Civil war 3

Civil war 3
Sartis Est

(Aria)

I waited well into the night for Aaron to show, but he didn't. What's worse was that he was all I could think about despite my entire family being dead. Even as I went back and forth between holding back the tears, losing my mind and complete numbness, all I could see was the man who didn't show up for me. His smile, his touch, his kiss, his voice, his laugh, his everything. It wasn't my parents that I saw when I closed my eyes, or even Ethan. It was him. All of me was calling out to him. Where the hell was he?

“Hey, goody goody Adele,” said Keira's voice.

Ispun around, pulled out my gun, and searched the room for Keira.

“I'm flattered, really, but that's not necessary,” said Keira, ambushing me and disarming me. “I'm a friendly.”

But I was in no mood. I recklessly went for Keira, had her pinned down to the ground when Keira shoved a phone in my face.

“Hello, Your Majesty,” said Prince Troy. “My condolences on the loss of your family.”

I took a deep breath, remembered my father's mantra. Tears aren't for monarchs and, as Prince Troy had just reminded me, I was now a queen.

“I sent her, Aria. She's there to protect you until I can come for you myself.”

I stared at the phone with cold, empty eyes.

“Your brother just had my entire family killed. What makes you think I will let you anywhere near Sartis Est?”

Troy almost laughed. Mirth danced in his eyes. “It's going to be a little difficult to marry you if I'm not allowed in the country, Your Majesty.”

I was about to give him shit some more when Troy said, “And yes, Aria. You will marry me. What choice do you have? The enemy of my enemy is my ally, Aria. Together we're going to bury Dean, once and for all.”

“Prove your worth and we'll see. You just said it yourself. I'm a queen. I no longer take orders.”

With that, I got off of Keira and walked away.

The last of their conversation hit my ears as I walked away.

“Told you she was a handful," said Keira, a grin in her voice.

“Just make sure you keep my blushing bride alive.”

Terres Somnia

(Emily)

When Aaron showed up at my place the next morning, suitcase in hand, he found me sitting in front of a bottle of wine.

“What's with you? We have a plane to catch. Remember? I don't have a lot of time before Henry figures out—”

“They're dead. The entire royal family of Sartis Est. Your girlfriend too.”

There was a better way to say it, I knew, but just then I didn't have sugarcoating in me. My blood was boiling.

His tears started flowing before he fully registered the news.

“No, I just spoke to her last night. She's fine. She was fine!”

I wasn't sure if I started crying before he did or after, for his grief or mine, but it didn't much matter because I was going to him before I knew it. I had my arms around him before I could think about what I was doing.

“No, stop it!” he cried, pushing me away. “She's fine. She bloody has to be!”

“Let's go, Em. We need to catch the plane. Adele is waiting for me. I was never supposed to be gone this long. The longing must be driving her crazy. She's waiting to see me. I know she is! She has to be!”

I finally admitted to myself. He was out of his mind in love, begging, pleading, willing me to be wrong and I would've moved mountains to be, because they had been precious to me too. Aria had been precious to me, too. This man was precious to me, too. But as it was, all I could do was cry with him until there were no more tears to cry.

When I got the call two hours later, the one that informed me that Aria lived after all, I found myself unable to tell him. Unable to let him go to Aria. Because if he left now, if he went to her now, he was never coming back. Not for me, not for anyone. Maybe it was wrong, wasn't fair, but Aaron was mine, had always been mine. He would get over it. I would be there for him until he did. Would do anything I could to help him forget. He could have anything, just so long as he stayed with me.

(Aaron)

I went back to the palace, sat down in Henry's office and let him yell at me about how reckless I was. He ordered me to fall in line with Bart and CC's plan.

Why did I come back? Why did I leave her? What did it matter if I was a prince or not, or even alive if she wasn't? It couldn't be that I would never see, touch, hear, kiss, talk to her again. Watch her play the violin. Run my fingers through her hair the way I loved to. I should have told her I was madly in love with her. That I wanted to be with her always. That nothing mattered to me like she did.

When Henry was done with his speech, all I said was, "Okay."

It didn't matter who I was with anymore. Didn't matter what I had to do anymore. She wasn't out there waiting to be my
princess, wasn't going to be my queen. So what did it matter who was?