The Last Princess

Chapter 35

"I beg your pardon?"

I was, obviously, terribly offended. What did that mean?

"See! I beg your pardon. You're so- princessy!"

"Excuse me?"

"You grew up in a palace! You have no idea how we live here! You don't know what we've suffered! You grew up all rich and pampered! Well, Princess, things are different out here! You have to work, and suffer, and sacrifice, and Nalvia forbid, walk! We don't have east wings and pretty little maids hanging on to your every wish! The world doesn't revolve around you royals! And now my whole family is in danger because of you! So, yeah, I think you can't do what we rebels can!"

"What is wrong with you? You think even though my mom wanted to kill me she's going to let me live in luxury, with pretty little maids hanging on to my every wish? You think I haven't suffered? I bet I've gone through much more than you ever have!"

I'd found my outside voice.

He scoffed at this. "And explain how?"

I took a deep breath. "Fine. You love your sister, don't you? How would you feel if she was murdered? I lost all seven of my sisters! And my father! My mother hates me! And guess where I live! Not in east wings or a comfortable room like you do! I live in the dungeons! I barely have anything to eat, and the only thing I had to look forward to was my death because I had nobody to live for! My last sister died two years ago! And you know what? Forget all this. You know what else she did to me?"

I pulled out my ace.

I stormed in front of him and swept my hair over my shoulder. Grove's white dress had a deeper back than what I usually wore, so more scars were visible. "Where do you think these came from? I didn't fall or anything! She tortured me, she tortured all of us! How can you think I haven't suffered?"

I fell silent, panting slightly.

I could hear his even breaths behind me, and we were both quiet. Then he gently took my wrist and pulled me around to face him.

His face was still slightly shocked, but above that was true repentance. "I'm sorry, Elvina, I didn't know. Really."

I felt slightly ashamed of myself, shouting like that. "It's okay, Aiden. And I am sorry for endangering the whole camp." I pushed my hair back, covering the scars back up. "It's okay. We should go." Aiden said, walking ahead.

I walked with him this time, instead of behind him. "How do you know where we're going?"

"Dad showed me once, Princess. It's safe for us to regroup there."

"Why are you still calling me Princess?"

He grinned for the first time. "It's a good way to annoy you."

I groaned as he laughed, and we walked on, deeper into the Forest.