Flora continued to work diligently for the past week for she had nothing to look forward to. It was announced that Helia would marry the Princess of Solaria and merge the two kingdoms but that left Flora in the continued service of Cassandra and Krystal. Musa and Flora were forbidden from talking, except when they would meet late at night.
Flora was once again working in the garden when she heard a commotion and looked up to see that all of the belongings that once belonged to her father were being carried in wagons up to the manor.
Flora walked up to the path where she saw Cassandra directing the flow of traffic.
"What is this?" Flora asked.
"I have brought your father's things back to the house that I had sold to pay our taxes." Cassandra replied.
"How did you manage to buy them back?"
"I made a trade."
"What did you trade?"
"Not 'what', who." Cassandra coldly smiled.
"What?" Flora asked in shock.
"All of this stuff in exchange for you."
"What!?" Flora exclaimed.
"Like I said, you are no longer my problem." Cassandra spat back.
Flora soon felt four large hands grab her by the arms as she was being carried away by two large men.
"RIVEN! MUSA! HELP!" Flora screamed and thrashed as she tried to escape the clutches of the men. Flora knew that she was going to be taken to Lord Darkar's lair. She could not bear to be in the service of a man as wretched as him. However, when Flora was thrown in the back of an enclosed wagon, she knew that this was her fate.
A day later, Prince Helia was standing at the head of an aisle with a priest with all eyes on him. All of the young ladies in the audience had tears in their eyes signifying one thing, that the prince was to be married in the matter of moments. Their dreams of being princess of Linphea were dashed as soon as each party said "I do". Cassandra and Krystal were both in the audience dressed in all black as mourning for the death of their hopes of making Krystal the Princess of Linphea.
Helia looked out into the audience and stood there stoically knowing that he had a duty to fulfill. Soon, the ceremony was to start. With the blaring of an organ, Helia turned around and knelt in front of a priest awaiting the arrival of his bride down the aisle and to the altar.
The organ played and the audience stood up to signify that the bride was coming down the aisle but the music was soon muffled by the sound of tears. Helia looked ahead with confusion not knowing where the source of the crying was coming from. However, as the crying became louder and louder, he knew that they were from the Princess of Solaria.
Helia had heard a rumor that Stella, the Princess of Solaria was in love with one of her guards and when he looked out of the corner of his eye and saw a young brunette man with tears in his eyes, he realized that the rumors must have been true. Stella had finally made her way down the aisle and Helia winced as Stella's sobs became piercingly loud.
Helia looked up at the priest and the priest began to chant the beginning prayer to open the ceremony of marriage. However, just like the music, the priest stood no chance over Stella's sobs.
Hearing the continued sobs, Helia came to a realization and burst out into laughter much to the confusion to the rest of the room. Stella looked at Helia and Helia lifted up her large veil. Stella began to protest through tears.
"Madame, please calm down." Helia said softly helping Stella to stand up with him. "I know just how you feel." Helia then gave Stella a soft kiss on the cheek before motioning to the brunette man in the audience wearing a guard's uniform. Stella smiled and shouted before jumping into the brunette's arms and smothered him in kisses. The King and Queen of Solaria started shouting at each other for their daughter's actions and the failed wedding.
"Look what you have done!" King Radius scolded his wife.
"Me? You are the one who spoils her. I told you we should have fired that boy a long time ago." Queen Luna retorted in defense.
"I am glad that we aren't that bad." King Henry whispered to Queen Margaret before they both burst out into giggles.
Helia looked at Stella and the guard with a smile on his face before taking off out of the door and past Cassandra and Krystal who were hugging in the hopes that their dreams were still alive.
Helia ran outside and saw Hagan, the man whom Flora had saved, waiting with the horses. Helia ran up to him.
"Where is Aly- I mean Flora." Helia urgently asked.
"She has been sold, sire." Hagan replied.
"Sold? To who?"
"Lord Darkar, Your Highness." Musa interjected.
"Lord...tell no one of our conversation for all will reveal itself in due course." Helia instructed before taking off towards the stables.
At Lord Darkar's large and dark castle, Flora was polishing Darkar's vast sword collecting as she stood with her feet shackled.
"Are you not done yet?" a voice asked as Flora aggressively rubbed the steel blade with a polishing cloth.
"No, Lord Darkar, I am not." Flora replied through gritted teeth.
"Well hurry up. I am not a patient man."
"What else am I to do today?" Flora asked with malice.
Flora soon regretted that question as she felt fingers running through her hair and Darkar's other hand find a place on her waist.
"I was hoping that after you polished these swords that you would be my entertainment tonight." Darkar suggestively said and bent his head down to Flora's neck and took a deep breath inhaling her scent.
Flora winced in disgust, "You would do best to step away from me."
Darkar lowered his head and Flora could feel Darkar's lips on her neck before she grabbed the sword off of Darkar's hilt, disarming him and making sure that he was out of reach from the swords on the table.
"I could hang you for this." Darkar said.
"Not if you are dead."
"I do like my women spirited." Darkar then charged at Flora threatening to kiss her but Flora quickly cut Darkar's cheek.
"My father was an expert swordsman and he taught me well and I swear on his grave that if you do not hand me the key I will slice you from navel to nose." Flora growled staring Darkar right into his black eyes.
Darkar hesitated for a moment in fear and knew that Flora was serious about her threats. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small metal key.
"Your freedom."
Flora pushed Darkar away and undid the iron shackles from around her legs, free from the horrid man.
Flora made her way outside of Lord Darkar's castle breathing in the foggy air that came from being on top of the mountain. She smiled knowing that she was free however that smile faded when she saw a horse approaching her with no other than Prince Helia as its rider.
Flora stopped in her tracks as she watched Helia dismount the horse and walk up to her. Flora nervously played with her hair as she watched Helia come closer and closer to her.
"Hello." Helia greeted.
"Hello." Flora looked at Helia with confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"I have come to rescue you." Helia announced softly.
"Rescue me? A commoner?" Flora sighed as she walked past Helia.
"Actually I came to beg your forgiveness." Helia said as he turned around and walked after Flora. "I offered you the world and at the first test of honor I betrayed your trust. Please, Flora."
Flora stopped in her tracks and turned towards Helia.
"Say it again." Flora softly instructed.
"I'm sorry." Helia replied.
"No, the part where you said my name." Flora sighed.
"Flora." Helia smiled as Flora let out a small chuckle. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to help me find the owner of this rather remarkable looking shoe." Helia said as he pulled out the shoe that Flora had lost the night of the ball.
"Where did you find that?" Flora asked in disbelief as she looked at the shoe and Helia.
"She is my match in every way. Please tell me I haven't lost her." Helia said looking down at Flora.
"It belongs to a peasant, Your Highness, who only pretended to be a courtier to save a man's life." Flora sighed as she sat down on a small bench outside of the castle.
"Yes, I know. And the name's Helia if you don't mind." Helia smiled and his comment led Flora look down and smile as well.
Helia knelt down in front of Flora, "I kneel to you, not as a prince, but as a man in love," Helia began with Flora looking down at him in shock as he adjusted the shoe in his hand, "but I would feel like a king if you, Flora, were to become my wife." Helia took the tattered brown shoe that Flora had over her dirty feet and placed the silver shoe on top.
Flora buried her head in her hands and began to shake her head which caused Helia to frown. Flora then lifted her head and began to smile through tears as she extended her arms towards Helia. Helia gladly pulled Flora to him and embrace her as he lifted Flora from the ground and spun her around as he planted passionate kisses on her soft lips. Flora laughed from the happiness that she felt and she reciprocated Helia's kisses with kisses of her own.
She was finally happy.
I hope you enjoyed that chapter but that is not the end. For those who have seen Ever After, we know that there is more to this story. There is one more chapter left and I hope that you will enjoy it. As always, reviews are much appreciated.