Opening my eyes, I groggily gaze around me as sunlight poured in from the little window by me. It had been days since I had last seen Aaron. After I refused to marry him he left and has not been back since. Leaving me here without food or water. I licked my dry lips in hope’s that would stop the pain from my skin on my lips cracking and peeling, but to no avail. A tear slipped down my face as I realized I was going to die here. Suddenly I heard the lock turning as the door swung open to reveal Aaron with a tray of food.

“Please Aaron just let me go. I promise if you release me you won’t be imprisoned. You can go back to your own land, and no one will come after you. Please just let me go.” I begged as he stood there frowning at me.

“I will only let you go, as well as give you this food and water if you agree to marry me. Otherwise I will leave you in here for a few more days to think it over.” I couldn’t believe someone I once planned on marrying would do something like this. I was about to say not on your life when a thought and plan appeared in my head.

“Fine you win. I will marry you. Just promise me you will let Conner go if I do.” He smirked believing he finally won.

“Of course, princess I will release him as soon as we are married and then I will banish him to the far reaches of the earth.” He laughed wickedly pulling the chair over to me and placing the food on it before unchaining me. As soon as the last chain had fallen away I leaped. Pushing Aaron out of the way, causing him to fall to the ground, I raced for the door. I could hear Aaron curse under his breath as he leaped to his feet and gave chase. He was inches away from me when I slammed the metal door in his face. I desperately looked around for some way to lock it as Aaron pushed against the door. That’s when I noticed he had left the key in the door. Moving fast I quickly turned it till I heard the familiar click as once more the door was locked but with Aaron trapped inside instead of me.

“Let me out!” He demanded his eyes flashing angrily through the bars at the top of the metal door.

“I will but with the palace guards present.”

“I thought you said you wouldn’t have me imprisoned.”

“That was if you had let me go. You were planning on keeping me locked in there for eternity unless I agreed to marry you. I don’t see how that is letting me go.” I calmly answered twirling the key on my finger. I jumped backwards as he stuck his hands through the barred window at the top of the door as he tried to grab the key out of my hands.

“I’m sorry Aaron I really did love you, but I can’t marry someone who treats people so horribly. Good bye Aaron.” I turned to leave fresh tears spilling down my dirty face.

“Sasha you can’t leave me here. Let me out! Sasha!” As soon as I could no longer hear his screams I fell to the ground in a heap. Hugging my knees to myself I burst into tears. Heartbroken that Aaron would do this to me. If he truly loved me he never would have done something so horrible to me. Not to mention beating up and framing my childhood friend. I Could not understand why Aaron would do this to me. Though I probably never would.

☆☆☆

Sitting on the little white bench overlooking my garden I sighed to myself thinking over the events of the last few days. After escaping the prison Aaron had me locked up in, I had gone to find my dad. Turns out after Aaron had kidnapped me my dad had gone to talk to Conner. That’s when Conner told him everything he saw and heard including his suspicions on Aaron. My dad had apparently been suspicious of Aaron since Conner was arrested but had no way to prove that Aaron was behind any of it. So, when I was kidnapped and Conner still in prison my dad figured he had enough proof and released Conner getting him medical attention as well as reinstating him as the captain of the guard. Than he put a price on Aarons head. That’s about the time when Aaron returned after leaving me locked up for so long, and demanded I marry him. Thankfully I escaped or who knows what would have happened. Needless to say, when I turned up in front of my dad’s throne room dirty, exhausted, and bruised from the chains Conner and my dad were furious as well as relieved I was ok. I led Conner and a few of the guards to the secret room in the library but all we found was an empty room. There was also a key lying on the floor outside the door. Which makes me believe he had a spare key hidden somewhere in the room just in case. Though because he was so angry about me locking him in there he wasn’t thinking straight and did not remember the key until after I had long disappeared around the corner and he had calmed down enough to think. Either way Aaron was gone and no one not even his family in the kingdom of Celestia knew where he was. At least the ring master was now behind bars. Apparently, he had been so confident that I would never get out of Aaron’s control that he threw away the plane ticket Aaron bought for him and kept working at his circus right here in town. Which is a good thing too otherwise who knows if we would have been able to catch him. Even though Aaron was still out there somewhere, things were finally beginning to go back to normal. Well as normal as a princess’s life can be.

“Hey Sasha, what are you doing.” I hear someone say behind me. Turning around I smile as I see Conner walking toward me din his full guards’ uniform.

“Nothing just thinking.” I replied turning back to the garden where a butterfly had just landed on a lily. Conner sitting down on the bench beside me also stares out across the garden as a rabbit came hopping over to a bush and began munching on a carrot that it had pulled from the ground.

“How are you holding up. I know how much you loved Aaron.” For a moment I didn’t answer unsure exactly what to say. Finally, after a moment I sighed and closed my eyes as an image of my once sweet and loving Aaron appeared in my head.

“I’m ok but it’s going to be a while before I am able to love another person again.”

“I expect so.” He replied trying but failing to hide the disappointment in his voice.

“I really thought I knew him Conner. He never acted this way before. It was like he was a completely different person. He just snapped and completely lost it. I still can’t believe that he kidnapped me though. It’s like it’s a distant nightmare that I can’t seem to wake up from. I keep waiting for the day I will wake up to find him still my lovable fiancé, but I know that’s not going to happen.” I sighed sadly.

“I’m sorry Sasha. I am not sure why Aaron allowed his jealousy to get so out of control, but I hope you don’t let this bad relationship close your heart to those who still truly care about you?”

“No. I won’t. I just need some time to heal and process everything that has happened. My heart has been broken so badly that right now I don’t know if I can ever truly open it again to another guy. I hope you understand Conner.” I placed my hand gently on his as I looked up at him. He turned bright red. Obviously he didn’t expect me to understand his hidden meaning.

“I didn’t, I mean I wasn’t…” He stammered I smiled before removing my hand and looking back out across my little garden. Maybe one day I could Open my heart to Conner. Right now, though I just want to see what the future holds.

The End.