The Prince Has a Secret Girlfriend (Part 9)

I cried like I never did before everything was just pent up inside and when I saw Henry I felt relieved. I thought I was going to die inside this forest where my family also died. I thought that this was the end for me and I didn't even get to say sorry to Henry or even tell him how I really feel about him. Henry crouched down and put his own suit jacket on me and lifted me up bridal style. I was snugged into his arms when I noticed that his light blue dress shirt was tainted with blood.

"Henry, your bleeding." I said in a panicked tone.

"Huh?" Henry looks at his dress shirt slowly soaking in blood and sees the wound on my left arm. "It's you who is bleeding Christie." It was then his turn to panic.

"I am?" I then recall being shot at by the masked men. "I. . .I think it was when I was shot at by those men." I then feel Henry's grip on me tighten a little and his face is visibly showing anger.

"Where is Anthony?" I suddenly remembered poor Anthony.

"He's fine. He is in the hospital getting treated, they did a number on him. Good thing they did not break any bones of his. He will recover. The nurses told me that he was panicking and kept asking about you and if we have already found you."

"Poor Anthony, he must be so worried about me."

"Poor Anthony? What about you? Look at yourself? Your clad in dirt and leaves, you're bleeding because of a gunshot wound and all you could say is poor Anthony?…" Henry is back at berating me again.

Henry put me down on the ambulance that was waiting. The medics took a quick examination of me and found that I was bleeding from a gunshot wound but I was lucky because the wound wasn't so deep. The bullet just grazed my skin and left a wound that bled due to my physical exertion. They cleaned the wound and bandaged it up. They told me it would leave a small scar but I was not worried of the scar I was thankful I get to live to have that wound turn into a scar someday. I shudder at the thought that I could've died tonight had the masked man been more precise with his shot. They gave me some sedative to help with the pain as my adrenaline started to go down and I am hit by the pain from all the physical exertions I had done this evening and add to that the pain from the wound that I was now nursing. As I was getting checked and taken care of in that ambulance Henry was talking to the police when they saw me looking at them, Henry and one of the detectives approached me.

"How are you feeling now?" Henry asked in a caring and concerned tone.

"I feel awful but at least I'm alive." I joked but it did not amuse Henry at all.

"Uhmm excuse me miss, I am Detective Abernathy or Abe for short. I was hoping if I could get a statement from you about the incident last night?" Detective Abe cautiously asked looking at me and then at Henry. It would seem that Henry told him off when he asked permission to talk to me and get my statement.

"It's okay detective. I am still able to talk and I think it also best to tell you what I remember when it's still fresh in my head."

"Thank you miss. So when you and the young man you were with were at the Cloches famous view point what happened." The detective's question sparked my memory and I recount what I could remember.

I told him how many abductors there were, how they fared in terms of body built. I recalled the car they used white and like a truck, the seats were covered in white leather all these I saw before they put the blind fold on me. I also told detective Abe that the head honcho didn't have any accent which means he is a local resident of Astoria but the rest were of a different race.

"Why do you think they targeted you miss?" Detective Abe further questioned.

I looked at Henry before I answered. "When I asked them when we were driving to the drop off, they said that they thought I was Amelia Reinhard who is Henry Archer's fiancé."

"So this was just a case of mistaken identity. Your lucky then miss that they kept you alive even if you're not their real target." Detective Abe bluntly said.

"Are you saying that her life has less value than that of Amelia Reinhard?" Henry angrily spouted at the detective.

"That's not what I meant. What I meant was the young miss was lucky to be here because most cases like these we don't get to interview the victim if you know what I mean. These kinds of people have no sense of principles. But how could they have mistaken you as Amelia Reinhard, miss Miller?

"Well I was wearing a blonde wig when I was with Anthony, that must have caused the confusion since I really looked like Amelia." I answered truthfully.

"Why were you wearing a wig miss Miller? It caused you this much trouble after all." Detective Abe continued.

"Well, that's a different matter detective, to question the preferences of a young lady in fashion is of no importance to this case is it not?" I turn the tables in order to avoid further scrutiny and avoid the detective digging into my identity.

"I think that she has said everything that she knows Detective Abernathy, let's give her time to rest after all it has been a long night for all of us." Henry ends the interview with Dectective Abernathy.

"Uh well you're right Mr. Archer. Thank you for your cooperation Ms. Miller. We will inform you if there are any developments in the case. I will take my leave now." The good detective has now left us.

"Try to get some rest as the medicine kicks in. I will take you to the hospital to recover. Don't worry about anything." Henry urges me.

I must have slept for quiet some time because I could not recall the journey to the hospital and into my hospital room when I looked around it was spacious enough to house at least two more patients inside. It looked like a hotel suite with a hospital bed mistakenly put in it. The windows are closed and the curtains were drawn shut then to my right was a small table and a chair where Henry was seated drinking coffee.

"Good morning!" Henry greeted me with a sweet smile.

My heart jumped a little at this gesture and tears fell down my eyes.

"Oh what's wrong? Does something hurt? Tell me and we'll go get the nurses here quick." Henry's voice is now filled with concern.

"No. . .I just realized that I could've died last night. I always thought that Nana was crazy in making me study several survival strategies because this is what she meant. She meant that my life would never be easy." I spoke quietly with a deep realization. "But this was all not meant for me to happen it was all for Amelia and you." My face became sad as I am tormented by the thought of Amelia being in the same situation would she have escaped? Would she have thought of a way to stop Henry from falling for their trap as well? I look at the man beside me and I cry even harder at the thought that he could've also died last night.

Henry approaches me and wipes away the tears from my eyes then he cups my face with both his hands.

"Don't cry please. . . I don't want to see you crying. My heart breaks every time I think that I might've lost you last night because of a stupid misunderstanding." His face turns mournful at the thought he just mentioned.

"Uhmm. . . It was indeed a misfortune that it happened to me but I was prepared to deal with these kind of things but what if they got to Amelia then you wouldn't be here taking care of me." I held the hand that he used to cup my face and tenderly stroke it.

lt seemed that you really know the worth of something when you lose. It in my case, I lost the right to be by his side when I denounced our relationship and I almost lost him today. Reality sometimes hits hard. I don't want to lose anyone else. I have lost so much I should've learned a lesson already to cherish people around me more.

"I cannot atone for all that I have done to you but know that I denounced our relationship with the greatest of intentions. I know I ended it and have lost the right to call you mine thus you shouldn't have to bother this much about me. You have Amelia to worry about." I said with a serious tone.

Henry looked at me like I was crazy and said, " I know that you have denounced us but I will have you know that no one can denounce me that easily. Besides I did not agree with what you've done but I do not condone you that's why I shall listen to your explanation and then make a decision on whether to accept our break up or not."

"What do you want to know?" I ask.

"Everything, what you were thinking and why you did the things you did." Henry responds.

"I . . .I have no excuse and I don't know if you will believe me but I did not intend for Anthony to fall for me his feelings towards me are because of his own doing and not mine. However the stint in the impromptu dance was, I admit, too much but inside my head I was thinking of you for the past days and my body just moved out of pent up emotions." I stop and look at him.

"Go on, I am listening." He beckons.

"The date with Anthony was because he begged me to go even if he knew I didn't feel the same. He somehow deduced that I was completely immersed in my own thoughts of someone else while dancing with him. So in order to atone for my childish play at his emotions, I agreed to that date. In the end I was going to confess to him about me being in a one sided affair." I test out the word and await for Henry's response.

"Hmmm. . . I must say you very forthcoming now. I will have you know that I have already talked with Anthony about the two of you and he has said what you have said, well the gist of it I guess." Henry proceeds to come to me face to face. "I, Henry Archer deny your denunciation of our relationship. I am not breaking up with you Christie no matter what. So you can tell Anthony that you are in relationship and not a one sided affair." Henry continues and makes me blush a little.

He was about to kiss me but I remembered the news about Amelia and him being engaged. "What about Amelia?"

"Amelia and I don't exactly agree about this engagement, I think both she and I have something special to protect. My father and her father are the instigators of this imaginative engagement, my father plans on using the sympathy of the people for the demise of the Royal Family and their guilt in causing it to his advantage in the upcoming elections. My father is a greedy man and I must say I am as greedy as my father. . . and the root of my sin is you."

He plants a light kiss on my lips and I shed a tear with the thought that I have been forgiven and I kiss him back with love and gratitude in my heart. We hugged each other with him being very careful not to touch my injured arm. Relationships are tricky, I must admit that when I entered this relationship with Henry I was doing it for my reputation but now I can say that I have grown more matured. I now know that relationships like this are built from trust and communication wrapped in a big blanket of love. We stayed lovingly in each other's arms for quite some time until I remembered the detail about Amelia's identity, her being a lost relative and all.

"Uhmm, I have been meaning to ask. How is Amelia related to our family?"

"Well it turns out that your grandfather King Charles II and her grandfather were cousins who shared the same paternal grandfather although her grandfather did not inherit the throne because he was not under the direct line of succession of Astoria. Her father being the only remaining living relative of the royal blood line he is presumptive to be next in line to the throne. That is of course disregarding your existence my dear but that is where they are mistaken because the real heir is alive and is here in my arms." He gives me a slight squeeze.

"But I have no way of proving my identity." I say disappointedly. After all how can a ghost prove that it exists?

"Don't worry about that my dear for now relish in the warmth of my arms and my love." Henry kisses me again and I relish in this new, warm and safe haven I have found, Henry's loving embrace.