if he’d thought the atmosphere in south africa had been uncomfortable, it is nothing to the dry searing heat of phuket. it looks more idyllic than it feels. elias approaches, having waited his turn in the shade. eyes narrowed into near slits. “ your gr - sergi... right? elias. it’s good to see you. ” have they had a conversation before? the face swims insistently in his memory, but the recollection won’t come. it’s like trying to play a corrupted tape in technicolor in his mind. “ it’s majesty, now, isn’t it? i only recently heard. thought i’d offer my congratulations. let me buy you a drink... coffee? ” @sergiodarago
arielle was twenty years old when she met sérgio. the spanish royal family threw up a party and she confirmed the invitation in the last minute, but little did she know that her life was going to change that night. when she met him, it felt like the countless stars of the sky aligned and brought them together. they started to date a few months after. it all started as a fling, a getaway from the harsh reality with no strings attached, or so they promised. but things change and feelings change as well. before they knew it, they were fully commited to each other and they eventually made their relationship public. she never thought she would ever love someone the way she loved sérgio. she liked to believe that she was lucky enough to find her soulmate at such a young age and she often dreamed about spending forever by his side. she was madly, completely in love with him. at that time, none of them knew that they have been star crossed.
to her, he couldn’t do anything wrong. there was always an explanation behind his actions, his intentions were good even though his actions might not be. she was always there to back him up, ready to catch him in case he fell and she did all these things out of love. she couldn’t promise him monaco, but she gave him all her support. she was young when she met him, young enough to believe that love conquers all. as the time passed, she was truly his. sometimes, she thought that she had been his since the very moment they saw each other. to this day, he is still one of her few weaknesses.
on their second anniversary, sérgio asked her to marry him. it was like the whole world was theirs and she thought she couldn’t get happier than that. there was nobody else she wanted to spend her life with, nobody other than him. a year later, they were both surprised by the news in their life: she was pregnant. they were still discussing wedding details when she found out that she was carrying his child. a blessing, that’s how it felt at that time. their families were happy and proud, they all celebrated the moment and they were looking forward to the child’s birth. but that moment never came. and that was only the start of their downfall. arielle suffered a miscarriage and when she realized what happened, she felt like the sky had fallen. she had been so grateful for everything that was going on in her life, she had it all: she was about to marry the man she was in love with, they were happier than they had ever been and he was going to be the father of her child. but now, it was all gone. even though sérgio had been extremely supportive of her during her darkest of days, arielle had never been the same. she started to push people away, forcing them to get out of her life one by one. eventually, she pushed him away too. it had never been something she’s done willingly, but she didn’t feel like she deserved any of it anymore. she had lost his child, how could she ask him to stay by her side when there was a high possibility that she’d never be able to get pregnant again? even though she was somehow aware that her life must go on, it didn’t help her feel less worthless. robbed of the eternal happiness she dreamed of.
but things got worse. once the media found out about her miscarriage, the news made it to the front page of every newspaper and magazine. the monegasque princess lost the baby. it was everywhere. she didn’t dare to turn the tv on. so she disappeared. arielle left monaco without telling anyone about it, making it pretty clear that she didn’t want to be found. and she knew how to hide. at first, she didn’t contact anyone. she didn’t want to see anyone. but after almost an year of being away, she started to send postcards to her family and her friends, kindly asking them not to follow her around the world.
after her return, arielle decided it’s time to put her skills to a good use and became a diplomat. she had been eventually relocated in italy, everything looked like she was finally going to start a new life. the situation worldwide aggravated and she had to move to dubai, where most of the royals were gathered for safety reasons. including him. it was difficult to see him after so many years, but she was happy to find out he is in a healthy & loving relationship. their first meeting has been the hardest for her. it brought back all the memories, flooding her mind with both the good and the ugly parts of her past. he will always hold a special place in her heart: he was her first love, the first man that made her feel and love so much. that will forever be irreplaceable. the situation between them is still delicate for her. he is now the king of catalonia, a valuable ally of monaco, and she is in charge with strengthening the bond within the allies. working with him still felt strange, but she finally found herself after all those years and there is nothing that would stop her now. although she is glad that he moved on and found happiness, from time to time she still wonders how would their life look like if things were different.
hey, you call me up again just to break me like a promise
so casually cruel in the name of being honest
i’m a crumpled up piece of paper lying here
‘cause i remember it ALL TOO WELL.
