Chapter 17: Truth Revealed

Talia

I didn't get a wink of sleep last night. I tossed and turned in my bed trying to come up with something to tell Beckham. Anything.

All I could come up with was the truth, but that wasn't an option. It killed me inside lying to Beck, but I couldn't put him in danger. And if someone in this castle was reporting back to Father, I didn't know who I could trust. The only people I trusted right now were Anna, Lina, Maggie, Maria, Alexander, Beck and kind of Tyler. But only because Beck trusts him with his life. I still wouldn't say anything around him.

Anyone could be reporting back to my father and I couldn't risk the lives of my loved ones even if it meant losing them. It would break me completely, once and for all, but as long as they were safe, I didn't care.

At least that's what I told myself. Deep down though I knew that was not true. Without Beckham's love I would not survive. He has become my rock and I couldn't bare the thought of losing him.

Just thinking about a life without Beck in it made me feel like my heart had been drained of all blood. My chest physically hurt and it became hard to breathe.

But I couldn't let him get hurt. His safety is more important than my selfish feelings.

I wasn't prepared for the knock on my door. I'd hoped Beck would come later, but I guess not.

I don't know what to do.

Beck walked over to me and sat next to me on the bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Ok."

I couldn't look Beck in the eye. I knew what I'd see. Disappointment and shame. He probably regrets proposing to me. He'll probably take it back. I can't say I blame him.

"Talia," Beck said bringing my attention back to him. "I want to help you. You can trust me, I promise."

"I know I can, it's just..."

"Just what?"

I shook my head as tears burned the back of my eyes. I couldn't trust my words right now. They just wanted to spill the truth to Beck, but I couldn't put him at risk. He was more important than my feelings.

"Please Talia. Let me help."

Beck looked at me with pleading eyes and the first tear slipped from my own. Beck wiped it away, but another tear had already begun to fall. Soon, they were streaming down my face.

I pulled my knees to my chest and put my face in my hands, trying to come up with a solution. It was a lose lose situation. Tell the truth, lose everyone I love. Lie, lose myself.

I tried and tried to find a silver lining, a little bit of positivity, but for the first time I couldn't. Living through beatings and assault I found silver linings, but here I couldn't.

I felt hands grab my own and pull them away from my face. Beckham gently gripped my chin and forced me to look him in the eye.

"Talia Love, I hate seeing you like this. Please tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."

"I can't," I sobbed. Why couldn't he just understand that?

"Why?"

"Because you'll die!" I shouted in frustration and then slammed a hand over my mouth.

"What?" Beckham asked, dangerously soft.

I panicked, trying to find a way out of this, but there wasn't one.

"It's ok Talia, you can tell me. It's all going to be ok."

Despite the fact that I just told him he might die, Beckham pulled me into his lap and comforted me.

"I'm not the King's niece," I choked out.

Beck stiffened, but let me continue.

"I'm his daughter."

"King Henry doesn't have a daughter. The Queen only had one child, Prince Jonathan."

I shook my head although I wasn't surprised that's what he thought. Father hid my existence quite well.

"One year before Jonathan was born, she gave birth."

"Well yeah, but the baby was stillborn," Beck said confused.

I watched as the realization hit him. "Why would he lie?"

"Because he thinks girls are weak and didn't want me to rule the Kingdom. I was only kept alive because my mother said she'd never give him an heir if I was killed.

The world was told I hadn't made it through birth and I was hidden away in the castle."

"So you've been living in your bedroom for the past eighteen years?" Beck asked.

I gave him a sad smile. "Not exactly."

"I lived in my room for the first eight years of my life. Mother visited often, but almost no one knew I existed. Only my parents and a few of the help. One night I got bored and decided to go for a walk around the castle after everyone went to sleep. It didn't occur to me that there would be guards patrolling.

I was kept in the dungeons overnight and then had a hearing with my parents the next morning. Since no one knew I was the princess, my father called me a trespasser and locked me in the dungeons."

Beck growled and tightened his arms around me.

"I'll kill him."

"It wasn't so bad," I told Beck, trying to calm him down. "I got a meal everyday unlike most prisoners, I had books to read, and I even got an extra blanket in the winter when it got cold."

"Oh Talia," Beck said. "I'm so sorry."

"It's ok. It wasn't always bad. Only when the guards came."

"What did they do?" Beck growled and I realized I'd made a big mistake. I shouldn't have mentioned the guards.

"Um...they just hit me sometimes...and um...other things."

I was too embarrassed to say it out loud.

"Did they force themselves on you?" Beck asked in a dangerous voice.

I looked down without answering and that that was an answer in itself. I felt ashamed. Women were supposed to save themselves for marriage and I was dirty. Beck would never want me now.

"Oh God Talia." Beck's arms wrapped tighter around me and he buried his face in my neck. "I'm so sorry I didn't get to you sooner. If I'd known I would've gotten you out."

Something wet hit my skin and I realize Beck was crying. I gently lifted his head and wiped away his tears.

"It's ok. You're here now."

Beckham rested his forehead against mine and we stayed that way for I don't know how long. I felt safe in Beck's arms, like nothing could get to me. But what about the others?

My body tensed and Beck pulled back to look at me.

"What is it?" He asked.

"He's going to kill you all."

"What?"

"My father said if I told anyone the truth he would kill you and your parents and Anna and Lina and Maggie."

I got off of Beckham's lap and paced around the room holding my head in my hands.

"No, no, no. This can't be happening. How could I have been so selfish?"

My pacing was stopped by two large hands gripping my shoulders.

"Talia look at me."

I looked up into Beck's honey brown eyes and saw a look of determination.

"No one is going to die, I promise."

"You can't promise that!" I cried out. "Someone here knows and is reporting back to my father. They will tell him and he will kill everyone!"

"How do you know this?" Beck asked.

"Last night my father cornered me in the hallway and told me."

"That's why you were crying last night?"

I nodded. Now wasn't the time to mention the incident with the girls. It seemed majorly unimportant.

"Ok Talia, do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Good. Now I need you to believe me when I say no one is going to die. I'm going to find out who is spying on you and lock them up for good. Then I'm going after your father."

"No!" I cried out. "You'll get hurt."

"I'll be ok. I can protect myself."

"Please no. I can't lose you," I begged.

"And you won't."

I knew I wouldn't be able to change his mind so the best thing I could do was have hope.