The Bookworm Meets the Prince

by Klarika Nuque

  “The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and beautiful of all.”

  The fountain where Drew took me on the night of our engagement was in my view right now.

  I closed my eyes and wondered for the nth time if I was making the right decision. I just might win the prize of being the most indecisive person that ever lived. Let’s see if I had my facts straight: I was engaged, I was eighteen turning nineteen, I had a Prince for a fiancé, and I had to uproot my entire life to transfer to an unknown country that somehow I had to help rule. I had to help rule it not just as an active citizen, but someone who’d be the government someday.

  These were the times I wished I could just go back in time and rethink my decisions.

  Drew was and would always be the best thing that had happened to me, but he might also be the worst thing. Because of him, I lost my anonymity. I was now public property.

  I kept running through the grounds for I didn’t know how long, trying to forget the worries that kept on popping in my head. When I came back, a huge surprise was waiting for me. And it was not the good kind as far as I was concerned.

  ---

  “I told you nothing happened last night,” a familiar male voice said. The voice sounded stern.

  “Sweetheart, we both know you don’t get any from that prude girlfriend of yours, so that’s why last night happened. Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it. I mean, it’s just like old times, right?” a cloyingly sweet voice of a woman said. It was pitchy and bitchy at the same time.

  “I repeat, nothing happened. I would never ever cheat on my fiancée ever,” the guy replied.

  “Ha, we both know that isn’t true, my booboo,” the irritating woman said.

  I came in a little closer, and to my shock, it was Cath and Drew.

  “Cath, I was drunk last night. Nothing could have possibly happened.”

  “Right, then how do you explain us waking up in bed together?” Cath said, clearly insinuating something.

  Drew punched a wall to get his anger in check and started talking again.

  I just got back from my run and went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water when I heard this particular conversation.

  Drew looked like he wanted to strangle Cath while she had her arms around him.

  “Get your hands off me,” he said.

  “That wasn’t what you were saying last night,” she said.

  This hurts too much.

  I knew I shouldn’t believe everything she was saying, but it still didn’t stop my heart from being ripped apart in shreds. Tears were starting to swell in my eyes, and I was trying really hard to control them.

  “So, which is the truth?” I asked out loud.

  Both of them looked at me like I popped out of nowhere. I knew that Drew would never hurt me, but what if I was just in a state of denial? Could he have cheated on me when we just got engaged?

  “Liz...” Drew started talking. He was trying to get close to me, but the bitch stopped him.

  “Put it this way, little girl. We slept together last night, and it was fun. So basically, I got to enjoy your engagement night,” the vile woman said.

  I knew I wanted to hear the truth from Drew, but this was was not the time. I ran away from there, went back to the garden, and started crying.

  I needed to hear the truth from Drew, but I just needed this release. Otherwise, I might not have enough fight in me.

  I was gone for a few hours. I walked around the palace grounds and found a particular spot where I hung around for a bit. Since I had my phone, I was able to listen to music and read for a bit to kill time and to get my thinking straight.

  I was now walking back to the palace to try and talk things through with Drew. I wanted to know if he really cheated on me or not.

  “Oh my gosh, Lizzie. Thank goodness, you’re alright!” the queen said.

  I was too shocked to notice the familiar faces waiting for me to enter the palace. I slowly removed my earphones to see and hear properly what was happening. Yeah, I had that weird thing where if I was listening to something, I didn’t see everything that was going on.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Someone blew up your room, and we thought you were there. Dammit, I thought I lost you!” Drew said and immediately hugged me. I didn’t really hug him back. Instead, I looked up, and that was when I saw the black smoke that was coming from my room.

  “Oh my goodness, Lizzie! We were too worried. We heard a blast and evacuated the palace. We did the count, noticed that you were missing, and saw where the smoke was coming from. We thought you were still inside!” a very worried and hysterical Rissa said while being comforted by Chad.

  Margaux and Alex were standing in one corner, while Jam was trying to talk to my parents in another. The queen was standing beside me, trying to comfort me too. Andie was also near me, giving me comfort. I couldn’t see where the three devil minions were, but I knew they had something to do with this.

  My dad was having a heated argument with Jam from what I could see, and my mom was shaking her head. After a few minutes, they finally spoke up.

  “I will not allow my daughter to have this kind of life. People are trying to harm her in the place where we thought she was going to be safest. Elizabeth, you don’t have to go through with this life. Everything can go back to normal at home, a place where no one wants to kill you and a place where you will be safe,” my dad said.

  I looked at him and saw the overprotective father I have known my entire life. He loved me too much to allow any harm to come my way. He was finally breaking his silence. He knew that I was happy with Drew, which was why he kept his mouth shut and decided to keep his worries in check. But he had reached his limit.

  “Drew, I’m sorry, but you promised that our little girl will be one hundred percent safe in this place. But I don’t think that call was yours to make anymore, she almost died in there. You can’t tell us that she wasn’t the target, because it was her room, plain and simple,” my mom said.

  In that instant, I realized that I was a bit selfish about the whole thing. I went to Sarconia without thinking about my parents. I promised that they would be my responsibility someday when they were old and wrinkly, but here I was, playing Cinderella in a place that clearly wanted me gone.

  I removed myself from Drew’s arms and looked him in the eyes. They said that everyone has that one defining moment where everything becomes clear and all your doubts are suddenly erased. When I looked into Drew’s worried eyes, I thought I had that moment.

  I was tearing up because I knew that my doubts and fears were not unfounded. They would go as far as to try to kill me just to keep me away. God knew their other tactics didn’t work out, and they had now sent me a clear message, “We want you gone.”

  If I didn’t see my room was blown up, I didn’t know what else would wake me up from this dream.

  “I need some air,” I said and excused myself. They all respected my decision. Even if Drew wanted to follow me, his mom stopped him. He looked torn, but he talked to my parents instead.

  I walked around and tried to give myself some space to think. Deep in my thought, I went far enough so I could let the tears to fall down my face.

  I cried for the quiet life I left behind, I cried for the dreams I knew will never happen, and I cried for the love I was beginning to question.

  I loved Drew, and I was willing to sacrifice anything for him, but this was on a whole new level. They had gone too far, and right now, I didn’t think I had enough fight left in me. What-ifs were crawling up in my head, and they were getting scarier by the second.

  “I told you to leave,” the king said. “This life isn’t for you. We knew you weren’t in the room, but trust me, we could have easily blown up that room when you were inside. That would have been the easiest thing to do.”

  I looked at him with so much hatred. I couldn’t stop myself from lashing back towards the guy who wanted me dead just for dating his son and just because
I was not royal.

  “You want me gone so bad that you’d want me killed? What kind of king are you? You would ruin everyone’s happiness just to make sure that everything is done the way you want it? Don’t you get it? Even if I die, the chances of Drew ending up with Cath is slim to none. He fucking hates her guts. Andie is miserable because Ryder left her broken-hearted because you threatened his family with a scandal. Alex is miserable in the hands of a person who only wants the glamour surrounding your family. Yet you want the only person who actually loves your son for who he is and nothing else to be gone? You must have bumped your head too much because you can no longer think straight,” I shouted at him.

  “I love Drew with all my heart, but if the price of that love is my life being threatened by you every single day of my life, then fine, you win.I’m gone,” I said with finality as I glared at the old fool.

  “Lizzie, please talk to me. Dad? What’s going on here?” Drew asked.

  “Your dad has been behind this attack. He wants me gone permanently, and he would do everything in his power to make sure it happens. But of course, why would he tell you that? He will be sealing his fate if he does that, right?” I said. The king had his poker face back.

  “Dad, you tried to kill Liz? Why would you do that? Do you hate us that much?” Drew asked, glaring at his father too.

  “No worries. I believe everything is going to be fine from now on. I’m sorry, Drew, but I can’t take it anymore. I love you, and that will never change, but I can’t take this anymore. Knowing that any day, someone might kill me because I’m not enough for you, or that every time I’m not around you, I’m going to worry if Cath will get her hands on you. I’m sorry, Drew, but I’m going home. Goodbye,” I said while crying and sobbing.

  I made my way towards my mom and dad with nothing but a broken heart and broken dreams. As always, they opened their arms and comforted me, the way only parents could.

  Chapter 25

  Me, My Memories, and My Broken Heart

  “You have safely arrived at your destination. Thank you for flying with us,” the stewardess said, announcing our safe arrival.

  I knew the moment I left, I had lost one of the most important things in my life. I left Drew and the responsibilities that came with him. I was not sure if I should have regrets, but right now, I was too worn out by everything. I was functioning like a robot.

  I had always said some pretty mean things about girls who have gone through break-ups, thinking they became mindless robots who couldn’t seem to cope after losing a guy who apparently didn’t care about them as much as they did.

  Boy was I wrong! Because the moment I left that palace, I had become one of those girls. I became a mindless robot consumed with grief over losing the most important thing in her life.

  “Lizzie, we’re home,” my mom said as my dad parked the car in front of our house. I haven’t seen our house in about a month.

  I looked at it, and I suddenly felt nostalgic. I was ready to give all this up, and for what, love? The love I had to constantly prove myself to? The love I though was worth but ultimately have to give up?

  I went into my room and cried. I cried because I left half of my heart in a country I didn’t even know to begin with. It was the place where trouble was the only thing in store for me and where my love was set to rule without me beside him.

  I knew I shouldn’t feel this broken because I hated reading about girls like this, but I couldn’t stop the sobs that ripped through me. I wanted to make the pain stop, I wanted to think rationally again, I wanted to have Drew hug me again.

  I left because I was too mad at his father and ex-girlfriend. I let them win because I was an idiot who suddenly gave up the fight.

  Where was that girl? The girl who would fight for her love, for what she wanted? Because I sure as hell couldn’t see her around.

  I heard my door open and immediately smelled the flowery perfume of my mom. She hugged me and placed my head on her shoulder. I cried harder. I might be wanting Drew to hug me, but nothing could beat this comfort a mom could only give. This was the safe haven I had known my entire life

  “Lizzie, I know this isn’t what you’d want to hear from me right now, but please give yourself time to heal. You’re young, and you have many things to discover. This isn’t the end of the road for you, sweetie,” she said, pushing away a little to stare into my eyes. “Trust me when I say I know heartbreaks. I have experienced it before, and I got through it. I know you will too. It’s not something I will ever wish upon you, sweetie, but treat it as a rite of passage, something that will make you stronger and better.” Her words just made me cry more. “Shhh… Everything will be alright. I am always right here, baby girl,” she said while rocking me a bit.

  I knew that she would never lie to me. I would heal and move on from this heartbreak. It might not be now, but it would happen someday.

  Mom didn’t leave my side for the next few days until she was satisfied that I was feeling better. She even made me chocolate sundae to make me process my feelings and have a pick me up. I teased her that she was watching too many Romantic Comedies and she just laughed, happy that I can tease her again.

  I was watching a movie eating the sundae mom made when Rissa called, and we talked.

  “Hey, you know what we should do? Go to the mall,” Rissa said.

  She got back a few days ago from Sarconia, and we had avoided talking about Drew ever since. Apparently, Chad wouldn’t be back till a month before graduation. He said he had to fix some things back in his homeland, which I honestly didn’t car about anymore.

  Oh, who am I lying to? I really do care, but it’s too late to cry over spilled milk.

  Drew hadn’t even called me, and I had been back home for some time. I guess he accepted things faster than I did. He did have other girls to choose from; it always amazed me how he found me interesting in the first place.

  I should really stop thinking about him. I knew he wasn’t thinking of me too.

  “Are you listening to me, Lizzie? Hello, hello, in there,” she said while waving her hands in front of my face.

  “What?” I asked after blinking.

  She shook her head and started dialing her phone before going outside to the corridor. I guess she got tired of hanging around me since I wasn’t really listening to her.

  I opened my drawer and got the Pride and Prejudice book Drew gave me. I opened the book to my favorite part, Mr. Darcy’s letter to Elizabeth, and took out a dried Stargazer flower. It was part of the bouquet of flowers Drew gave me when he explain things to me at the beach. It seemed like a lifetime ago when in reality, it was only a few months. Less than a year to be precise. I lost my sence of time when it came to Drew. It always felt like everything gets paused when I am with him. I was living in dreamland, and for the longest time, I felt it was real.

  I knew too much and loved too much.

  I slowly felt a tear falling from my eye but stopped myself from breaking down. I gave myself an ultimatum to stop crying, and that was yesterday. Today, I was supposed to move on. I would stop crying and heal. I would never forget him, but I should learn from this and move on.

  I returned the dried flower on the page and returned the book to the drawer. I wiped my eyes and got some deep breaths to make me stop crying.

  “You know, I never thought you’d give up on him,” Rissa said in a low voice.

  I knew then that she saw me looking at the book, and I slowly looked at her in the eyes.

  “I never thought I would too, but I guess I made a rash decision in the heat of my anger and hurt. I’m human, Rissa. I’m bound to make mistakes. My only fear now is that I might have let go of the person who mattered the most to me because I was too scared,” I said.

  I knew my fears were not unfounded; they did try to kill me. But now, I realized I chose to live an empty life than to live a life in constant fear.

  “We both know that Drew loves you,” she said.

  I shook my head an
d slowly felt the emotions erupting within me.

  “I loved him more than he loved me, Rissa. Sure, when we were here, he was the perfect Prince Charming, but in Sarconia, we barely saw each other. In the month I have stayed there, I saw him a total of five times—five times! He was too busy with everything about that stupid country that he barely made time for me. I said that I’m fine, but who wants to have a relationship with someone who is basically married to a country? I tried my hardest to understand it, Rissa. I tried my best, but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t comprehend why I had to share him with everyone,” I shouted and started crying again.

  “That’s unfair, Lizzie. You knew he has responsibilities and that he wasn’t only yours. To be honest, he was their’s way before he met you. He just needed you to be there for him,” she said. She then walked towards me and hugged me as I cried my heart out.

  I knew I was being unfair. Drew never hid things from me. He always gave me the facts and let me decide on my own. But hey, I’m a girl, and I was emotional right now. I heard that is never a good combination.

  “And who is there for me?” I asked her in a small voice.

  “Lizzie, Drew was busy then because he was planning how he would propose to you. Well, he did have lots of royal duties, but he just wanted his proposal to be magical. Believe me, I know,” she said.

  I cried a little harder after hearing that. Maybe I was really unfair to Drew. I didn’t even give him time to explain.

  “He was there for you. I’m not sure that’s the way you wanted it to be though. I know you wanted Drew to be like what your books thought you, but, sweetie, this is reality. Nothing ever goes according to plan,” she said, petting my hair.

  “Cath said they slept together on the night of our engagement, Rissa… on the night of my engagement. I didn’t even know if it was true or not because the next thing I knew, they have blown up my room just to get rid of me. I couldn’t take that. They hurt me too damn much,” I said, trying to justify my actions.