In that moment I knew that I wanted him. Oh how wrong I was over two months ago when I thought I hated this creature. This beautiful creature. I looked at his tattoos and examined them. He had them all over his chest, and his back. They appeared to flow together, almost as if they told a story. I was about to ask him about them, but then I noticed that he was asleep. I smiled and decided that I could ask him tomorrow.
When I awoke I discovered that I was alone. Bellamy must have already left. Why he let me sleep is ridiculous to me. I smiled and stretched out. I don't think I had been this well slept in months. When I looked over at the nightstand, I noticed there was a note on the table. In blue crayon. I grinned and read it.
"Dear Princess," I read out loud. "Today is a special day. It is one of your last days in The Grounds." I read softly. They were right. I had four days left. "So today is all about you." I said and grinned. "When you awake, ring this bell, and you will receive a surprise." I said and saw there was a small silver bell next to the table.
"Well what on earth?" I asked. I picked it up and rolled it between my fingers before giving it a ring. Almost instantly a whole fleet of gophers came barreling into my room.
"Good Morning!" they all announced.
"Why hello." I said with wide eyes.
"This is for you." Hunter said gesturing Jerica to give me a tray filled with breakfast food and a book. "Prince Bellamy said to make sure you were entertained, and content." Hunter said.
"Well what would make me happy would be all of you up here with me." I said with a grin as I pinched their cheeks. Soon all six of them were in my bed.
"So, would you like to tell me what all of this is about?" I asked as I took a gulp of my orange juice.
"Prince Bellamy is going to-" Arabella started.
"No!" Liza yelled as Darren covered her mouth.
"We're not to tell you." John said.
"Well. Are you sure I can't bribe you?" I asked as I gestured to my tray and winking.
"Princess we can't." Hunter said disappointed.
"That's alright, so tell me what else is planned for today." I said.
"You are to spend the morning in leisure." Darren said with a funny face.
"Then you get time with Octavia and Raven." Arabella said.
"Then you prepare." Liza said.
"And then it's time." Jerica said with a smile.
"Time for what?" I asked.
"Uh, we must go now." Hunter said pulling them all off the bed and out the door. I angrily crunched on a piece of toast.
"Well what in the world." I said, as I opened the book and began reading. A while after, I heard a knock on my door.
"Heyo." Raven said as she bounced onto Bellamy's bed.
"What's up chickadee?" Octavia said joining her.
"Thank god you guys are here, I've been held captive all day." I said grinning at them. Raven rolled her eyes.
"Like you haven't enjoyed every minute of being in his bed." she said with a sly smile.
"Eww. Too far Rae." Octavia said scrunching her nose. I laughed.
"Nah, we're here to entertain you." Raven said.
"Well can you tell me what the hell is going on?" I asked. They both shook their heads no.
"Sorry honey pie. No can do." Octavia said. I sighed.
"Well can you just tell me what the drama is?" I asked. They smiled and nodded their heads. They spent the next few hours telling jokes and stories. Soon we heard a knock on the door. It was Ella.
"Hello dearie." she said smiling. "I have quite the surprise for you." she said and swung the door open completely. There was Cynthia, Harper, and Maya. I nearly cried as I ran to Cynthia and clung her to me. She ran her fingers through my hair and hushed me.
"Stop now child, what's all the huss over? I'm no big deal like you flower." she said cupping my face. I held onto her hands as they held onto me.
"I've missed you so much Cynthia." I said with happy tears falling down my face.
"I have missed you as well." she said and kissed my head. Soon, introductions were made and everyone was in my room. With Octavia, Raven, Harper, and Maya talking in one corner, and Ella off to grab something. Cynthia and I were in another corner as she brushed my hair.
"What aren't they telling me Cynthia?" I asked. She shrugged.
"I was told to keep quiet." she said.
"Where are mother and father?" I asked. She was silent for a beat.
"They were busy." she said.
"Lies." I said with my shoulders shrugged.
"Some people still haven't come to the same point as you and I child." she said glancing over at Octavia and Raven.
"They are sweet girls, your friends." she said smiling. I smiled with her.
"Yes, they are." I agreed.
"And that boy," Cynthia said looking down at me with a knowing look.
"You met Prince Bellamy?" I asked.
"I recognized him from the instant his eyes met mine sweet child. He is quite the gentleman, not so bad on the eyes either." she said smiling.
"My painting." I said, almost completely forgotten.
"Yes." she said.
"I am happy with him." I said quietly.
"As you deserve to be." she said placing the brush down, and Ella entered with about a dozen bags.
"Well, my dear, it is time to get you ready." she said. With that, for the next several hours I was stripped, waxed, and redone.
"I still don't understand what all this is about." I said shaking my head, as the girls had all exited and I was left with Cynthia.
"You must have faith child." Cynthia said.
"I haven't seen Bell all day." I sighed.
"You love him." Cynthia said staring at me. I looked up at her, with the words seemingly caught in my throat. I was unable to speak, so I simply nodded my head. She smiled and held her hands together. "This is the most magical moment." she said smiling, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
"I love you Cynthia." I said.
"I love you too child." she said. Ella entered the room.
"Well, the others are getting ready right now." she said smiling. She pulled up a chair and we began to talk.
"Ella, you never told me about your love." I said. She looked down at her lap and smiled.
"Thomas." she began and I leaned up against Cynthia and listened to Ella.
"Thomas was a soldier, and I was a maid of the castle. I had been, since I was sixteen." she began her story. "He would sneak away from his barrack at night to come see me, and he would often sing me to sleep. He had the most beautiful voice." she said looking off.
"He wished to marry me, and I happily said yes. I was the happiest woman on earth, it seemed." she said. "In his vows, he told this story about how life was a garden. How he had been searching for the most pure flower, and when he stumbled upon it he was completely taken aback. He said he fell in love with the most beautiful flower out of the whole garden." she said, her eyes glassy as if she was replaying it in her head.
The most beautiful flower.
I felt my heart rate increase.
That is what Bellamy named me.
"Then, he went off to war." she said, her face much more serious. "Our enemies to the east had kidnapped him. Tortured him. Killed him, for information that he did not posses." she said. "To this day, I have not had another love like him." she finished with a smile.
"I am so sorry for your loss." I said softly.
"Don't be child." she said with a smile. "Be grateful for the love." she said, as a tear rolled down her face. At that moment there was a knock on the door.
"It's time." was spoken, and Ella snapped out of her daze, but mine had just begun. Bellamy called me the most beautiful flower. What had this meant? I hadn't realized just how deeply that statement meant to him.
"Well flower, go on." she said. I took one more look at myself. I was in a dark dress. One with silver accents. My hair fell down in soft curls about my face, with dark make up. My black flatts were comfortable, and I felt nervous. I had no clue what was going on.
As Cynthia led me out down a path I had never taken before, I began to grow anxious.
"Go get 'em." she said giving me a slight push. I walked forward until I saw a light.
"What?" I whispered and walked closer to the light. There I was at the top of the staircase, in a beautiful dimly lit ballroom.
"Wow." I whispered. People were dancing slowly. All of them looked so elegant. Not gaudy, or overdone like in Arkia. Simple worked so beautifully for these people. I felt my tiara start to slide, and I slipped it back upon my head.
"Princess Clarke." I heard a soft voice say over a microphone, and I slowly walked down the stairs as everyone smiled and applauded. I was soon overtaken by how many large people were surrounding me. I was used to being around one or two at a time, but this many people was astounding.
"Princess." I heard a familiar voice say behind me. I turned around to see Bellamy with his tux and crown, and a smirk to follow both.
"What is this Bell?" I asked.
"Dance with me?" he asked offering his hand. I nodded my head. I took his hand and he took my heart. We danced all around the room as he whispered things in my ear. He made me laugh, and he made me smile. The way he looked at me was enough to make me feel at peace.
Suddenly after dancing for quite sometime, the music stopped, and Bellamy walked up to the stage where the band was playing.
"I have called you all to my home tonight for a reason." he said and the gophers ran up to me, all dressed up with smiles on their faces. Jerica insisted on being picked up, and Darren held my hand. They all stood about me, and I noticed how not only young people filled this large area, but people of all ages. It almost seemed as if-
"I have asked each and every one of our people to join us tonight, because I have a very special moment, that I would like us all to experience." he said, with his face sobering. I looked around the room and caught eyes with Octavia, Raven, Harper and Maya.
"What is going on?" I mouthed at them and they all just grinned at me.
"There is someone here." I looked and locked eyes with Cynthia and Ella, and they both were clinging to each other. Almost in tears. I gripped onto Jerica as I realized what was happening. I snapped my head back to Bellamy as he looked me in the eye.
"Someone that means the world to me. Princess Clarke, of Arkia, will you please join me?" he asked gesturing me to him.
I felt frozen, but the gophers gave me a push and Jerica removed herself from me. I slowly made my way up the stairs and stood next to him. I asked him with my eyes what the hell was going on.
"These past months have meant nothing but the world to me. I have fallen in love with you." he said, and I felt tears coming on. I didn't cry however, I could feel everyone in the audience already tearing up for me.
"I never thought I could love, until I met you." he said with a sad smile. Like he was going to cry.
"I don't want to love anyone else." he said standing up a bit straighter.
"And I don't want anyone else for as long as I die." he said and that's when I could hear my heart hammer in my chest. He dropped down to one knee, and I felt my whole mouth open as I breathed unevenly.
He looked down at my feet, and pulled something out of his pocket. I placed a hand on my chest to calm my frantically beating heart. He opened up a small black box and in it was the most beautiful silver and black ring.
"Clarke Griffin, Princess of Arkia, will you marry me?" he said looking up into my blue eyes with nothing but hope, and love. I grinned and felt tears falling down my face.
"Yes." I said nodding. The whole room burst into thundering applause and cheering.
"Yes, yes yes!" I yelled as tears streamed down my face and he stood up and wrapped both his arms around me into the tightest embrace.
"I love you so much." I said with tears streaming down my face. He gripped me so tightly, it was as if all my broken pieces fit together.
"I love you Princess." he said. He leaned back and kissed me. Then he placed the ring onto my finger, and I felt complete. Like everything in the world made sense. There was nothing more that I could have wanted. I looked out into the audience and saw everything that made me happy.
I wanted this to stay.
I wanted to stay.
I wanted him.
"I can't believe you." I said as I leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around me and smiled out at his people.
"Well it had to be a surprise yeah?" he said through his smile.
"You are such a jerk." I said waving at the gophers.
"A jerk that you're marrying." he said looking down at me. I looked up at him, and I couldn't hold back my grin for one second. Soon, the applause died down, and we went out to thank people, and accept our congratulations.
"Well. I never thought I'd see the day." Octavia said punching her brother in the arm.
"I'm so happy for you." Raven said as she and Octavia both hugged me. Bellamy went off to talk to Wick and Lincoln.
"This means we're sisters." I said smiling.
"Maybe we can do like a blood pact to actually become sisters." Octavia said grinning. Lincoln walked up to Octavia and asked her to dance in that moment. I glanced over at Bellamy who smiled and nodded at me. He was in such a good mood he couldn't hold that happiness back from his sister.
The night went on, and I danced and drank. I laughed and talked with everyone that was important to me. There seemed to be nothing out of place.
It was, perfect.
Soon people began to leave, and as I waved goodbye to all of them, I realized I had too much to drink. I stumbled away from the party, not wanting to embarrass myself in front of the crowd. I found my way back to Bellamy's room. And as soon as I opened the door, darkness.