Two Weeks Later

Aria's POV

I use to think of myself as a bird with a broken wing. I was being held back, but there was always hope that my wing would heal. Now I realize that I'm more like a bird without a wing. There is no hope of me flying away, because I have nowhere to go or no one to fly to.

At first the grief was unbearable. I'd cry myself to sleep every night, and dream about my family and Ezra. After a while, I got sick of feeling. Sick of feeling sad, sick of feeling angry, and sick of feeling my heart breaking into smaller pieces everyday. I decided to bury the feelings deep inside of me, and throw away the key so that they'd never break loose.

As I mop the floors of the kitchen, I stare out the window and pretend like I'm not Aria Montgomery. I'm someone completely different, and I have the life that everyone wants to live. A startled gasp escapes my lips when I hear the kitchen door creak open.

"Hello Aria." Queen Dianne says cooly.

"Hello Ma'am." I say as I bow before her.

"What's going on with you Aria?" She asks me softly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I tell the older woman.

"You never fight me anymore. It's like someone sucked all the life out of you." Queen Dianne says as she stares at me for a moment.

"I'm tired." I tell her truthfully.

"Tired of what?" She asks me curiously.

I don't respond, and eventually she leaves the room.

"Everything." I mutter under my breath.

Line Break

That night I find my place in the stables and close my tired eyes. Before I can fall asleep, Jake lays down next to me like he does every night.

"How was your day?" He asks me gently.

"Fine." I say with a shrug.

"That's what you tell me everyday." He says with a sigh.

"How good can life be when you spend it living in a cage?" I ask as I turn to face him.

"It doesn't have to be this way." He whispers to me.

"What are you talking about?" I ask him confused.

"We can run away from this place. I'll build us a cottage, and we can have little boys and girls running around in it." He says with a smile.

That's exactly what I want. To run away from this place, live in a cottage like I use to, and take care of little boys and girls.

Pain fills my heart when I realize that I want to take care of Ezra's little boys and girls, not Jake's. How can I love the man who stole my heart, and decided to smash it with his fists? For the first time in nearly a week, I burst into tears.

"Sh-sh." Jake says as he holds me close to him.

I continue to weep shamelessly and think about the man who I love so dearly, and the family who I lost because of his father. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to bury all my feelings. Love and grief are so strong that they travel with you everywhere you go.

"I need to go for a walk." I say as I start to get up.

"Aria, it's to dark." He warns.

"I'll be fine." I say as I leave the stables.

I walk through the forest and stare at the dark sky above me. I can't see any stars or the moon because of the thick clouds. Before I know it, the sound of thunder erupts in the area. Moments later, I see lighting bolts in the sky.

I panic, and sprint towards the castle. I start to feel dizzy, but I continue to run. The father I go, the worse I feel. Eventually I get so dizzy that I feel like the ground is spinning underneath my feet.

"Keep going Aria." I mutter to myself.

Then I think to myself, what's the point? I don't want to go back to the castle where I'm treated like an animal. Would anyone care if died in this storm? Maybe I'd be better off dead.

The dizziness gets worse, and I feel myself falling to the ground. I lay on the cold forest floor for a minute, before everything goes black.

Ezra's POV

I thought the worse part of this would be staying away from the love of my life, but I was wrong. The worst part is seeing Aria die a little more everyday.

The optimistic and carefree young woman who I feel in love with isn't here anymore. Instead, a blank expression is always written on her face.

Isn't Jake taking care of her like I asked him to? I'm laying in my bed when the hallway lights go off. I wait a minute before getting out of bed and running to the stables.

Every night since my return, I go to the stables to check on Aria. I stare at her through a small window, and admire her beauty. Sometimes she spends hours crying before eyes close, other times she's asleep before I arrive.

I peer into the stables and gasp when Aria's usual spot is empty. Before I can stop myself, I barge into the stables and wake Jake up.

"W-what's going on?" Jake asks as his eyes flutter open.

"Where is Aria?" I ask him seriously.

"She went for a walk." Jake tells me.

"You let her go for a walk in this weather? Are you crazy?" I ask him furiously.

"I can't control where she goes!" Jake says with a shrug.

"I told you take care of her." I remind him.

"Aria isn't an animal Prince Ezra, she's a human being. I can't control her, and neither can you. She isn't our property." Jake says as he stares directly at me.

Have I been treating Aria like an animal? What gives me the right to lie to her and hurt her constantly? I know I'm trying to protect her, but does that justify my actions?

Aria wouldn't be so broken if I had told her the truth. I could have convinced her to stay with me in the castle, instead of lying to her completely. I have to find her and set things right.

"How long has she been gone?" I ask Jake.

"I don't know, three hours, maybe four." He says after thinking about it for a minute.

"I'm going to find her." I say as I start to run out of the stables.

"Wait, should I come with you?" Jake asks me curiously.

"No, I need to talk to her alone." I say before shutting the stable door.

Line Break

I've been walking through the dark forest for over an hour, and still no sign of Aria.

"Aria, Aria!" I call through the pouring rain.

My heart breaks every time I call her name and don't get a response.

A startled gasp escapes my lips when I see Aria's seemingly lifeless body laying on the wet ground.

"I'm here baby, I'm right here." I say as I scoop her tiny body into my arms.

Aria's eyes remain closed, and I don't get a response.

"Aria, wake up! Come on honey." I say as I shake her gently.

Before I can stop myself, I burst into tears.

"Please wake up Aria! I need you, I need you more than I've ever needed anything or anyone." I say tell her truthfully.

I wrap my jacket around Aria and hold her close to me.

"I'm so sorry Aria." I say as through my heavy sobs.

What did you think? Is Aria okay? I'll update as soon as I get 30 reviews. Thanks for reading :)