Forced Royal

Recovery

Chapter 15- Recovery

I sit at my makeup counter and cry. One tear exits my eye then another one forms. The tears sting my fragile swollen eyes, and I've been crying for hours. My fingertips are black from wiping away mascara-stained tears. I sniffle as another sob comes along while Bethany sits at my side, gently wiping my face with a damp rag. She positions my face towards her and she strokes the rag across my eyes and cheeks. All the stickiness from the makeup and tears are now gone, thanks to Bethany. She hasn't said anything to me for all this time. She just has let me get everything out of my system. I feel bad because she's done all this for me and yet, all I've done is cry.

"Th-Thank you..." I say.

She scurries to the sink and puts cool water on the rag, and makes her way back to me. "It is the least I could do, Arizona. After all, with all you've been through these last few days-"

I interrupt, "With all I've been through? What about you?"

She seems caught off-guard when I say that. I have true pity for this woman. I mean, come on, who wouldn't have pity for someone who has to work for the queen her whole life? I always thought old fairytales with evil queens were cheesy, but my opinions have changed since I've arrived to the castle.

Man, when did I arrive at the castle?

I think for a while, and find out that... Oh my gosh! I'm on Day Four of being at the castle!

No, it seems as if it has been at least a couple of weeks with all this. I'm almost through Day Four, and I've broken down several times. How am I going to make it through this?I always thought I was a strong girl, but maybe I'm not as strong as I assumed. Maybe, just maybe, I'm weak. If I was strong, I wouldn't have cried this much. If I was strong, I would've accepted the fact that I'm probably not getting out of this. If I was strong, I would make the most of this time.

I feel like everything I had, is now gone. Now, instead of worrying at what college I'm going to attend, I'm worrying about a wedding and running a country. Now, I can't spend time with my brother as much as I did in the past. Now, I can't even see my best friend. Now, I can't choose who I am going to be with. Now, I have no freedom. To be able to do something, I have to ask for Queen Chelsea's permission. I feel as if someone's pinning me down, and I'm struggling to break free from their grasp.

All I have is the small hope that I can break from their grasp. The sliver of light that I can find at the end of this dark tunnel. Hope is all I've got, and it seems that everyday, that hope gets slimmer and slimmer. What happens if one day, it just goes away? What would I do then?

"Oh, dear. My life has been fine." She states.

I stare up at her, "But your love was taken away, too."

She has a slight painful look in her blue eyes, "He was, but not in the same way as yours."

I wipe more hot tears from my cheeks. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even mentioned-"

"No," she interrupts, "I'm fine with talking about him. He was the best thing that ever happened to me, dear. Don't be sorry about mentioning him. You can ask me about whatever. I'm here for you."

"Thanks..." I mumble.

"You want some nice tea to calm you down a bit?" Bethany asks.

I automatically shake my head, "I'm never drinking tea again after what Queen Chelsea did to me... that was just cruel! I still gag at the thought of that awful piping hot tea..."

"Oh... Emerald told me about that... she said that the queen ordered an odd type of tea for that afternoon. Emerald had nothing to do with it, though. She is a very nice young lady, much like you in a way. She is like a daughter to me, I guess." She replies.