How To Be A Princess | Discontinued |

31.

"Ledwick...what are you doing?" I smile playfully and kick off my shoes in a corner.

He laughs and pounces onto the bed. "I've never sat on your bed before. It's so comfy!" He bounces up and down, creaking the bed. We both laugh and I sit on the bed beside him. I carefully loosen the sling on my arm and I try to move it slowly. 

"Ouch." I wince at the pain. It wasn't as bad as before. It's definitely healing. He places his hands underneath my arm and studies it.

"It looks like it's healing," he says as he locks his eyes on mine.

"Yeah." I look over to the side and down to the floor. He notices my expression has changed and his demeanor changes from ecstatically hyper to tremendously worried.

"Everything okay?" He scoots over so he completely faces me. I nod my head slowly while I take a thin strand of hair and tuck it behind my ear.

"I guess. It's just...all of this chaos with my kingdom and the other. I'm just lost...not sure what to do. I feel useless at this point."

He wraps one arm around me and lets me rest my head on his soft pillowy shoulder. "Anna, you are not useless. In fact, you're the most useful and bravest person I know." 

I can feel him smile since his cheek is touching my head. Listening to his steady heart beat calms me as if our hearts are both marching to the same drum. I smile lightly and I sit up straight. "I should probably go to bed." I stand up and smooth out my day dress that has begun to brown on the bottom.

"Why so early?" He asks as he stands up as well and rests his hand beneath my elbow.

"I have to meet someone tomorrow and I'm exhausted." I rub my eyes and yawn. I try to stretch out my injured arm but immediately regret it.

His facial expression changes and he crosses his arms. "Who?"

"Prince Adam," I reply, standing uneasily.

He solemnly nods his head and makes his way to the door. He turns around and bows and opens the door for himself. "Good night."

I smile politely and plop down onto the bed as he shuts the door behind him. What was that about? I take the jewel that I sat down and I admire it and turn it over in my hand. I smile to myself, wondering as to why Ledwick would want to give this to me. 

I walk over to my closet and change into a violet silk night dress. Leaving my hair as it is, I go ahead and lay in bed, letting my mind wander. Swirling thoughts of my kingdom and these attacks, Ledwick, my parents, and just about everything else floods my mind, controlling my emotions. Finally, I fall asleep.

~*~

BOOM!!

Rounds of shots fire off in the main hall and my sleep comes to a halt immediately. I jump out of bed and stumble on my feet as I look for my slippers. Footsteps are scrambling throughout the palace, enough movement to rock the chandeliers up above. My eyes are still adjusting to the light and I run to the door and swing it open. Clouds of smoke surround the area and my chest tightens, unable to breathe. Crouching to the floor, I begin to crawl as best as I can with my injured arm, but everything becomes hazy. I shake my head frantically to refocus my vision but nothing works. My eyes start to tear up from the heat and I collapse on the floor, crouching in a fetal position trying to get air. More loud booms and gunshots fire and a million screams erupt. It was probably my imagination, but a small figure appears in the distance. I squint my eyes to get a better look but it fades away from the smoke. Robert..?

Another loud boom erupts only closer.

"ANNA!" A man's voice screams.

I wake up to find myself lying on the cold floor, groaning from the pain. I must have landed on my arm.