Reviews:

Wolvmbm - thank you so much! I swear you're the only one enjoying/reading this at all right now haha but that's okay! I'm very excited how this story turned out and this is why I'm sharing it rather quickly. I finished it a few days ago so I'm really ecstatic that it's complete and I can't wait for you and anyone else to read and enjoy. :)

Thanks everyone!
Would love to know your thoughts, :)

A Royal Gone Rebel
Chapter Thirteen

The Queen had good days, where she loved to be read to non-stop though she also had less than well days where she'd rather speak a bit, listen and attempt to sleep away her consistent pain. The last few hours had been very pain-filled.

It was early morning in the castle and Ashlynn was on her way to the library when she'd heard a horrible smashing sound. It was nearly deafening! It was her new mission to find out what in the world had gone on.

To her astonishment she saw her husband, Roland. Tears were streaming down his face and he'd just intentionally knocked down a suit of armor. She rushed over to him, "Roland? Roland. . ." he sniffled, not making eye contact with his wife. He'd only feel worse. "hey, look at me. Please. Relax, before you give someone a heart attack by making so much noise."

"She's gone Ash, she's gone. She's not here anymore. She won't be coming back, never. . ." He rambled on, not making much sense at all but she hugged him.

It wasn't until he let out a harsh sob, that she realized exactly who was gone and never returning. "Oh Roland, hon I'm sorry." She told him softly, rubbing his back affectionately - she could do nothing to ease the pain of his broken heart, but she'd damn well try. "W-when did it happen?"

"A few hours ago, I came in to visit her and. . . and she wasn't, breathing anymore." He revealed, trembling uncontrollably. "I don't understand why she stopped breathing. I didn't mean to be such a failure, I didn't want to cause her anymore pain. . ." He was white as a ghost, repeating his thoughts aloud. Still shocked yet the realization crashing down on him hard all at once. He was so confused. He was so lost.

Barely being able to stand he was so startled, he sunk to the cold stone floor in such disbelief. It didn't take Ashlynn long to sit on the floor next to him. "Roland. . . you didn't cause her physical pain. You didn't. Listen to me," she hugged him close, cradling him almost. "Your mother's physical pain was not of your control. You couldn't have stopped it as much as you wanted to, there's no way anyone can do such things. You need to try and breathe Roland, please. Don't blame yourself. . . shhh." She tried to calm him, but losing someone so close must've felt devastating. She wouldn't know as much as him - although she did grow close to the Queen in a short period of time, but it didn't count. "I'm here for you Roland, I'm right here and. . ." she swallowed what seemed to feel like a massive lump in her throat. "I'm not going anywhere."

~ ) * ( E - A - H ) * ( ~

Roland often woke sobbing at night, or he'd have outbursts during the day. If Ashlynn so much as said something his mother would've said, he'd tear up then too. It wasn't his fault of course and she completely understood that - he was going through the worst stages of grieving. They were treating him brutally.

She learned that he had many regrets, things he didn't follow or pursue, that his mother said he should - it was all built up even though he could never change it he still felt upset and delicate about it.

It was late now and Ashlynn was the only one in the library. She came there often in the evenings to have some quiet time to herself, to write her parents a letter or two that would never be sent. It still felt like she was communicating with them even though she wasn't. "Ash?"

The whisper startled her, she dropped her book and clutched her chest. Turning around, she saw a humble-looking Roland. "Oh, hi hon. How are you feeling?" She asked him softly, knowing she was walking on very thin ice asking such a question.

"I - I'm okay." He gave his head a small shake in bewilderment. She was asking how he was feeling? Even though she had put up with his outbursts, his estranged father, late mother - kept in isolation from everything and everyone she once knew and she was still asking him how he was feeling?

"What's that you have there?" She asked him, shifting her gaze downward to a document he held in his hand.

"Ashlynn, you gotta listen to me. . ." He told her cautiously, kneeling down in front of her, the document held close. "this is our marriage license. But y'know what?" He tossed it into the roaring fireplace.

"Roland!" She gasped.

"Ashlynn, I am so grateful for you. You're such a selfless, sweet person. I wanted to marry you right away because I knew that my mother would adore you and as you know now, she was sick and didn't have much time left. . ." He sighed, his eyes staring into Ashlynn's green hues. "but the way you magnetized to her, you spent time with her when everyone - including myself - were scared to because we knew she wasn't going to last long, I knew you were the perfect person. Now I have to be honest and it's not going to be easy and you're going to hate me I'm sure."

Ashlynn had a nauseating feeling she knew what he was going to say, but she decided to keep quiet.

He blew some strands of hair away from his face, thinking how to word any of this was no easy task. "The guards set your Kingdom on fire and demolished it to the ground as a ploy to send you to me, asking for marriage."

Ashlynn's eyes widened. She hadn't expected the plan to be that. . . that sinister!

"Ashlynn, please believe me when I say that I had no idea that my father had such a terrible plan. I was sincere when I rode over, asking if you were alright. I didn't know he'd be so cruel. It did work out the way he wanted it to, but I never meant for your entire world to be destroyed. I know it was a lot to lose, but for my mother to have gained you. . . excuse me for stating this but I hardly see that as a bad outcome."

A Princess was always calm and level-headed, she never acted out of quick impulse - so she remained still. Deep in thought, but she supposed in a certain way he was right. "No one in my Kingdom was hurt in the fire, were they?"

Roland shook his head, "No, actually they made everyone evacuate temporarily to our Kingdom and then made debris out of it. They've been treated, fed, bathed, educated all in your time here. We're not heartless."

"Just devious." She shot at him, turning her frame away as she folded her arms over her chest. "And deceiving."

He winced, "Alright, we deserve that. But Ashlynn, you made my. . ." he gulped lightly. "my dying mother's wishes come true and for that I can never repay you." He looked down at the ruby ring on her left hand. "Well, I can think of one way."

She raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he was up to. Apparently, as she'd learned - he was just as unpredictable as his father.

He took her hand in his, sliding the ring off her finger. "I'm giving you your freedom back."

Ashlynn shifted her eyes towards him in a leery manner. "You're letting me roam outside the castle?"

"No, no. . . farther. Our marriage license burned in the fireplace, that means we are no longer married. It's not valid anymore. I'm setting you free Ashlynn, to go back home and live your life the way it was before. Before I rode in on my 'high horse' as you'd refer to it as."

She gave a slight smile, noting how he quoted her exact words earlier on. "Roland, you're not kidding. . . this is real?"

He nodded eagerly, "Yes Ashlynn, this is real. You're going home and I'll take you there myself if I have to. It's not wrong, if anything - it's the right thing to do and very little of what I owe to you, as I'm forever in your debt."

She gave him a tight hug, "You aren't silly, you don't 'owe' me anything. But I will take you up on that offer to go home. Thank you, Roland. For being selfless as well. I'm glad you learned a thing or two from me." She grinned widely at him, parting the hug.

He nodded once, "I've learned much more than that from you. It's late now, you have a big day tomorrow." He bid her a wave, "Night Ashlynn."

A small wave in return was all she could reply with, "Goodnight." Her own wish was finally coming true - the chance to return home to her beloved Kingdom. With the truth in her mind and the past events burning to debris in front of her, she felt cleansed from here on out.

~ ) * ( E - A - H ) * ( ~