The Princess Choice

Chapter 15

Richard broke through the barrier and collapsed hiding in the seam of the wall. His men lay at his sides his heart was breathing uncontrollably this was the last place he could look for her if she was not here, he was going to have to accept that it was over, and he would never see her again. "We believe your queen may be in here... find her and bring her to me," he told his men around him as his heartbeat almost out of his chest with the fear that she might not actually be here. 

...

"We found her but sire she..." the guards spoke thru his pain but could not finish; he had tears in his eyes, and seeing him confirmed to him what he knew that everyone loved his queen more than their own lives and in an instant would die for her... she had earned this love with her love and patience and kindness she had for all. There was no one his Annalise would ever treat incorrectly or unjustly because to her no one was above anyone including herself. 

Richard heard nothing as he walked into the room where she was being held; the first thing that hit him was the smell of blood and death; then he looked up and saw how fragile she was, but it was not the fact that she was so skinny that stabbed him in the heart or the fact that her eyes did not open with the commotion she continued to lie on the cold hard floor covered by a thin fabric rolled into herself.

Anthony looked at the king and saw his pain "clear the room now... sire we will clear the way, and I will call for you when we have an opening." He walked out knowing the king would not answer him thru the heartbreaking pain going thru his heart.

Richard slowly made his way to her and pulled the blanket slowly and felt shock run thru his body, not at her thinness in the face and arms or the dark circles under her eyes but it was at the fact that even in her unconscious state, she was protecting her swollen stomach and as he looked at it he realized that there was a baby in there. His queen was with child and doing everything in her power to protect the little life in her womb. 

He slowly kneeled next to her and prayed there was a heartbeat. He pulled her and cradled her in his arms gently. "Annie... Annie, please... my queen, I need you to wake up, my love... " Annalise did not move an inch, and Richard realized that his queen had been her for months fighting for her life, and he had just accepted that she died, and he felt so much guilt in his heart. 

"Sire we have to get out of here." His right-hand guard Antonio ran up as he avoided looking at them on the floor because he knew he was stepping into a private moment and the heartbreak his king was feeling was raw and true.

...

Richard walked into the room where she was still asleep, he had just gotten out of the shower, but it had been two days since she had been brought here.

"Do they know how far along she is..." George asked quietly looking at the queen with pain in his eyes.

"The baby is mine nothing else matters..." the king looked into George's eyes and saw the sorrow he felt reflected as George stepped out. It did not matter who may have conceived that baby Annalise was his, and that baby would be no one but his if she ever forgave him for being such a fool. 

"You need to wake up because I buried you... I watched your casket lower into the ground and get covered in dirt... I need to hear your voice and see your eyes so I can believe that you are really here Annie, please... my queen, please." He kissed her hand and laid his head on the bed to attempt to get the sleep that had been avoiding him for so long now. He was exhausted, but sleep was something he could not get peacefully until he could look into her eyes.

Annalise looked up and flinched as she took in all the bright light around her, and she flinched from the pain everywhere, but it was something that she had grown accustomed to pain was an every day for her now. She looked around, scared for a minute, and then she saw him there sleeping and felt pain and joy and sorrow all at once. She had cried and pleaded for this day for so long, but she thought she would die before it could ever happen; she needed to know if it was true.

"Richard..." she placed her hand on his cheek gently.

Richard was up in a second and looked into her eyes as his filled with tears. "Annalise, are you really... awake?" the tears slipped from his cheeks. 

"Richard the baby... how is the baby..." she pleaded because she did not care about anything, especially herself at the moment.

"They will tell us they have been running tests on you since you came in..."

"Richard, I have to tell you the baby..." he must think the worst of her; she had to tell him everything.

"Shh, we will talk later, please for now, can we please sleep and let me hold you because it has been months since I slept." and as he laid his head on her lap finally succumbing to exhaustion it actually felt like for the first time things might actually be okay.She watched him sleep before sleep over took her and she silently laid her head and slept.

Before she was awake Richard woke up and realized he needed to prove to her that it did not matter what had happened while she was taken this baby was his and she would always be his so he kissed her gently on the head and went to the castle, they had not been able to talk but he knew that they had to, and she would be home later today, and they would talk then because she had been cleared and she was doing good.

"George is it ready?" he walked into the room feeling tired he had been working none stop since he arrived here. he wanted everything to be perfect for his queen and the little prince or princess growing within her. 

"Yes sire... and the queen should be here any minute..." George smiled so happy knowing that his king was making things right.

....

Analise felt pain and felt betrayed he had walked out while she slept and had not returned and as she walked into the castle, she refused help and went straight into her bedroom but stopped short to find it empty of all things except the bed and other furniture she was alone she fought to stay alive for him and he found her disgusting. she began sobbing because he had not even given her the chance to try and defend herself he was just casting her aside.