My Guardian ( Book VI )

Kidnapped

8 YEARS LATER,

(3rd person P.O.V)

“Alia,” her red-haired twin called, her voice mocking, as she walked into said sisters’ room, “suitors are coming and I highly doubt one will choose you.” Her bright red eyes gleaming with cruelty and her clothes were a red dress that showed too much skin and rode to high on her legs. On her head, she wore a gold headdress with rubies embedded into it.

The oldest princess sighed, ignoring her, glancing over her sister, “Well, if you show them you have more to offer.” She was in a simple white gown and a silver tiara that curved around her head in an elegant design with a single white diamond cherry blossom shaped pendant placed in the center just on her forehead.

“I have more to offer than I could say for you.” She answered snobbishly.

“By sleeping with them, you degrade your body that much? We’re only twelve.” Alia sat on her bed, having just finished a session in learning medicine from Zara, who she had trained with for about two years. Silky white canopy drapes at the end of the four large bedposts, the same color of her bedspread. A large cherry blossom rug was placed in the center of her room and the walls were white with painted pastel white Alia’s falling on each wall. White lacy curtains swayed in the cool summer breeze at the open door that leads out to the balcony. Moving to the balcony she stood at the stone railing leaning over it slightly as she could see carriages that were bringing many princes who would ask for either her or Amy’s hand.

Alia, however, wouldn’t give her hand to any. She had to wait for her to be taken away from this place, she heard his voice. At first, she thought she was dreaming, but she had woken up once and had seen the figure of a man in her room; that must have been the guardian she had always known was watching over her. But as she opened her tired eyes, he was gone but was close by.

She couldn’t deny she was drawn to him, but she knew nothing about him. She knew however, she fell in love with his voice… so rich and soft.

“Not like they would go for you,” the youngest girl walked onto the platform behind her sister who was in a daydream. “Daydreaming about someone who would love you as they do me?” she questioned her tone despiteful, “No one in their right mind would love you.”

‘That’s where you’re wrong,’ Alia didn’t voice it out, “Life has its ups and downs, someone loves me, somewhere. And if not now, someone will.”

“Not when the poor sap knows you’re a killer,” the red-head snorted. “Father always said I’ll be a great Queen.”

“Will you even be faithful to your King?” Alia asked. “A Queen sleeping with men other than her husband, where’s the loyalty in that? Even the thought of that disgusts me.”

“You’re just jealous be—”

“No, I’m not jealous! I simply have more dignity than giving my body away.” Alia growled, “Listen, you’re still my sister, and I want you to respect yourself.”

The younger princess frowned, “Why would I listen to a murderer? If anything, you should have died, not Mother.” Turning on her heel, she left the room.

No matter how much Alia knew that wasn’t true, the hurt she felt in her heart didn’t waver.

Lying down on her bed, Alia hid her forlorn expression, then she whispered, “You have no idea how much I had wished I had died,” a few tears had appeared in her eyes, “but the thought of you and Zara are the only reasons I haven’t ended my life. When can you take me away from here?” she asked quietly, knowing her watcher was close by, listening. At the moment, she really wanted to hear his voice.

Only after she closed her eyes did she hear it, his tone dismayed, “Only when you blossom. Wait for me.”

“When is that?” the princess inquired as she felt sleep consume her.

“Soon…” came the reply, and she could have sworn she caught a slight glimpse of her friend who was always hiding in the shadows. “Sleep well, Alia…” She fell asleep, loving the way he said her name.

After 5 years later

(Alia P.O.V)

Grinning sinisterly to myself as I walked back to my room, I had managed to thwart yet another attempt at marriage, despite what my father and sister had said many years ago, I had many suitors after my heart, or just for my body, I noticed. Think about how they were checking me out with lust in their eyes disgust me.

I didn’t miss all of those gazes they gave me when they have seen me, I was always quite observant. Amy had become jealous with all of the attention I sister was getting, but with each of the guys failed attempts to woo her and me rejecting each and everyone, she had them all to herself. I wondered why she and the King had always said she would never be a beautiful princess. But that all changed when I turned fourteen, I was thin and fit, my face heart-shaped and large green eyes that captivated their soul with one look and shoulder-length white locks that looked as if made of silk.

Amy had always been the one getting the attention from the males who sought the two princesses’ hand in marriage, but now it had been two years since the youngest girl of the royal family began to feel washed out when all the men had cast their eyes upon her older sister.

Now at the age of sixteen, I had felt confident. I had proved my father and sister wrong, I have become beautiful, I have blossomed. Entering my room, I thought about Did that mean I could be taken away from here? Now?

Or did I just think I had blossomed only to stay here for how much longer?

Catching some movement at the corner of my eye, I looked up only to see a man in black grinning before he appeared in front of me and hit me on the back of my neck. Letting out a yelp my world was surrounded by darkness.

I feel someone throwing me on their shoulder after teeing my hand and legs before I fully got unconscious.