The Princess Choice

Chapter 14

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x) 3 MONTHS LATER (x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

"King Richard it is time..." Richard heard the whisper laced with pain.

"I am not ready... I honestly cannot do this..." Richard wiped the tears from his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. He had to put a face on even though he was going thru the toughest thing he could ever endure and was surprised by how much pain it caused him he had always believed to be a very strong man, but this had broken him on the inside he felt hollow without her smile, her giggles, he felt like the sun would never rise until he could run in the fields with her again.

...

"Thank you all for coming... this means more to me than the world to see your love for her and dedication to her. Queen Annalise Isabella of Cornelian Queen of Perianal was a woman with no comparison... compassionate..." Richard let out a breath "she will be missed more than words could ever describe, and she will always be loved." He looked at the empty coffin. "I hate to say I failed her and could not protect her. I stood in front of her parents and swore that I would never let harm come to her, and I failed, but nothing will stop me from bringing her body home and getting revenge." the tears slipped from his cheeks. 

Her aunt stood and walked up to him with tears running down her face "You did everything you could, son... my sister knew she was always safe in your arms, she knew that our girl's happiness was in your hands, and I know you always made her happy no matter the mistakes you could have made."

Everyone came up in turn to apologize and tried to talk to him, but after about an hour, he could not take it anymore and walked into the study and leaned against his desk, letting all the tears fall. He turned and walked towards the desk she had there and felt pain radiate everywhere. He stared at her favorite pen, still sitting on her desk over a paper she had been rushing to finish to meet with him for their date when it happened. He had not been in here put once and could not help but remember her body being dragged away.

"Should you not, as king, be mingling with your guest." Francis mocked him.

"Prince Francis, please... I cannot do this right now... I demand your respect and will only tell you this one time disrespect me again, and I will kill you" Richard felt rage at the thought of the last fight he had with her was his fault he had disrespected her over and over because of him. He had taken all the rage he felt about her love for this boy out on him and there was nothing he could do to beg for her forgiveness now. 

"Oh no... first of all, I am a King; second, come on, you did not really love her, did you? I know she just married you because I did not want her, so I figured you married her for the little body... I had my share of fun with it..." Francis laughed.

"Your kingdom is nothing compared to mine, and I will only tell you one thing leave because a man in mourning is not someone who should be messed with lightly." Richard turned with rage dripping from every pour of his body.

Francis smiled "She was always mine, body and soul I think we both know that." Richard went to grab him when the queen's sister walked in and felt disgusted looking at the boy her niece had once loved.

"I knew your father was a terrible man, but I did not know how much you were like him... leave before we have you thrown out like the dog you and your father have always been and will always be. That girl loved you for a long time for you to disrespect her this way... you lost her because you were a fool." her aunt looked at him with hate radiating from her eyes. 

Richard sat in his study, staring at her desk with her pen in his hand, replaying that night in his head again, and watched again as Annalise looked up at him and made him promise he would not allow them to take her. That image haunted him, and he could not sleep; he needed to know who had been in charge of this plan, and more importantly, he needed to destroy them.

"May I..."

"Speak, George..." he looked at his friend and felt the pain he felt reflected back at him.

"King Francis may be like his father, but there is one thing we have always known to be true, my king... his love for my Queen Analise..." George said with his head slightly bowed, knowing his point would anger the king. 

"Is there a point..." Richard felt rage.

"He did not tear up... he did not cry... he did not look remorseful if anything, your grace the entire time he looked entertained. He looked like he was enjoying some joke that no one knew about....why would he do this if she was dead... we both know, sire, that King Francis has loved our queen since the day they met; he may have been a fool and done things wrong, but he loved her why would he gloat about her death unless he knows something that we do not know."