All I could make out was the hard silhouette of the person standing in the doorway. I didn’t need light to know who it was. This man was tall, strong, built like an ox. The rich scent of heavy cologne burned my nose, a mix of expensive spices and sandalwood. It was almost obnoxiously overpowering, especially when combined with the prison’s natural stench of urine, vomit, mold, sweat, blood, and feces.
If my nose had a mouth, it would have a lot to complain about.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Your Majesty?” I asked dryly, standing from my poor excuse of a bed. There was a kink in my neck thanks to the lumpy mattress I was lying on, which was only an inch thick and did little to protect me from the hard angles of the metal bed frame.
“You’ve been pardoned,” the King said gravely.
I fought against the urge to snort and roll my eyes. “Why was I pardoned for something I didn’t do?”
“This has nothing to do with your father’s rebellion. I’m pardoning you for seducing my daughter.”
I bit back at the rage that rose up through my throat. It coated my tongue with a bitter, salty taste. I didn’t like the way he said that. “I didn’t seduce your daughter. I fell in love with her. And she fell in love with me. What’s so wrong with that?”
“In the eyes of a father, any suitor is a seducer.”
“You could have just sent a messenger. Am I supposed to be flattered that you came here to deliver the news in person?”
The King raised his hand to shut me up—a power move that proved stupidly effective. “You are hereby released,” he said firmly. “But only under one condition.”
I sighed. “Let me guess. I’m never allowed to return to Brooklandia.”
“Correct.”
“And my father?”
“He will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. There’s no way around it.”
I didn’t really know how to feel. At this point, I was numb to everything. The tips of my fingers and toes were cold, my arms and legs were heavy weights. Breathing was a surprisingly easy task considering how badly I wanted to suffocate, just put an end to this madness. I was done feeling angry, done feeling helpless. As much as I loved Marina, I couldn’t stand the thought of having her ripped away from me again—or vice versa. I was exhausted in more ways than one, mainly because I had no clue how to get Marina off my mind.
I didn’t want things to end between us. Her words haunted me in my sleep, every waking hour. I missed her, ached for her. And the man standing before me was the reason why.
“Well?” he growled. “What’s your answer, boy?”
“Why are you doing this to us?” I asked, perturbed. “Can’t you see how unhappy you’re making Marina?”
“I am doing what is best for her and the Crown.”
“Are you, though? Really?”
The King scoffed. “So high and mighty, just like your father. The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
I shook my head slowly. I was really starting to pity this man. He was stubborn, much like Marina, but on an entirely different and exasperating level. The King was too proud a man to admit that he was in the wrong, that he was the antagonist here. I would have told him as much, but I was lucky he decided to show me and Father mercy. The fact that I was still breathing was a miracle.
Clenching my fists, I gave the King my answer. What other choice did I have?
~
Dear Princess Marina,
I hope this letter finds you well. I feel kind of bad having Oliver run back and forth as our mailman, but I wanted to send you one last message before I leave permanently for Allendes.
I’m sure you’ve heard by now of my exile. I have so many regrets, but please know that they have nothing to do with you. You’ve honestly made me happier than I could ever have imagined.
Do your best to forget about me. Nothing good will come from loving me. You deserve the world, but I will never be able to give it to you. I just hope that the next man you give your heart to will treat you with every ounce of adoration you deserve.
Live your life, Marina. Be the Queen that Brooklandia deserves. You’re kind, intelligent, and most importantly, you listen. Help our people. Under your guidance, your queendom will be the greatest the world has ever known.
There’s so much I want to say, but so few words that come to mind. I’m sitting here waiting for my plane as I write this. I’m sorry things had to end this way, but I don’t know how to make our parents see reason.
I love you with all my heart, Marina. Never doubt that. Maybe, one day off in the distant future, we might cross paths again.
Yours always,
Rodrigo Sabatino
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Marina
I stared at the letter, and then at the white rose Rodrigo had sent me.
Red roses were symbolic of love or passion.
White roses were symbolic of surrender and defeat.
I wanted to throw the damn thing away. Just looking at it had me riding a rollercoaster of emotions with no stops and far too many loops for comfort.
I couldn’t, though. It was a gift from Rodrigo—my final gift.
The last time I left my bedchambers must have been almost a week ago when I learned that Father banished Rodrigo. I was so unbelievably distraught when I heard the news. I didn’t even know that banishments were still a thing in this day and age. Part of me shut down, left me feeling empty and light. It was only beneath the soft blankets of my bed that I felt the slightest bit okay.
Someone knocked on my door. I didn’t answer.
“Marina?” I heard Brandon call softly. “Will you please let me in?”
I rolled over and pressed my face into my pillow. My eyes were all scratchy, and my throat was terribly hoarse. A few of the maids had been in to deliver my meals from the kitchen, but the silver trays of food sat untouched on my desk. I hadn’t had much of an appetite lately, which was weird considering all the weird cravings I’d been having.
“Marina?” he called again. “Can you at least make a noise or something so that I know you’re alive in there?”
“You don’t think she’d hurt herself, do you?” Oliver whispered in concern.
Brandon sighed. “Great. Now I’m worried. Marina, do I have to break this door down?”
I chuckled humorously. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Alright, that’s enough,” declared Oliver. The door swung open quickly to allow him a grand entrance.
Brandon and Oliver made their way over. Brandon sat at the foot of the bed while Oliver helped himself beneath the covers to wrap me up in a tight hug from behind. His breath smelled of cinnamon and chocolate, which made me wonder if Brandon whipped some kind of dessert up for Oliver before they came to visit me.
“Talk to me, Princess,” Oliver whispered. “You’ll feel better.”
I couldn’t find the energy to think. I lay there, still and stiff as a board while Oliver played with my hair. It was a nice feeling. Too nice. It reminded me of when Rodrigo would comb his hands through my locks.
And that he wasn’t here to do that anymore.
I sniffled as I tried to keep the tears away. I’d cried so much the last few days that I was fairly certain I was dehydrated. The terrible headache I was nursing was one clue, and the dryness of my tongue was another.
Brandon reached out and patted me on the ankle. He’d never been a super cuddly kind of guy. “I’m sorry, Marina. About Rodrigo.”
“I thought you hated him,” I grumbled. My words were barely audible in my own ears.
Brandon shrugged a shoulder, looking at me with nothing but pity. “If you’re this head over heels about him, I guess he can’t be that bad of a guy.”
“And I did a lot of talking up about him,” added Oliver.
“Yes. That too.”
Oliver pressed his brow to the back of my head. “Come on, Marina. You have to get up at some point. Aren’t you hungry?”
“I can make you s
omething,” Brandon offered.
I pulled the covers over my head. “I don’t feel like it.”
I could hear their lips moving, a silent conversation passing between the two of them. Finally, Brandon asked, “How about a movie? Why don’t we watch a movie?”
I was about to protest, but Oliver cheered, “That’s a fantastic idea, babe! Isn’t that a fantastic idea, Marina? There’s a new movie by the Rock available on Netflix.”
“You like the Rock?” I asked, the tiniest bit amused.
“Well, no. But Brandon does, so I like the Rock by default.”
Brandon sighed as he got up from the foot of the bed, shuffling over to where my laptop was resting on my desk. He brought it over and slid beneath the covers with us, sandwiching me in the middle. Brandon placed the device on his lap and booted it up. I didn’t have a password on it, so he quickly navigated to a new browser and logged into his account. A list of movies popped up, colorful banners filling the screen. It looked like the boys weren’t going to give me the option of being alone, so I let out a defeated sigh and sat up a little in bed, propping my back up with a pillow.
We ended up watching one movie after another, all of which either starred or had a cameo by the Rock. I wasn’t too involved in the storylines. They were all pretty mindless, which I actually appreciated. Through the car chases, the excessive explosions, and the nonsensical yelling, I found myself feeling mildly better. My head didn’t hurt as much, and it was slightly easier to breathe.
I was thankful to have such great friends who were willing to pull me out of my funk. I really didn’t know what I would do if I didn’t have Oliver or Brandon by my side. After losing Rodrigo, I couldn’t bear to lose them too.
The hours grew incredibly long as we went through movie after movie. At some point, Oliver had the kitchen bring us up a massive bowl of butter-covered popcorn and a huge plate of chocolate biscuits. I actually started to enjoy myself, which was the first time in days. Brandon, Oliver, and I somehow started watching The Princess Diaries 2, laughing at how Cat Woman literally just stomped Captain Kirk’s foot flat while Gimli and Mary Poppins watched in dismay. The whole scene actually made me laugh.
Why was it that crying and laughing sometimes felt like the exact same thing?
And that was when the flood gates unleashed.
One second I was perfectly fine, and then the next I was heartbroken. Maybe it was the irony of watching two rivals for the Genovian throne struggling with their feelings for one another while putting their duty to their family and people above their own interests that set me off. That was probably it.
Oliver hushed me calmly as he braided my hair while Brandon rubbed my upper back, not knowing quite what to say.
“They belong together,” I wailed. “Why can’t they just be together?”
Oliver glanced at Brandon, clearly stressed. “They get together in the end,” he explained. “You just have to wait for things to play out.”
“If they’re meant to be, they’re meant to be,” said Brandon.
I wiped my nose with the back of my hand. “You make it sound so simple.”
“I mean, in the grand scheme of things, maybe it is,” said Oliver. “Sacrifices have to be made, but Mia ends up with both her country and her man. She just needed to think a little outside the box.”
I inhaled slowly and willed my heart to calm down. Maybe that’s what I needed to do, too—think outside the box. My mind had been clouded with only two drastic options. Either I would remain loyal to my family and their interests and stay away from Rodrigo, or I would turn my back against the Crown and be with the man I loved. But what if there was a third option? What if I could be like the amazing Mia Thermopolis and have both? There just had to be a way to keep my throne and Rodrigo. Why did I need to choose one over the other?
I couldn’t really discuss this with my parents. They’d made their stance perfectly clear. Perhaps what I really needed was a devil’s advocate, someone to help me see the other side of things so I could find a better middle ground.
I sat up straight in bed, determination buzzing at the base of my skull. “I need to go,” I said calmly.
Brandon raised an eyebrow at me. “Go? Where?”
“I want to speak to Senator Sabatino.”
Oliver and Brandon exchanged a skeptical look, but I’d already sprung out of bed.
~
Never in a million years did I think I’d be visiting Togveld Fortress for a second time in less than a month. It was just as dim and grimy as I remembered it. I really wanted to make this a quick visit. If I couldn’t stand being here as a visitor, I could only pity the poor souls who were locked up here. When I was in charge one day, I’d make sure that even prisoners lived in decent conditions. Nobody deserved to decay in a place like this.
Once again, the warden was underprepared, sweating profusely in his nervousness.
“I really wish you’d call ahead,” he grumbled.
I chose to ignore him. “I’m just visiting an inmate. It won’t take long.”
I was shown to the same room where I met Rodrigo. They’d opened a window this time around, so it wasn’t as stuffy. I picked at my fingers anxiously, trying to organize my thoughts. What was I going to say to the man who stabbed my father? How hostile was he going to be toward me now that he was locked behind bars, his son and wife exiled?
Two burly guards escorted Senator Sabatino into the room. He was dressed in the same bright orange prison uniform that Rodrigo had been wearing. The only difference was that the Senator had on twice as many restraints, keeping both his wrists and ankles chained together to prevent full mobility. It had been a long time since I last saw the Senator. I was honestly startled to see how much he’d changed.
When I was a little girl, I used to sit on this man’s lap and listen to him tell me and Rodrigo stories. I remembered Senator Sabatino being a kind man, always laughing. The person standing before me was different. He wore a permanent scowl, his hair had thinned significantly, and his cheeks were hollow. As angry and bitter as he looked, I knew he didn’t pose an immediate threat to me. The Senator was smaller, weaker. His time spent locked up had weakened his disposition and muted his rage.
The Senator sat across the table from me, raking me over with his eyes.
The same beautiful blue eyes as Rodrigo’s, but more jaded.
“Princess Marina,” he greeted gruffly. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?”
“What were you hoping to achieve by revolting against my family?”
Senator Sabatino chuckled bitterly. “Just like your father. Always cutting to the chase.”
“I’m serious, Senator. I want to know. Throwing a rebellion is one thing. But what comes after?”
He glared at me, adversarial. “Why would you care what I have to say? The King clearly doesn’t.”
“I’m not my father.”
Senator Sabatino slumped in his seat, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He looked me over, probably making a study of me. “The people need more power,” he said after a moment. “This kingdom used to be great. Brooklandia was leading economically, politically, culturally. And then your father got lazy, all offense intended.”
I said nothing despite the slight against Father. If I interrupted now, Senator Sabatino could choose to stop talking entirely.
He continued, “It’s not that I want your family to fail or for you to step down. I know you must think I’m crazy, that what I did was drastic. It was, there’s no denying that. But I only did it because desperate times call for desperate measures. The people have been ignored for far too long, and people do stupid things when they’ve been ignored. They’re hungry, they’re overworked, and they’re underpaid. Employment levels are at an all-time low, and small businesses don’t get enough monetary support. The economy’s stalling, and that’s only going to hurt those sitting at the bottom of the class ladder.”
“I understand your motivations,” I said clearly, �
��but not your plan. If you overthrew my father, what did you intend to do afterward?”
The Senator sighed. “I was playing with the idea of a constitutional monarchy.”
“We already have a constitutional monarchy,” I pointed out.
“Not an effective one. The Royal Family can keep their Crown, but more power needs to be transferred to Parliament. We’re the ones who are elected to represent the people, so let us do exactly that. As it stands, the King has too much say in the everyday running of things, and it’s not effective. Your father chooses the easier issues to focus on and ignores everything else. He’s too confident, and he’s been riding on the success of past years. Times have changed, Princess. The way he’s running the kingdom now just isn’t sustainable.”
I sat there in silence, allowing the Senator’s words to truly sink in. “You’re an incredibly persuasive speaker, Senator Sabatino,” I commented.
His expression softened slightly. “That’s very kind of you, Princess Marina. You’re quite a good listener.”
“I’m going to be Queen one day,” I mumbled. “I don’t want a repeat of what happened to my father to happen to me.”
“That’s awfully wise of you.”
I nodded slowly. “Thank you.”
A beat of silence weighed heavily over the both of us. Things were awkward, but not entirely uncomfortable.
“Was that really why you wanted to visit me, Princess Marina? To ask me about my failed plans?”
I nibbled my bottom lip in thought. “No,” I admitted. “I… I wanted some advice.”
Senator Sabatino appeared genuinely surprised. “You want advice from the man who tried to kill your father?”
“I don’t think you were trying to kill him. Scare him, maybe.”
“You sound pretty confident.”
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