today. With the deaths of my parents, Gregory had stepped up to take the role of parental figures. And he had genuinely feared for my life today.

But I could take care of myself. I wasn't a little child anymore. I was a young man, getting ready to lead a country. "I'm glad that you care about me, Gregory, but I'm fine. I managed perfectly well," I tell him.

Gregory shakes his head at me. "This is too risky. You are not allowed to go on any future search parties, do you understand?" he tells me in a stern voice. Indignation rises in me at his words.

"I will do what I want to do. I am going to be next to my guards and fight alongside them to take down the Rogue Dawn and get Madi back," I tell Gregory with fervor. "We are close to finding her, I know it. I need to go on the next search parties."

But even as I think Gregory will let me go with the next search parties with no fights, Gregory is staring at me with a stern look. "The search party can look without you. And what difference does it make if you stay here at the palace rather than search for her yourself?"

"Every difference!" I cut in loudly. The girls jump from being spooked, and even Gregory looks shocked at my outburst. "It makes every damn difference," I continue. "Gregory, I haven't seen Madi in person for a long time. I have been plagued with nightmares about what is happening to her, and those nightmares just got confirmed with the video the Rogue Dawn sent. And I can't stand another minutes leaving Madi out there getting treated like that." I look at Gregory, hoping he can see just how important it is to me to see, feel, Madi once more. To reassure myself that she is safe.

Gregory looks down at the ground. "But there are also other things you need to focus on as the future king of Norta," he informs me. "You need to focus more on your upcoming coronation and the Choosing."

I let loose a sharp laugh without any humor in it. I look at Gregory with incredulity. "Do you think I really give a damn about the Choosing still?" I ask him. How long would it take for people to realize I was done with the Choosing? "And the coronation details have already been taken care of. We had a deal, Gregory," I remind him.

Gregory doesn't give up. "Yes, but your part included doing something about the Choosing, not ignoring it like you are now," he argues.

I'm too frustrated at this point to care about my actions. I was getting pressured by everyone to do something. And I was trying my best to do so, but everyone kept demanding more from me. Alexis' words come back to me. Sometimes, you just have to say 'fuck it' and do your own thing.

I look Gregory and the girls in the eye. "You want me to do something about the Choosing? I will." I face the girls. "You're all eliminated."

The girls have varying reactions to the news. Emily blinks once, twice, not quite understanding my words for a moment. Penelope stares at me as if I grew a second head. And Nina's mouth pops open, a wretched sound escaping from her mouth.

Even Gregory is sputtering, trying to think of what to say. "You... you can't do that. You have to actually try! That was the deal," he tells me harshly.

I shake my head at him. "I did try, Gregory. And I realized there's no reason to try because in the end, I know I'll eliminate these girls anyways. Better to do it sooner rather than later." I move around him, walking towards the stairs to go to my room. Gregory follows after me as the girls stay behind, still frozen at their spots.

"But people across the nation are rioting, wanting you to choose a queen," Gregory tries to reason with me as he keeps on walking with me.

I stop walking to face Gregory. "I already chose someone. And it's Madi," I tell him with certainty.

"I understand that. But you have to choose someone else just in case she is never found," Gregory says. I narrow my eyes at him.

"She will be found. I won't stop looking for her when she's out there getting hurt. And there isn't even a replacement that would ever be able to take her place," I tell Gregory. I turn away from him. "That is my final decision. I want an emergency Report to happen tonight so I can tell this to the rest of Norta." I start walking again to my room while saying over my shoulder, "They wanted something to happen with the Choosing. So they'll get it."

♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~

Are you guys happy that Ahren has now ended the Choosing? I sure am.

Hopefully, you guys enjoyed the double update haha. The tension is starting to rise, with the guards being close to finding the Rogue Dawn hideout and where Madi is and Ahren deciding to end the Choosing for good. I am really excited to start writing the next chapters to build up the conflict.

Have a great rest of your week!

Glass_Sword