Chapter- 8
Yawn! It was a big day today.
Knock, knock.
Ugh! "Who's there?!" I called not willing to get up.
"Alp, come on! Open the door." Bella shouted back.
I grudgingly got up and opened the door. I allowed her in then took the most comfortable spot in the entire room to sit. On the bed with my legs covered beneath the blanket and my back resting on the pillows. I noticed Bella hadn't yet changed out of her jeans and her crop top. And yes, dear reader she wore jeans and a top in the palace. Do not think that she wears gowns all day. She isn't that kind of princess. Anyways, she sat down on the armrest near the fire place which was lit up. As you looked out the window you would see snow falling, like fresh parmesan on pasta.
"So..." Bella said breaking the silence. I looked towards her and she continued. "How is the hostage cooperating?"
"Let's see, He in hiding my system with his tweaks and ready to be launched." I said imitating an explosion at my last word.
Bella giggled. The sound was wonderful. I can't even begin to describe it. It was like happiness in sound. I shook my head.
"Well, umm I guess I owe you an apology." Her tone getting serious and saddened.
"I guess you do." I replied.
"I'm really sorry Alphonse. For chloroforming you and for betraying you. I am so sorry." She begged me. I looked in her eyes and saw her hurt. "Ok." I said. She released a breath I wasn't aware she was holding. Relief washed over her eyes. And she smiled at me. The I realized that I wanted to forgive her. I wanted to know that she was innocent.
"Why did you do it?" I asked. The hurt I was feeling and trying to conceal was leaking out with my voice.
She looked at me. I couldn't make out her expression. It was hurt, pain, apologetic, guilt and something I couldn't quiet place my finger on.
"I had no choice... ,' she said, ' Alphonse... I have been hiding something from you. I... I wasn't a normal orphan at the orphanage. I was actually a princess by blood."
"Yeah you told me that." I intervened.
"But that wasn't all... I actually... actually I wasn't born from the king and queen... I was a bastard born from the king and one of the palace maids."
I stayed quiet. I did not know what to say.
"I got to know this when the Asauteranians came to claim me. They were worried that umm, the news of me... will um... will spread and it will spoil their name. So, they wanted to get me back to.... dispose me." She spoke this in a small voice. She was ashamed of her heritage.
I got up from the bed walked over to her and put my arms around her engulfing her in a hug. She leaned against me burying her face in my chest. We stayed like that for a while.
" I didn't betray you... Shawn did." She spoke suddenly.
"What?!" I asked (ok, maybe shouted). "But he did not know about that. Did he?" I looked at her accusingly.
"No, he did not... but he saw you out shopping for groceries and he decided that all those years of friendship meant nothing. By the time I got to know about it all I couldn't do anything. And somehow Shawn knew my secret too. He used it to blackmail the crown. And mommy and daddy got scared thus, not anybody knowing about me." She shrugged helplessly. Like she didn't have a choice. Everybody has a choice. She just has to find out hers yet, but I said none of that. Instead...
"Hey, It's fine. I blackmailed the police too. Hacking comes in handy." I shrugged. She smiled.
"And as for chloroforming you. That was not only a safe room you see. That was a place where the palace kept it's darkest secrets. Nobody should know about that so I had too..." She said.
All these secrets... yet I still felt that she was holding something from me. It related to the safe room incident. I didn't want to push her. So, I left it.
"Anyways, what's your favourite movie nowadays?" She asked breaking the ice.
"Same as always... " I answered grinning like a fool.
And soon we were talking just like the old days. Her face lit up every time she laughed. She looked like a goddess in the fire light. Then, I felt the sudden urge to kiss her and that's what I did.