The Prince's Wedding

I'm Sorry. 14.

MELISSA

"Say ahhhh..." Halley instructs me and I mimic her, opening my mouth and repeating the sound while she feeds me another slice of apple.

"I could get used to this." She teases, watching me eat and I roll my eyes at her.

"Ha-ha, very funny. In a few weeks I'll be able to use my hands and this humiliation will end." I say and she giggles, feeding me a berry this time.

"That's long enough for me."  She says happily, swinging her legs below her chair and staring out at the view before us. We are at the rooftop again, which had gradually become my safe haven ever since the night of the incident. The castle still terrified me every time I walked within its walls and I couldn't face the villagers anymore.

Not after that day.

Felipe tried to convince me that there would be no more attempts after Prince Alexander addressed them, but it didn't feel very reassuring to me. Most nights I struggle to sleep long after midnight, yet I'm up long before dawn and I can tell it's getting to the point where it bothers Prince Alexander because he only comes into the room when I'm supposed to be asleep and he's out the minute the sun rises.

Every waking moment in the castle tears me apart.... and I only feel like myself on the roof.

"We're out of fruit. I'll go get you some more." Halley says, getting up but I'm quick to stop here.

"Halley, maybe you should get ready for your lessons. Don't you have any today?" I ask and she sighs, pausing to turn to me.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be learning how to make a tapestry, but I don't want to leave you all alone up here." She whines and I smile.

"I'm fine, I promise. Look you fed me and you kept me company, but I don't want you to miss your lessons, okay?  I'll be right here when you're done." I assure her and she shrugs in the least excited way.

"Okayyy." She whines and I peck her on the head before she leaves.

With Halley gone, I lean back on my chair and stare at my bandaged hands, my impatience picking at me.

Heal, for God's sake!

It's bad enough to feel like a target, but being a target that can't even help herself is just—

"You realise staring at them won't make them heal any faster." Prince Alexander's voice comes from beside me and I turn to see him standing at the entrance to the roof, fully dressed in his royal attire down to a cape...but no crown.

"I was only lost in thought... Your Majesty." I say, getting up and slightly curtsying. When I stand up straight, the Prince has walked closer to me.

"I've been looking for you." He says, frowning slightly as he observes me with those green eyes, which dart from me, to the empty bowl of fruits, to the view. "What are you doing here?" he adds and I don't know how to answer the question without making him realise how unsafe I feel within the castle.

"Well I... I like the view and--"

"And you're avoiding being inside the castle?" He interjects and I just blink up at him speechless.

He knows?

"Why?" He adds and I just take a deep breath, suddenly unable to hold it in anymore.

"I just can't be in there anymore, moving around with bandaged hands and waiting to be fed or clothed.  Plus every time I walk past a room or just down the hallway, the thought of someone just hiding in there haunts me. And then there's the endless stares I get from everyone, and I feel so exposed, so targeted.... I mean where else can I go but here?"  I'm close to tears by the time I'm done and Prince Alexander just keeps observing me.