frozen heart » n.h

Chapter 57

Mirabella's POV:

For the longest time I just stared, not trusting what my eyes were seeing. I was losing my mind. I was going to wake up from another nightmare in the blink of an eye, or be carted off to the physician to be treated for hallucinations. This wasn't happening. No way in hell.

I clung to the ornate door handle--one I could have sworn I'd touched a thousand times, though I was no longer certain of anything anymore.

My heartbeat was so thunderous, it was nearly painful. I was still crying, though I didn't know why. He was fine--or at least he seemed to be fine.

He shook my father's hand.

It seemed like an infinity, but it could have only been a matter of seconds. As soon as Niall took notice of me, he sucked in a breath and ran over to me, picking me up off of the ground and holding me so tight, I knew it was real.

He was fine, father was not violently angry, and I was terribly confused.

But at that precise moment, all I cared about was how close he was, how tight he was holding me. For two weeks, I'd been without him and now he was here, clutching me to his chest and digging his fingers into my hair. I was so overwhelmed by the smell of soap on his skin, I forgot how improper this was in the castle.

I found myself crying all over again, staining what I had yet to realize was the jacket of royal with tears.

I didn't know how to react to all of it. Confusion of what was going on and fear that it was some sick joke rattled me.

But then Father cleared his throat and Niall quickly pulled away, stepping to the side and... blushed?

What the hell?

My eyes landed on my father and I realized his stern gaze was cracking. Tears welled in his eyes as he stood behind the massive oak desk.

"Mirabella," He whispered in disbelief.

I stood in my place, still confused, still afraid of what was to come. How long had Niall been here? How was he in the same room as my father and not dead on the floor?

But my father's quick strides and sudden embrace cleared my head. I'd forgotten just how safe I'd felt in his arms. I'd forgotten how warm and strong they were.

I wrapped my tiny arms around his waist and buried my face into his chest.

"I missed you, daddy," I breathed against him.

His voice cracked and he started crying, pressing a long kiss against the top of my head. I'd never heard my father cry and it was a sound that broke my heart and mended it all at the same time.

I hated the idea of hurting him, but his anger seemed to have given way to a much deeper emotion the longer I was gone. He'd only wanted his daughter back--not vengeance as he'd first intended.

I stood there for a moment, wrapped in his arms, before curiosity broke through and made my skin itch with a need to know what was going on.

I pulled away and stared up at him, then to Niall who stood over his shoulder with an amused expression on his face--his face that I hadn't seen in two weeks. It was still chiseled and pale and gave off the vibe that he had hundreds of secrets, but it was clean. In the few hours that he'd been here, he'd been bathed and shaved and offered royal clothes.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice filled with a skepticism I myself could not describe.

Father chuckled and wiped at his eyes.