Princess Bella - Chapter Ten

~ 3 months later ~

Bells were ringing in the castle. Even though it would be a cold day today, the sun was shining bright and made tiny diamonds in the snow.

A tiny snowflake fell on the window, so I could admire its beauty, while I thought back about that day in the forest three months ago. It felt like a lifetime ago.

While Edward and my mother didn´t believe me at first, I was right about Victoria and the forest. She had held my mother´s body there, at the same place she was held in for years and years on end.

¨The forest?¨ both Edward and my mother exclaimed when I proposed it. ¨Why would she hold Queen Renee´s body there?¨

They were hesitant, but we still went to the forest. We found my mother´s body, wrapped together with harsh linen fabrics. Her body had some bruises, but nothing major.

We rescued her and went back into the castle. Surely, when the guards saw two women with the exact same facial features, they would understand that there was an imposter.

The guards yelled and Victoria came running. ¨How did you know?¨ she screamed, but it wasn´t anger she felt. She wasn´t furious, she wasn´t sad.

She was devastated.

The guards looked from woman to woman, they didn´t know who the imposter was. My brother Jake came and I will never forget his face.

After a few minutes, Victoria realised she had lost and she surrendered. The guards held her tightly, but it didn´t feel right for me.

I might still be a teenager and I might not know how the world works, but I did know one thing: Victoria didn´t need to be held captive. The only reason she acted out, was because she was held in the forest all her life because she practised magic. The same faith could be over my head.

So I stopped the guards and begged the real Queen Renee to punish Victoria some other way.

Someone knocked on my door. I took one last look at the snowflake and walked to my bedroom door. I know Victoria stood on the other side of the door, ready to braid my hair for the marriage.

Yes, that was her punishment; live in the castle and be my aunt. We still had some trouble getting acquainted to each other, but so far it went great. I didn´t know if Victoria would be around all the time, but thus far she could teach me to control my magic in person. I became stronger, but I wasn´t near as controlled as she was.

I put on my dress and made my way downstairs. Prince Edward from Chicago was waiting for me at the end of the stairs and offered me his hand.

¨Beautiful as always, Princess Bella.¨

¨Same to you, Prince Edward.¨

We made out way to the chapel where the marriage was being held. We walked past my brothers and I ignored Jake´s suggestive wink. He could be a real ass sometimes. I wonder why he was my favourite.

We sat down next to my mother and Victoria. Prince Edward looked at my mother and bowed his head down to whisper.

¨I forgot to ask you. What does malliakokkina mean?¨

I felt my cheeks redden and told him what it meant: a redhead. When my mother told me she knew me best, she meant she knew I liked redheads.

Edward smiled his crooked grin and patted my hand, the one he was still holding.

The bells stopped ringing and we all stood up. My brother Paul made his way to the entrance, and I was one again thankful that my forced marriage to Prince Edward was postponed.

Although, not that I minded marrying him right now.

I wouldn´t mind that at all.

The End.