Princess Amya recently lost her father King Darian to a mysterious illness thus gaining control of the Kingdom of Timbre a bright modern self sustaining kingdom. An enemy from the past threatens Amya and Timbre's future and an unexpected turn of eve...
I woke calmly the next morning in Jonathan's arms. I moved a little so I could lie on my back. I noticed that I was still wearing my funeral dress. "Are you okay?" Jonathan asked underneath me. "Yes. I haven't slept through the night in years." I answered. I rolled back over so I was lying on his bare chest. "You didn't have to stay all night." I sighed looking down into his eyes. "I didn't want you to wake up alone. Not after last night." He reached up and kissed my nose. I giggled and laid my head against his shoulder. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He whispered rubbing my back gently. I nodded against him. "I know." I looked back up into his eyes. His arm tightened around my waist as he reached his other hand up to my face and kissing me again. Much like the night before the kiss was deep and made me feel safe. "I should shower and get dressed so I can go address the other royals." I told him. He nodded. "I'll change too and meet you right after?" He asked. I smiled and nodded at him. I kissed his cheek before rolling out of my bed. After my shower I returned to the bedroom to find it empty although his long sleeve button up shirt and black dress jacket hung neatly on the back of the armchair near the window. I couldn't help but smile as I dressed in an intricate off shoulder dress with a golden chiffon ball gown skirt and a diamond and pearl tiara.
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I found the royals in the great room again. Queen Noor walked over and embraced me. I laid my head on her shoulder and sighed. "I am alright." I tried to assure her. She shook her head gently. "You are not and that is alright." She gently touched my back. "We do need to know what happened during those years." King Quincy said solemnly. "Honestly, a lot happened. As we all know Queen Daria is unable to have children..." "No." Queen Noor breathed beside me. "He would keep me bound in a dungeon room a majority of the time. Every day he would send his guard to collect me and bring me up to a spare bedroom and tie me down to the bed. Every four weeks or so when my menstrual cycle would begin he would allow his guard to beat and torture me while he watched as my punishment for not falling pregnant." I said. "How old were you when you were taken?" King Octavius asked not looking at me. "I was two months shy of my 16th birthday." King Zeid stood up angrily and turned away from me. Queen Noor held onto my shoulders as I shook under the weight of my confession. After what felt like hours King Zeid looked around the room at the other royals before looking right at me in his queens arms. "I believe I speak not only for my family and the kingdom of Pura but also for the kingdoms of Marl and Zephyr when I say that the King Abasi will answer for this." "No one should be allowed to hurt children. If hurt you, Amya, the daughter of the King of Timbre, what has he done to his own people?" King Octavius said. "I don't know." I admitted. "I don't want the people of Pyre to suffer for King Abasi's digressions." "All of the people in this world are people of Timbre, including all of us. You are our queen now. No one will ever be allowed to hurt you again." King Quincy added. "You will be protected. No matter the cost." Queen Zara assured me. "I need to ask something else. After I was taken my father had a dungeon constructed. Did any of you know about that?" The looks of shock I got confirmed no one knew about it. "That's not the man I knew." King Zeid said looking at me. "I would not have believed it either if I had not seen it with my own eyes." I said gently. "The day we announced my father's death a young man came to me to tell me that his brother was arrested for being involved in my abduction. I found him trussed up in the dungeon with terrible injuries." "That lovely young man that you've been close with?" Queen Noor asked. "Yes. He and his twin brother are guests here in the castle." I answered. "None of us believe in treating people like that. I hope he is doing well now." King Zeid told me. "He seems to be, yes. I need to have a sit down with my guard. I'm not sure how I can trust people who chose to hurt people and hide it from me." "We support you. We will not leave until you feel safe." I met Jonathan before I called the guard to a meeting. "How did it go?" He asked pressing his lips to my head. "Well. Better than I expected. I want to have a meeting with the guard before I send the other royals back to their kingdoms." I told him. "How are you?" I asked looking up at his face. "I'm alright. Cameron has been talking about your friend all morning." He smiled at me. "I have a dozen guard in my employ. Do you remember any of them?" I asked. He shook his head. "They kept me blindfolded. You were the first person I saw. They spoke to me occasionally but I never saw them." I nodded touching my forehead to his chest. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." "No, Amya. It's alright. I know you're just trying to remove the people involved. I can tell you that I'd never heard Nicholas's voice until after I saw your face but I'm certain that I heard Griffin's. I know that hurts you." "I have known Griffin my entire life. He was my father's lead guard too." I said. Jonathan looked down at the area between us. "That in no way excuses what he did to you and I cannot stand for it." I said nudging him. I released Griffin and five other guards from my employ. "You can't do this, Amya." Griffin exclaimed walking towards me. "Of course I can. What you did goes against everything I stand for. Everything my family stands for." I answered backing up towards the wall. "Your father is the one that authorized this." He spat. "A desperate man looking for his daughter. You were supposed to be his voice of reason and instead you followed blindly. People died!" I screamed as my back hit the wall. "You are allowing your feelings for him to..." "This has nothing to do with Jonathan. Jonathan is alive because Cameron came to find me. I am talking about all of those corpses you left down there to rot. You know exactly how damaging that is." I yelled. "You have until the end of the hour to be out of my home." I finally stated calmly as he loomed over me. "You are making a mistake!" He screamed slamming his hand on the wall next to my head. "Get out of my home." I said as firmly as I could. "Amya." Jonathan said from the doorway. Griffin turned to look at him. His hand still next to my head. "Step away from her." Jonathan walked into the room. "Jonathan." I said gently. "Shut up." Griffin turned back on me causing me to flinch backwards. "Do not speak to her that way." Suddenly and without warning King Zeid pushed between me and Griffin as Jonathan rushed to my side. "You will regret this, Amya." Griffin said looking up at the king. He turned on his heel and walked out of the study. I leaned into Jonathan and sighed.
