Crown Jewel

4 // goodbye for now

I was given a day to pack and say my goodbyes. Not nearly enough time, but still time nevertheless. I was told to only bring things with sentimental value as everything else would be provided.

"Jenny, I'm going to miss you so much." I sobbed clutching her tight. I would miss her laughs, her voice, her seemingly endless teasings, everything. Jenny was my younger sister. I knew without a doubt, she'd be pestering me endlessly for details about the prince.

"I'm going to miss you too." My sister let go of me and next came my parents.

"We love you so much Izzie. Don't forget to write to us." My father reminded. As if I would. Knowing my father, if I didn't write to him, he'd storm up to the palace and shove a pen and paper into my hands himself.

I smiled. "Papa, come one. With my luck, I'll be the first to go."

We laughed and my father looked at me disbelievingly.

"The prince would be a fool to let you go." My mother butted in. "Any man would."

My mind wandered to Archer and I thought about how I was the fool. How I was the one whose heart got played.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now. I love you guys." With that I walked out our small home only to be greeted by flashing lights.

Cameras were pointed at me from everywhere. I felt blind from the flashes and once my vision adjusted I noticed many people holding signs saying things like 'you're already a queen to us!' or 'go get' em Isabela!'

I surveyed the crowd in shock for a few moments. Once out of my trance I heard a little voice screaming my name. I turned to the side and smiled.

One of my old patients, a little girl named Cara, was holding a poster and calling out to me. She was pretty frequent at the clinic I worked at. She was a really active kid who constantly seemed to get bruises from sports.

"Isabella! You're gonna be a princess!" She said excitedly. I laughed at how high pitched her voice was.

"Maybe? We'll see very soon, won't we?" I said. She nodded her head happily and her hair fell over her head, but she didn't seem to mind.

"I made a poster for you!" She held out her poster to me. It seemed to be a picture of me with a crown on my head. "I really want you to be princess! You'll be a princess like me!"

She motioned me to come closer and whispered, "I'm not actually princess. It's called make believe."

The seriousness in her voice made me laugh out loud. "Oh Isabella, I'll miss you! My family says good luck by the way."

I hugged the little girl and said my goodbye.

I went around for a while chatting with some of my patients, people I knew or strangers. It seemed that I lost track of time because the carriage driver called me to leave.

I stood up a final time and smiled at the support my entire province was giving me but then my eyes zeroed in on a couple kissing. I felt my heart ache remembering that was me and Archer once, but then I realized: it was Archer. Archer had his lips planted against a girl's. As if feeling my gaze on him, he turned around and I saw an expression of guilt and shock on his face while he probably saw one of hurt on mine.

To make matters worse, it was a girl who's been pinning on him for ages. He always told me he had no interest in her, but, clearly, that wasn't the case. I couldn't blame him really. She was beautiful and an heir to one of the wealthy landlords. She looked at my broken expression and had the audacity to smirk at me as if saying 'I told you so'. It was just too much for me.

So much for there not being someone else.

I walked over to my carriage while he ran towards me shoving people aside. "Isabela!" he cried. He called my name over and over and it only encouraged me to run to the carriage waiting for me. Just before he could reach me, I shut the door and the carriage was moving.

I suppose the twins were right. There was a girl, but it wasn't me.

And yet, Archer, I'll miss you

749 words!! Yeeee I'm feeling kind of excited for the next few chapters. She's gonna meet the prince soon so be ready ;)