Waiting For Spring
Chapter 25

“I would like to wear this one today, Marla,” I announced, jumping from the bed as soon as she walked through the servant’s door. She faltered at the threshold but quickly composed herself, taking me in with her pale, wary blue eyes.

“How long have you been up, your highness?” She frowned, crossing the space between us and brushing her fingertips along the black smudges under my eyes.

“Has he arrived?”

“Prince David arrived sometime in the night.” She explained, gently guiding me to my feet and leading me into my dressing area. Then, she disappeared to collect the deep green dress I had selected to wear for the day. It was the plainest dress in my collection, and it had always been one of my favorites. Marla hardly ever let me wear it, she always said it was too plain for a princess, but today she didn’t seem to mind.

Marla helped me dress in silence. My mind was racing with so many thoughts it was hard to pin down just one. When she was dusting powder against my cheeks, I finally asked what had been plaguing me since waking up halfway through the night.

“Do you think he will like me?” My voice was small, but I felt even smaller. “My brother? Do you think I’ll be what he’s expecting?” I asked again when Marla’s hand stilled with the brush hovering just above my cheek.

“I met you only once before your disappearance,” she began, setting the brush down on the table before my looking glass. When she turned to face me again her face was drawn and distant. The wrinkles on her face seemed to deepen as she fell into a memory from the past. “You brother, Prince David, would come along when your mother and you came to visit. He always watched our future King with distaste and contempt. From what I could tell, he wasn’t happy your father had promised you away to another kingdom. There were many times when I had been watching over the three of you that your mother and I had to pull the two young princes apart.”

“Oh,” I muttered, wanting to draw an image of my brother to my mind only to become frustrated when it continued to remain blank.

“Your brother loved you very much, Arlarose. I doubt that love has faded over time.” Her hand came to rest against my cheek, and I felt a warmth pass through me like the warm summer sun after months of winter chill. “Now, let’s finish getting you ready.”

I smiled brightly at Marla as she applied the remaining powders and creams to my face and put the finishing touches on my hair.

Marla then accompanied me to wherever I was going to meet my brother. I didn’t care as long as he was there. My stomach was in knots and my mind was so muddled that I didn’t even question why Troy hadn’t come to take me to meet him.

I didn’t realize where I was until I saw the familiar carvings on the doors from the first day I was taken into the main castle. They were the same rooms I had been placed in when Troy had found me in the cells all those weeks ago. These were the same rooms where my life had been completely changed and it was about to happen again. After I stepped through the doors, it would be the first time in my life that I wasn’t facing it alone. It would be the first time in my life that I had a brother.

I gasped when I noticed that the guards standing outside the rooms weren’t wearing the same uniform as the palace guards. Their uniforms were deep purple with a familiar crest emblazoned on their chests, the golden thread shinning in the morning sun. I was quick to realize it was the same crest that was on the back of my locket. As if to remind myself of my connection, I ran my thumb across the back of my locket.

Noticing our arrival, the guards ran their eyes over our approaching party. First, my guards at my back, Marla at my side until finally their eyes rested on me.

“Your Highness,” they greeted, both dropping into deep bows causing me to look at Marla in alarm. She shot me a reassuring smile and nodded for me to acknowledge the two men.

“How…how did you know?” I frowned as the two men straightened.

“You look exactly how our lost princess would look,” the taller one said, his brown eyes wide as if he were trying to commit me to memory or maybe he was trying to assure himself that I was truly standing before him.

“But, no one has seen me in years. Surely, I have changed since anyone in Paca has seen me?”

“You look exactly like our queen,” the guard with golden blond hair replied. His voice held a reverence that set off the butterflies in my stomach.

“Truly?”

“It is as if I am looking at Queen Aisling herself,” he replied, a gentle smile gracing his lips as Marla cleared her throat beside me.

“We must get you inside, princess. Prince David will be waiting for you.” I nodded as Marla gestured for the two men to open the doors and instantly my heart began to race. This was it. This was the moment I had been waiting for my entire life. This was the moment I found out to whom I belong. I just wish I could have remembered something, anything, about him from our past we shared.

Hesitantly, I crossed the threshold of the room, my eyes wide as I searched for the man, I would call brother. Then I found him, with hair as golden as mine and eyes a familiar green. There he was, sat beside an empty fireplace, eyes wide and mouth hanging open slightly.

Slowly, he rose from his chair as if a force we couldn’t see was pulling him towards me. His feet carried him to where I stood, frozen.

This was my brother.

I could feel the words racing through my body, ringing truer than anything I had ever known before. He was mine and I was his and I could feel it deep in my soul. It was like a puzzle piece finally falling perfectly in place. It felt as if the piece that had been missing all these years had finally been restored. I felt lighter, freer and immeasurably happy to finally know who I belonged to and who had always belonged to me, even when I didn’t know I was looking for them.

“Arlarose?” His voice was uncertain, and his hands shook as he stood before me and reached for my hands. His eyes told a story of love and immense pain and I was sure the same emotions were mirrored in my own. I had a brother, he was alive, and he was standing in front of me. It was all so much to take in.

“David?”

“I can’t believe it’s really you,” he breathed, pulling me into his arms and crushing me against his chest. Being wound tightly in his arms, I felt the tears fall as I clutched him tightly. I never wanted to let him go, in case this was the only time I would see him. In case one of us might be lost again. I never wanted to leave his hold.

“I couldn’t believe I was who they said I was either,” I laughed through my tears.

“I’ve missed you so much.” He gushed, his arms tightening around me again and I didn’t mind that it was harder to breathe, as long as I could feel the safety of his arms around me for even a moment longer.

“I didn’t even know I had missed you until I knew you existed, but I think I’ve missed you my whole life.”

“I can’t even explain how happy I am to have finally found you,” barely moments after he had finished talking, I could hear loud voices from outside the rooms. Then suddenly, the doors burst open and a furious king stormed through, followed by a brooding Captain of the Guard.

The King’s eyes darted around the room, landing on me briefly, but long enough for my brother to shift me in his hold so he stood between me and the King. But his eyes quickly found who he was looking for when they fell to Marla. She stood a little taller where she had positioned herself by the door when she felt his gaze. He marched over to her, his fury burning brighter as he stomped towards the person who appeared to be the source of his ire.

“Your job was not to bring her here.” He spat, looming over a stoic Marla as she returned his fury with a frightening look of her own. “You were to get her ready and wait for Troy or me to come and collect her.”

“Those were not the instructions that I received.” I watched as Marla’s chin rose a little higher. The defiance in her eyes said, she was well aware of what the king’s instructions were, she just chose not to follow them.

“You had no right to do this, Marla. You have disobeyed your King.”

“I wasn’t thinking of my King.” She shot back, her eyes darting to mine before turning back to the seething King. When nothing more was said the king huffed out a harsh breath, running his hands through his already dishevelled hair.

“Go,” he said. “You are not needed here.” Marla held his gaze for a moment longer than any other would and then left the room without another word.

The room then fell into silence. The King was pinching the bridge of his nose, while Troy stood with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring daggers at the King’s back. There must have been something in the tea this morning.

When the King turned to face us, I felt my brother’s body tense. His arm tightened around my wrist where he held me, and I kept my hands pressed firmly in his back to keep from falling over.

“We have some important matters to discuss,” the King announced, gesturing for us to take out seats before the fireless fireplace. As he walked passed us, he made to take my hand, but I quickly pulled it out of his grasp and pressing closer into my brother’s side.

David led us to the sofa as the King took the armchair across from us. I glanced over my shoulder to see where Troy had gotten to, only to catch a glimpse of his blond hair as the doors to the rooms closed behind him.

“Now you have seen her, I am certain you will have no qualms of claiming her as your sister.” The King began, his eyes firmly on my brother and away from mine.

“She is my sister, I have no doubts,” David replied, and I felt something warm fill my chest until it was all I could feel.

“The ball shall proceed tonight, as planned, where our engagement will be announced. Within the month we will be married and before the month is through, we will have an end to this war.”

“Wait, we only just replace our sister and our own people do not get the opportunity to celebrate her return before she is surrendered to you.” I watched as my brother’s shoulders bunched up and his hand in mine became impossibly tight, only to loosen when he felt me squirm.

“If I recall, it was your own people who threatened her in the first place,” the King spat, his hands curling over the arms of his chair.

"She is still a princess of Paca Territorus, Marcus will not even see her before she is to become your bride."

“She can visit once she is my queen, but she will not return as your country’s princess. I will only allow her to return with me by her side, so I can be certain her life will never be in danger again.” Suddenly, he was on his feet and then I was pulled to his side until I was pressed tightly against it.

“What do you want to do, Arlarose?” David asked, watching me from where he sat on the couch.

“I-I have a choice? No one has asked me before.”

“No, you don’t.” King James glowered at my brother, who shot to his feet. “No, prince David. You know I am right. You know the agreement. What it was and still is. Arlarose will be my bride. If you try and take her from me and refuse to uphold your side of the terms agreed by our fathers, I will take Paca Territorus.” Feeling the threat of his words, I tried to take a step away, but his hold was strong and my attempt to escape only made it tighter.

“You wouldn’t,” David breathed, his face a mask of fear. It was a look that made the heart in my chest turn to ice. I hadn’t known before but there was a small part of me that thought if my brother came maybe I wouldn’t have to go through with all the King’s plans for me. But the King always made things go his way. I thought my brothers would fix this, but even they weren’t any match for the King.

How could I have held out hope that my brothers could put a stop to this? They were as powerless as me when faced with the monstrous King.

David turned his gaze from the king, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

“I trust you will see sense on this, Prince David.” Reluctantly, my brother nodded his head once, keeping his eyes averted. “Good, we will see you at the ball tonight where our betrothal will be announced.”

Tightening his hand on my wrist, he began to lead me from the room.

“Wait,” I finally yelled, digging my heels into the plush rug spread across the wooden floors. “I want to spend my time with my brother.”

“You are returning to your rooms until the ball tonight, you can see him then.” I stumbled as he tried to continue dragging me towards the door.

“No.”

“Excuse me?” He hissed, freezing with my wrist still in his grip.

“I choose this.” I watched as he slowly turned to face me, his face blank. He bent to my level and I felt, more than saw the rage inside of him. “You don’t get to ruin everything. Is there nothing in my life that is mine? Or is it just you who gets to do whatever you choose?”

“This is un- “

“I want this.” I shouted. “You can have her, but I want this.”

“Arlarose,” he began but something made him stop when he looked into my eyes. “Fine.” He conceded, his eyes darting from mine to David over my shoulder. “We need to talk, my Rose.”

“Don’t call me that.” I seethed. “I am not yours and I will never be yours.”

“Arlarose- “

“You can- leave now.” Pausing for a moment, he finally nodded, releasing his hold on me and turning to leave. Opening the door, he glanced one more time over his shoulder before leaving.

Then it was just the two of us. My brother and me.