An Audience with His Royal Highness

Roselle rushed to the hospital as fast as she could when she heard the news. James was going to be okay! She had to see him. She had to thank him for saving her life. She, Armani, and the army soldiers that were guarding them ran down the busy hospital halls over to his room.

The group eventually stumbled across James's room (it wasn't hard to pinpoint because of all the royal guards standing outside).

"I'll let you talk to him alone," Armani said. "I'll be in the waiting room."

She nodded. "Alright."

Armani and the army soldiers left leaving Roselle alone with the guards. She approached the door. "I need to get in there," she said, still panting from the sprinting.

"I'm afraid you can't," a British voice said.

She turned around, and standing right behind her was James's assistant, Mason. "He wants to see me!" she protested. "I saw it on TV. He specifically said--"

"It doesn't matter what the king said," Mason interjected. "I know what's best for him, and Roselle Reyes, YOU are not what he needs."

"Excuse me? Who are you to decide that? You're his assistant, not his father. I don't know much about your laws in England, but isn't this treason?"

"Silence, peasant." He circled around her, looking her up and down in a condescending fashion. "You know nothing of who I am or what power I weld. I've been looking after his royal highness ever since he was a child. I've been taking care of him for all these years. It's my duty to protect him. You're bad for him."

Roselle's face was fuming red. "I am not!"

"LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS BECAUSE OF YOU! HE WAS SHOT AND NEARLY KILLED, AND IT'S ALL YOUR DOING!"

Roselle jumped back at his words. "That's . . . that's not true . . ." Her eyes were moist with sparkly tears that raced down her face. "I never thought this would happen. How could I have known he was going to jump in and save me?"

"Because he loves you, you fool." Mason narrowed his eyes, and the two of them had an intense, silent stare down. "He talks about you constantly. I can see the light in his eyes as he says your name. A king must never fall in love with a peasant such as yourself. If you had any respect for King James at all, you'd turn around and walk away right this instant."

"Please . . . Let me at least thank him for saving my life. Let me at least say goodbye."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid that your request for an audience with his royal highness is one I can't grant. Look at you. You've done treacherous things. You've put 'ideas' in his head. You've bewitched him with your feminine charm. You've humbled him. You've gotten him injured. You're worthless. Less than worthless. I've known from the day we've met that you were a vile, loathsome, pathetic little--"

The hospital room door opened. "That's enough." James was standing there, but only barely. He held himself tall and proud even though he looked as if he'd collapse in pain. He clutched his chest and groaned.

"Sire, what are you doing standing up?!" Mason asked, startled. "You must go back to bed immediately."

"I was in bed until I heard your unpleasant shouts," the king said. "Out of curiosity, I leaned my ear against the door." He smirked. "You've been saying daunting things, haven't you? Care to elaborate on them?"

The assistant's face went pale. "I . . ."

"I see. You're only bold in my absence." James coughed and nearly fell. The guards attempted to get him to lean on them, but he dismissed them away.

"Please, your highness, take a seat."

"Why? Do you think of me as a weak king?"

"Of course not! I only want what's best for you."

"James leaned himself on the door frame, but forced himself to keep standing. "Is that why you've interfered with all my duels and told my opponents to let me win?"

Mason snapped his neck at Roselle. "YOU TOLD HIM!"

Roselle snapped her fingers at Mason. "I didn't tell him shit, boy."

"I figured it out on my own." James narrowed his eyes. "I've known all this time. You've made a fool out of me, Mason."

The assistant jumped on his knees and clasped his hands together. "Please, forgive me, your highness!"

"Though it was embarrassing and foolish what you've done, I've already forgiven you for that."

Mason sighed with relief.

"But what you've said to the little rose just now is unforgivable. You're fired and blacklisted from ever working with the English royal family ever again. Goodbye, Mason."

"But sire, look at the state you're in! This is all because of her! She's a demon!"

James slapped a look of hatred and utter disgust across his face. "Get out of my sight."

Mason desperately darted his eyes around the room, turned to Roselle, and begged on his knees to her as well. "Please, I'm so terribly sorry for all the shameful words I've told you. Please forgive me! Please tell James to let me stay!"

She looked down at him and scoffed. "Who's pathetic now?"

"If you don't leave willingly, I'll have the royal guards take you away by force," James warned.

Mason slowly forced himself up, and dragged himself down the hall, sniffling.

Once the assistant was out of sight, James finally collapsed on the floor. Roselle and the royal guards rushed over to his aid.

"James!" Roselle yelped. She searched around. "Nurse, please help!"

* * *

The nurses and doctors helped James back in bed. The king shut his eyes tightly, groaning in pain.

"Please be more cautious," said the doctor. "If you move around too much, you could open your wound. Please get some more rest." He left the room, leaving him alone with Roselle.

It was silent for a moment. Roselle searched her mind for what to say, but was there anything she could possibly say that could give justice to what he'd done for her?

"Fancy seeing you here, peasant," James said in a soft, hardly audible voice.

She only realized it, but tears were streaming down her cheeks? "You idiot . . ." She let out a sob. "Why? Why did you do that? Why did you risk your life for me like that?! You could have died! You told me you'd never self-deprecate yourself for a peasant!"

He managed to let out a mischievous titter. "Perhaps I'm even more noble, brave, and upstanding than I thought I was." He attempted to sit up, but he let out a shriek of pain instead.

"Stop moving so much." Roselle placed her hand on his arm. "Just take it easy, would ya?"

James glanced at her hand, then directed his gaze into her eyes. "Isn't it obvious why I did it, peasant? I thought you were smart, but since you need me to say it bluntly, here it goes: I am undeniably, irretrievably, unbelievably in love with you, peasant."

She shook her head. "But--"

"I don't care if you don't believe me. I don't care if it's not king-like to fall in love with a peasant. I don't care who disapproves. When my life was almost taken from me today, I realized the things that were most important to me, one of which was you. It would be a disservice to myself if I kept dodging my heart's desires and acted solely on duty. I needed to tell myself the truth. I love you. Plain and simple."

Roselle slowly pulled her hands off his shoulder. "I . . . I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything."

"James, you know that Armani and I--"

"I know. And I respect it, but I needed to inform you how I felt."

She stared at the ground, thinking.

The king raised a brow. "What's the matter, little rose?"

"I was just thinking about the time it was you who was visiting me in the hospital and we talked about love. I said love was self-sacrifice." She shook her head. "Maybe it's wrong to start thinking this, but if the roles were reversed and I was the one whose life was going to be taken, would Armani have saved me? Would he take the bullet for me like you did?"

"As intelligent as I am, I have no idea."

She stood up. "I'll have to go for now. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Of course."

She walked towards the door, but before she left, she said one last thing. She couldn't face James as she said it. She was too ashamed. "Thank you for saving me."

Roselle ran away before be had the chance to respond.

* * *

Roselle went to the waiting room where Armani sat, staring blankly at a wall. "Hey . . ." she uttered.

He turned to her. "Ro, I think it's time for us to talk."

"Talk about what?"

"About the future of us."

One, two, three, four, five, inhale. Five, four, three, two, one, exhale.