Rosangela: The Runaway Princess (Book #2)

“Rosanne? Rosanne, wake up!” I awakened to the sound of somebody calling my name.

I opened my eyes slowly and found Prince Maximilian hovering over me. Meanwhile, Jasper was standing behind him.

I tried to say something to Maximilian, but the words wouldn’t come out. Only later did I realize that I was gagged. Apparently, the guards had put the gag back in my mouth while I was sleeping.

‘Please help me, Maximilian,’ I entreated him in my mind, knowing he was able to hear me.

“Don’t worry, Rosanne! We are going to get you out of here soon,” Maximilian said soothingly.

Prince Maximilian began to untie the rope that bound my hands, while Jasper undid the rope that tied my feet.

As soon as I was free from my bonds, I scrambled to a sitting position and ripped the gag from my mouth. “Maximilian, you came to rescue me?” I asked incredulously.

“Of course, stupid,” Maximilian retorted, “I came here to rescue you. Do you see anyone else here?”

“Why do you still want to help me after all I’ve done to you?” I inquired perplexedly.

“Because I love you,” he declared.

His answer puzzled me even more. “But I thought after I ran away from our wedding, you’d grow to hate me.”

“Even though you have let me down badly, but I could never bring myself to hate you, Rosanne,” Maximilian confessed.

His words moved me to tears. “Thank you, Maximilian,” I said, throwing my arms around him.

Prince Maximilian hugged me back.

A cough from Jasper brought an untimely end to our embrace.

“Excuse my interrupting the two of you, Your Highness, but I think we’d better make tracks now before anyone sees us,” Jasper said.

“You’re right. Let’s go!” Maximilian exclaimed.

I also nodded to signify that I agreed.

Prince Maximilian finally helped me out of bed. At that very minute, the door crashed open and Prince Xavier burst into the room.

Prince Xavier looked astonished to see his best friend, Prince Maximilian, in the room where his father locked me up. “Ma--Maximilian?!” he stuttered.

Without warning, Maximilian flew at Xavier. Fortunately, Xavier was able to dodge Maximilian’s attack.

“You’ve known that my fiancée is here all along, but you didn’t tell me, Xavier?” Maximilian bellowed.

“I’m sorry, Maximilian, but at first, I never realized Princess Mirabelle and Angela Sinclair were one and the same,” Xavier reasoned.

“After you figured out that she’s actually my fiancée, why didn’t you tell me straightaway that she’s here? You know I have been searching far and wide for my missing fiancée, right? Even you also have ever offered your help to look for her. But once you found her, what did you hide her from me for?” Maximilian demanded furiously.

“I admit I’m being selfish by not letting her go the moment I knew who she is. But I did it because I don’t want to lose her,” Xavier stated.

“What the bloody hell do you mean?” Maximilian asked indignantly.

“I’m in love with your fiancée, Maximilian,” Xavier conceded, “I hate to be away from her, that’s why I let my father hold her prisoner. Because only that way I can keep her close to my side.”

“How dare you say you love my fiancée!” Out of the blue, Maximilian punched Xavier on the chin, sending him reeling backwards.

Prince Xavier obviously didn’t want to give in; he was determined to fight back. He took a swipe at Maximilian that deposited him on the floor.

Prince Maximilian picked himself up and lunged at Xavier, pushing him over.

At last, the two princes struggled together on the floor.

“Stop fighting, you two!” I shouted at the top of my voice.

“He started it, Rosangela!” Xavier pointed his finger in Maximilian’s direction.

Prince Maximilian defended himself, “I just want to give him a lesson, Rosanne. He shouldn’t have thought of taking you away from me. You are mine, Rosanne! Only mine!”

“No, she’s mine!” Xavier said possessively.

“Rosangela is my fiancée, so she’s mine,” Maximilian stressed out.

“Fiancée?” Xavier sneered, “Do you think I don’t know that Rosangela had been hustled into the engagement by you and her grandfather? So technically, you’ve never become her fiancé, Maximilian.”

Maximilian gnashed his teeth when he heard Xavier’s mockery. All of a sudden, he shot out his right arm to throw a punch on Xavier’s face. However, Xavier managed to deflect the blow.

“Rosangela is much too good for you, Maximilian. So you’d better give her up for me,” Xavier gave him a sardonic advice.

“I love Rosangela; I will not give her up for anything,” Maximilian emphasized.

“But she does not return your love,” Xavier mocked.

“You don’t know anything about her feelings for me!” Maximilian roared.

Xavier gave a short, derisive laugh. “Why get upset just because I am telling you the truth, Maximilian? Everyone can see that Rosangela never loves you. If the two of you really loved each other, you would have gotten married by now. But it didn’t happen, right? Instead, she ran away on your wedding day. It proves that I’m right about her.”

“Do shut up!” Maximilian hollered.

“No, I won’t shut up,” Xavier shouted back, “You have to know that you don’t deserve to be with Rosangela, Maximilian!”

“You’re the one who doen’t deserve to be with Rosangela, Xavier, not me!” Maximilian growled.

The two princes kept yelling at each other and finally started exchanging blows again.

I screamed at them to stop fighting. However, this time, both of them paid no heed at my words. Finally, I ran up to them and tried to separate the two princes who were fighting. But I was hit in the mouth instead, and I fell to the ground under the force of the blow.

“Princess!” Jasper shrieked and he hurried over to me. His scream succeeded in making the two princes stop fighting, and they turned their attention to me.

“Are you OK, Princess?” Jasper asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry! I’m fine,” I assured him as I wiped off the trickle of blood at the corner of my mouth.

“Come on, let me help you up, Princess!” Jasper took a gentle hold of my arm and helped me to my feet.

“It’s your fault that Rosanne got hurt,” Maximilian accused of Xavier.

“What are you talking about? I’m not the one who hit her, but you did,” Xavier refuted.

“It was unintentional. I was trying to take a swipe at you, but Rosanne suddenly interposed herself between us, so my punch accidentally land on her face,” Maximilian stood up for himself.

“Then, that clearly proves that you’re wrong,” Xavier stated.

“No, I am not,” Maximilian denied it.

“Yes, you are,” Xavier insisted.

“Pack it in, you two! It’s nobody’s fault, okay?” I yelled at them.

The two princes soon lapsed into silence. Maximilian just glowered at Xavier, who glared furiously back.

After some time, Maximilian finally broke the silence. “Let’s get the fuck out of here, Rosanne!” he hissed.

I nodded approval.

I was just about to take a step, when all of a sudden, Xavier seized hold of my arm, holding me back. “No, Rosangela is not going anywhere,” he stated firmly.

Maximilian grabbed my other arm, wrenching me away from Xavier. “You have no right to stop me from going with my own fiancee.”

Xavier snatched me from Maximilian again. “Of course I have a right to prevent Rosangela from going with the man who will only force her to marry against her will.”

Maximilian wrested me from Xavier’s grasp. “Say what you like, but no matter what happens, Rosanne will go with me and you can’t stop us!”

“No, I will never let go of her,” Xavier emphasized.

Maximilian clenched his teeth. “You--”

“Pardon me for interrupting you, Your Highness, but I think the two of you should let Princess Mirabelle decide by herself whether she wants to leave or stay,” Jasper chipped in with a suggestion.

“I agree with you, Jasper,” said Maximilian.

“Me too,” added Xavier.

“So what do you say, Princess? Do you want to go back back home with Prince Maximilian or stay here with Prince Xavier?” Jasper asked me.

“Wait! I need time to mull it over first,” I replied.

While I was pondering over what I had to do next, Maximilian said, “You’d better go home with me, Rosanne. You know, your grandfather is extremely worried about you.”

“Don’t allow yourself to be persuaded into going with Maximilian, Rosangela!” Xavier warned.

The two princes started arguing with each other again, but I paid no heed at what they were saying, because I was sunk in thought.

Honestly, I was not sure whether I wished to stay or go. Considering what Prince Xavier’s father had done to me, I thought it would be better for me to go from here. However, I was afraid of going back to the kingdom of Clanbella with Prince Maximilian for I couldn’t predict what my grandfather would do to me. Was Maximilian telling me the truth that my grandfather was worrying about me? Or was everything he told me was only a pack of lies?

‘Don’t weaken, Rosanne! You must not agree to stay with Xavier. Remember! He has betrayed your trust and his father is planning on killing your grandfather,’ my conscience told me.

‘But if I come back to the kingdom of Clanbella, I am afraid my own grandfather who is going to kill me,’ I said apprehensively.

‘No matter what happens, you’re still his granddaughter. So trust me, King Bellamy will never wish you harm,’ my conscience convinced me.

I considered it for a minute, then said, ‘You’re right. I think it’s best if I go from here now.’

“Quit it, you two! I have made my decision,” I spoke to Prince Maximilian and Prince Xavier at length.

Surprisingly, Prince Maximilian and Prince Xavier wanted to listen to me this time.

“So what is your decision, Princess?” Jasper queried.

“I want to go with Maximilian,” I said decidedly.

“Yes! I’ve won!” Maximilian crowed.

“Wait, Rosangela! Just because Maximilian has forced you to go with him, it doesn’t mean you have to do what he said,” Xavier tried to persuade me.

“Maximilian didn’t force me--I really want to go back home to the kingdom of Clanbella with him,” I stated.

“Home?” Xavier sneered, “Oh come on, I know you never think of the kingdom of Clanbella as your home. That’s reason why you ran away from there a year ago, right? So, why don’t you just stay here with me, Angela?”

“You’re right, Xavier,” I admitted, “The reason why I ran away from the kingdom of Clanbella a year ago is because I didn’t like living there. And honestly, I’m still doubtful about going back to my grandfather’s kingdom.”

Maximilian’s face fell when he heard my words. On the contrary, Xavier smiled with victory.

“But Xavier,” I added, “I can’t stay here either. Your father surely won’t fancy the idea of his enemy’s granddaughter living in his kingdom.”

“You do not need to worry about my father. I’ll make him understand that we love each other. I’m sure he’ll allow you to live with me here,” Xavier tried to convince me.

“Who says Rosanne love you?” Maximilian asked him fiercely.

“I’m sure she loves me,” Xavier retorted. He turned to look at me and asked hopefully, “You love me, don’t you, Rosangela?”

“I really like you, Xavier,” I replied, “but I’m sorry I don’t love you. And I know you don’t love me either. Like I said, your feelings for me isn’t love, but it’s just a passing infatuation. You should have known that there’s a world of difference between liking someone and loving them.”

“No, Rosangela, I--”

“Please understand, Your Highness!” Jasper cut Xavier off, “It will be dangerous for Princess Mirabelle to stay here. However, Princess Mirabelle’s grandfather is your father’s enemy. I’m afraid King Joaquin will harm Princess Mirabelle to take revenge on King Bellamy.”

“No, my father will not hurt Rosangela,” Xavier refuted.

“Your father won’t hurt her you said?” Maximilian snorted, “But the fact is he already hurt her. Your father locked Rosanne up in this dinghy room and he even tied her up to the bed.”

“I assure you that it will never happen again. I am going to protect Rosangela from my father if she agrees to stay here with me,” Xavier said confidently.

“Look, Xavier!” I said, “Jasper is right. Staying here will endanger my life. That’s why I really must go now. After I arrive in a safe place, you may visit me again. And then you can compete with Maximilian to get my love.”

Maximilian protested, “What are you talking about, Rosanne? It’s not fair! I--”

I quelled Maximilian with a glare.

Xavier let out a long sigh. “Fine. You may go now, Rosangela.”

A smile spread slowly across my face. “Thank you, Xavier.”

Xavier only replied with a tight smile.

“Come on, Guys, let’s get going!” I grabbed hold of Maximilian and Jasper and drew them towards the door.

As the three of us stepped out into the corridor, we were completely taken aback by the sudden appearance of a flock of guards. Among the crowds of guards, I glimpsed the annoying guard, Pablo.