The Princess And The Pauper

S.I.X

Dianne's POV

It had been around two hours and Joe hadn't returned and worry was an understatement.

I pace the room just as my phone rings.

I jump seeing an unknown number, my heart racing.

'Hello?' I answer my voice hoarse
'I-is t-this D-Dianne?' A girl answers
'Yes it is. Who's this?'
'It's Zoe, Joe's sister. Erm,'
'Zoe? Are you alright? Is Joe alright?' I ask panicked.
'No he's not OK. Dianne, Joe's been in a car crash.' No. Please say he's OK.
'I-is h-e o-OK?' I stutter.

She burts into tears. 'No. Dianne he's dead.'

No... He can't be. Not Joe. Not my sweet, sweet Joe. I can't speak. My throat closes up. My chest tightens. I think I'm having a panic attack. Shit, I can't breathe. All I can see is darkness.

Rina's POV
"Dianne's not responding to my phone call. I think something might be wrong." Eve says as she runs in.

Shit. "MARK!" I shout. "We need to go check on Dot. She isn't responding to the phone call. Eve is worried. I'm worried. Mark, what if something has happened to her?" I say, my heart racing. We've done an awful thing.
"Crap. OK, we need to go find her. We shouldn't have done this." He replies.

I just ignore him as I go to find my daughter.

Noticing the door is unlocked. I walk in. "DIANNE." I shout, running over to her. She's not breathing. Oh my God, this is not good. She is lifeless. "MARK! Call an ambulance, now!"
"Shit. Shit. Shit," Eve mumbles under her breath. "What have we done?"
"This is horrible. I'm a horrible person and a terrible Mum." I admit. Why couldn't I just accept my daughters happiness? She clearly loves Joe, and I've messed it up. All for my selfishness. She won't forgive me. I won't forgive me.

"They're on their way." Mark says, coming back over.
I just nod, numbness taking over my body.

Joe's POV

My eyes adjust to the light as I look around the unfamiliar room. What the hell happened? Where am I?

"If you're trying to find a way out, don't bother. I've been trying for a year. There is no way out. No window, no door. Nothing." I jump at the voice.
"One, who are you? Two, how do you survive without food?" I ask.
"Oli, Oli White. And some dude called Archie, somehow, brings me food every once in a while. Don't know how, but he does."

"Joe," I introduce myself. "Why haven't you tried to run?" I ask.
"Because I know the woman who did this to me, and she'd make my life a living hell if I did."
"Rina?" I growl, gritting my teeth.
"Yes, her. What happened for her to hate you?" He asks.
"Her daughter happened." I sigh sadly, thinking about Dianne.
"Princess Dianne?" I nod. "What did you do?"
"I ended up becoming her assistant, and we fell in love. Which Rina wasn't happy about, as she was supposed to be marrying some rich bastard, who happened to be my ex best friend. And yeah, she told her parents and now I'm here," I say. "What about you?"
"I'm kind of in the same boat. I was a temp for them and ended up falling in love with the rich maid, Evie, and when Rina found out she was fuming. I have no idea how I got here, last thing I remember is drinking a -"
"Coffee?" He nods. "That bitch," I scowl. Oli looks at my confused. "Did she get some girl to give you it as a peace offering?" He nods. "I knew it! She got my ex to give me the coffee, they must have slipped some sort of drug into it making me pass out, and now I'm here."

"She's a witch. That's for sure." Oli shakes his head.
"I need to get out of here." I say, trying to untie myself.
"Dude, I've been trying for a year. There's no wa-" He stops. As I set myself free. "How the hell did you do that?"
"I learned karate a few years back." He nods.
"As I was saying, I've been trying for a year to escape, there's no way out."
"Oli," I say, "There's a trap door. Right," I pull the flooring up. "here."
"So that's how Archie brings the food up." I roll my eyes.
"Dude, stop talking, let's go." He nods, as we clamber out.

_ _ _ _

"Dianne?" I call. Nothing.
"Mr Sugg?" I turn my head to see Archie.
"Where is she?" I ask.
"Who, Dianne?" I nod. "She's in the castle's hospital." My heart was racing.

"Why? What the hell has happened to my Dot?" I ask, anger in my voice.
"Mrs Buswell got Miss Higgins to phone Dianne pretending to be your sister Zoe. She told her you'd been in a crash and you'd died. Joe, she suffered a heart attack. From a broken heart." I was angry. Hurt and sad all rolled into one.
"Take me to her."
"I don't think that's a goo-" "NOW." I shout. He nods, leading me to where Dianne is. I'd gotten Oli to call the police. I wasn't standing for this.

"Why won't she wake up?" Rina asks the doctor.
"I've told you, Mrs. Buswell, she's suffering from a broken heart. This is a very rare thing to happen, we've only ever had one other person suffer from a broken heart."
"Do you know why it happens?" She asks.
"Yes, it happens because their soulmate isn't there, either gone or dead. They're suffering because their heart is broken because their one is gone."
"Can't they find another one?"
"No, what Miss Buswell is suffering from cannot be healed. So without the kiss of her one true love, she will never wake up." With tears in my eyes, I run inside. Ignoring everyone and kiss her. With so much love.
She opens her eyes, and gasps. "Joey, you're not dead?" With tears in her eyes, she cups my face.
"No, baby, I'm not. I never was." I glare at Rina.
"I thought I'd lost you."She cries.
"You can't get rid of me that easily," I chuckle. "I thought I'd lost you. You had a heart attack from a broken heart." She gasps.
"That only happens when you've found the one."
"It does. Dianne, your my soulmate. Your my one. Forever." She kisses me.

"I don't want to know what happened. All I want, is you. And I want to move. Tomorrow." She replies.

"Then we'll move. Tomorrow." I say back, so glad to finally have her back in my arms.
"I love you." She sighs happily.
"I love you, too." I mumble against her lips.