The Toy Prince

18. Ursula

She could hear them arguing. The voices were amplified so loudly that her ears hurt. The fact that the words weren't happy ones didn't help.

She opened her eyes.

The room around her was unfamiliar. The walls were a sterile peach colour with white MDF furniture that was both cheap and functional. Everything screamed hospital to her but why she was in the hospital she couldn't tell you.

That was when she realised that she was standing at the foot of a bed, looking own at herself. Her Oma and Niklaus were either side of her sleeping body. Neither of them paid her any attention. They couldn't see her.

So this was what an out of body experience felt like. She really didn't like it.

Looking at herself was unnerving. She felt like something inside of her was missing. The logical part of her said it was because her spirit was separated from her body. A part of her ha been untied, set loose, unmoored from its rightful place. It felt wrong.

Was this how Niklaus had felt every day?

She would ask him when she could. Until then all she could do was stay close to her body. She'd end up back in it at some point. That was how it worked in the movies anyway.

"I need a drink," her Oma muttered breaking the silence.

She watched her Oma shuffle out of the hospital room. When had she become so old? She seemed to have aged a hundred years since the day she'd come back to Germany. Her Oma had been fine until Ursula had come back into her life. Not for the first time Ursula wished that she'd never left England.

The depressing thoughts led her to slump in the vacated chair. She had a good view of Niklaus now. She studied his face, memorising all of his features in case it was the last time she saw him.

"I wish you would wake up," Niklaus whispered. "Then I could say goodbye to your face."

"Goodbye?" she echoed in a squeaky voice.

"I can't stay around you. I can't look at you hating me every day because of what I did to you. I love you Ursula. I know I'm a coward for saying it whilst you're asleep but I have to say it. I love you and that's why I am leaving. I'll always remind you of the terror you felt when I stalked you from the shadows."

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and collecting himself before carrying on his monologue.

"I also think that you should be the Queen of Konigreich. Set up a council to help you rule. Josephine, Felix and Johan would be good choices. You'll all be able to fix what's been broken even if you don't think you can."

He stood up and leaned over her body, kissing her forehead. He really was leaving which made her angry. He couldn't go. She didn't want him to but what could she doe stuck like this? She was helpless to stop him walking out of her hospital room.

"Ach, hell no!"

She lunged forward to grab his arm but missed. Instead she fell into her own body with all the force of a snapped rubber band...

... "Don't you dare walk out of that door," she croaked.

It took great effort to turn her head to look at him. Niklaus was frozen in the doorway. His back was to her but she could see the tension in his shoulders. He looked ready to flee.

"Please don't go. I don't want you to."

"Maybe not yet but you will."

"Nik, please look at me."

Reluctantly he turned around so that his sad gaze was fixed on her.

"Were you awake when I was speaking?"

"In a manner of speaking. I've been thinking a lot about what would happen once this was over."

"And what have you decided?"

She sighed heavily and used the railing on the bed to pull herself into a sitting position. Her vision swam for a heartbeat, making the room spin.

"Are you OK?"

Niklaus had rushed to her side. His hand on her arm grounded her as well as gave her reassurance.

At some point during this adventure she'd forgiven him. She couldn't' pinpoint where and when but she had and she was a little taken aback at how quickly she'd done it. Another thing that surprised her was that she cared for him every bit as much as he cared for her.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "So long as you stay with me."

"Are you trying to blackmail me?" he asked, a small smirk on his face.

"Is it working?"

Niklaus laughed. "How could I say no to that?"

Ursula was so happy that she kissed him. It was short, a quick peck on the mouth. When she pulled back she was so shocked with herself that she blushed. Niklaus looked equally stunned.

"What was that for?"

"Because there's a chance. I forgive you but I want to take anything we do slowly," she replied. She couldn't quite meet his eyes as she waited for him to reply.

Niklaus' hand captured hers and his other forced her chin up. He leaned in a kissed her.

It was a firm kiss against her lips that made Ursula's toes curl up with pleasure. Unfortunately it was over too soon. Niklaus pulled away rather than deepen the kiss which she would have happily allowed.

"Slowly," Niklaus said firmly.

She tried not to look disappointed. She'd wanted it to be a slow relationship after all.

Not as easy as you thought is it?

She cleared her throat. "So tell me what happened after I black out?"

And he did.

Hearing that Axel was dead hit her hard. She cried on Niklaus' shoulder and when her Oma came back she cried some more. She cried for Axel, she cried for herself because everything was about to change. She was a Queen now, if she chose to accept the crown. That meant she was responsible for everyone in Konigreich including the people she'd seen in Strindz. She had a lot to do but didn't have any idea where to start. She would need help.

"Right." She swung herself out of the bed much to her Oma's protests. "Where are my clothes?"