Aiden fired shot after shot, his focus unwavering as each bullet tore through the target in front of him. He had spent the entire day at the shooting range, as if the repetitive action of pulling the trigger could somehow silence the turmoil inside him. His gaze narrowed behind his protective goggles, the last bullet of the round loaded in the chamber. The range was filled with the muffled echoes of gunfire, drowned out by the earmuffs clamped tightly over his ears.

He squinted, taking a deep breath as he lined up the shot. The tension in his muscles, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, and the weight of the gun in his hands—everything was amplified in that moment. He pulled the trigger, watching the bullet travel in slow motion, piercing the paper target right between the eyes.

"Hit!" one of the guards announced, as Aiden carefully set the gun down on the platform in front of him.

"Again," Aiden ordered, flipping open the cartridge to reload. His tone left no room for argument, his expression hardened with a resolve that had become second nature since the incident at the engagement party.

The royal guard standing next to him exchanged a weary glance with Elijah, who stood behind them. The guard's posture drooped slightly, exhaustion etched into the lines of his face. It had been hours—ten grueling rounds—and they were all worn out. But it was clear that Aiden had no intention of stopping, no matter how drained they were.

Elijah hesitated, then stepped forward, his voice gentle but firm.

"Your Highness, perhaps we should take a break. It's nearly evening, and you have several important appointments that require your attention."

Aiden snapped the cartridge closed, his jaw tightening. He didn't look at Elijah, didn't waver for a moment.

"We're done when I say we're done," he replied, his voice cold and clipped. He turned his gaze back to the guard beside him, his eyes narrowing further. "Again."

The guard had no choice but to comply. He filled his cartridge with resigned determination, fully aware that his comfort was irrelevant in the face of the prince's demands. Their duty was to serve, no matter the cost, and Aiden's relentless pursuit of perfection left no room for rest.

Aiden's thoughts were a storm of anger and frustration, fueled by the memory of that fateful day. Ever since the shooting at the engagement party, he had been consumed by the need to regain control—to ensure that he would never feel so powerless again. The image of Paris, lying unconscious after taking a bullet meant for him, haunted him. It was a wound that festered, a reminder of how close he had come to losing everything.

He hated that he had been caught off guard, that he hadn't been able to protect her—or anyone else, for that matter. The thought of it ignited a fire within him, one that could only be quenched by the precision of each shot, the satisfaction of hitting the mark every time.

As he prepared for another round, a voice interrupted his concentration.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

Aiden froze, his grip on the gun tightening as he recognized the voice. The guards around him turned sharply, bowing as they saw Queen Vanessa approach, her presence commanding immediate respect.

"Your Highness," they chorused, lowering their heads.

Aiden turned to face his mother, who stood with an air of composed authority. She was dressed for the occasion, ready to join him at the range, her female guards flanking her in a protective formation. Since the attack, security within the palace had become nearly impenetrable, a fortress of vigilance that no intruder could breach.

"Mother," Aiden greeted, bowing slightly as she approached.

Vanessa's gaze softened as she stepped closer, her eyes taking in her son's tense form. The guard beside Aiden stepped aside, giving her room to stand beside him. She studied him for a moment before speaking, her voice gentle but firm.

"You don't have to be so hard on them," she said, nodding toward the guards who had been enduring Aiden's rigorous training session. One of her own guards stepped forward, holding a flat pillow adorned with a silken cloth bearing the royal emblem. Vanessa removed the cloth, revealing a pair of protective goggles and earmuffs, which she donned with practiced ease.

"Are you still frustrated about what happened at the engagement?" she asked, her voice laced with understanding.

Aiden sighed, the weight of her words settling on his shoulders. He raised the gun again and aimed for the target, holding his breath as he fired it one more time.

"Hit!"

He lowered it once again.

"I just wish there was something I could have done," he admitted, his voice thick with regret.
"Something to stop them from hurting all those people—Paris included."

Vanessa watched him carefully, her heart aching at the pain in his voice. She didn't need him to say exactly how he felt for her to know what it was that was bothering him. It had been the exact same thing he had obsessed about ever since the accident. She could see that he was frustrated with not being helpful or making any progress with regards to finding out who orchestrated the shooting at the ceremony. He had been put in charge of the investigation, working hand in hand with the Royal security and police to find out who might have planned it but all to no avail.

It was frustrating enough that Paris jumped into that bullet to save his life, and he was unable to return the favor. Uselessness, he hated to ever feel that way.

Aiden raised his gun once more, aligning his sights with the target. He was about to fire another shot when...

"Hit!"

Vanessa lowered her gun after taking a perfect shot herself, turning to her son with a look of quiet concern just as a prideful smile appeared on his face. How could he have forgotten how good his mother was at shooting. She always had a good aim and was on target, she never missed a target.

"How is father?" Aiden asked her, his voice edged with frustration. "It's been difficult to see him lately, it's almost like he's been avoiding me ever since the incident."

Vanessa sighed, lowering her gun as well.
"Your father is the king, Aiden," she began, choosing her words carefully. "It's expected that his responsibilities to the people of Breton would make him difficult to reach." She went on, aiming again for the target, she took another clean shot at it.

"Hit!"

She let out an exasperated sigh.

Aiden scoffed, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

"It didn't seem that way when he tried to leave them all to save himself at the party."

Vanessa flinched slightly at his words but quickly composed herself.

"A true king never abandons his people," he added, his tone firm.

"No they don't but you need to understand that your father's actions were driven by the need to protect the royal family, our family, you. As much as we serve the people of Breton, it is also our duty to preserve the lineage that guides them."

Aiden turned to face her fully, his eyes searching hers for a moment. "But the people of Breton should always come first," he insisted. "Their safety should always be our priority, you taught me that."

Vanessa paused, her heart swelling with both pride and sorrow. She had indeed instilled those values in him, and hearing them echoed back to her filled her with a sense of both accomplishment and worry. Aiden's sense of duty was unwavering, but she feared it might one day lead him to a path of loneliness and regret.

"You're right," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But that doesn't mean you should be at odds with your father. He's not just your king, Aiden—he's your father. In the middle of that chaos he had to make a decision, the most difficult decision anyone could ever make, any king could ever make, to be a king or a father."

Aiden's gaze softened as he looked at her, his defenses lowering slightly as she slowly reached for his face and coupled it with her hand as she looked into his eyes.

"He might be a king, but he's still a father, and a father protects his family, we can't hate him for that too."

Aiden exhaled weakly, he nodded, understanding the wisdom in her words, even if part of him still bristled at the idea of conceding.

Vanessa smiled and leaned closer to him to give him a kiss on the cheek, stretching to stand on her toes as she did. She slowly let go of his face and turned back to pick up her gun once more.

"Ah,," she said, "before I forget." She turned back to give her focus back to Aiden who watched her earnestly, waiting patiently for what she was going to say. "News arrived form the Vutron estate today"

Aiden narrowed his gaze at her,

"Paris woke up last night."

She smiled and then turned slowly to the target again

Got it! Here's a version that conveys Aiden's shock without any dialogue:

Aiden's breath caught in his throat, and his heart seemed to skip a beat as he left his unwavering gaze at the Queen. He stood frozen, his mind reeling from the unexpected news. The firm grip he had on the gun faltered slightly as the weight of his mother's words settled in.

He slowly turned back to the target, too numb to move, unsure of what it was he was feeling. Was it relief or surprise? Perhaps disappointment? He wasn't sure what the right expression for his reaction was and Vanessa could see it. Her cheeks went red when she stole a glance at him.

It was like he was star struck and didn't even know how to express himself or take in the news. A smile carved itself on his lips as he reached for his gun again, taking in a deep breath and holding it in as he raised it and aimed for the target.

Shoot!

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

"This way, your highness."

Aiden increased his pace, following the nurse that led him down the hallway of the hospital, just after the VIP ward to the VVIP. Elijah and about four other palace guards followed him securely down the isolated pathway, keeping as close to him as possible.

He couldn't wait to see her, to confirm Vanessa's words by himself. It's all he could think about since their little conversation at the shooting range.

Aiden had spent the better part of his days since the engagement ceremony filled with guilt and sadness, regrets of how he never got to be nice to Paris before the accident. He had gone from hating himself to praying for her, to wishing that it was him instead.

Maybe it was because he never saw it coming, he never imagined that any one from the Vutron family could be that selfless, he never actually thought that she felt that way about being his Queen, enough to sacrifice her own life for his.

In as much as he wanted her sacrifice to mean something, he wasn't sure what was going to happen from that moment onwards. He couldn't promise to see the Vutrons differently, or to be less cynical when it came to her family, but he could try, try to at least know her better and see her as an independent person, try to at least be kinder with his words and action towards her. He owed her that at least.

Aiden stood in front of the door, his cheeks puffed up with air, hesitating out of nervousness even as the nurse walked in and announced his presence.

He had practiced the entire afternoon but he still wasn't sure he knew how to face her. However, he wanted to be the first, the first to show his gratitude for what she did, and he wanted to do so in person.

"His royal highness, the prince is here to see you."

Anne-Marie pushed herself up from her bed slowly as Aiden made his way into the room quickly, without even giving her enough time to be seated or get up on her feet to welcome him and respect his presence.

She held her breath the moment their eyes met, her heart skipping and missing several beats at the same time while her hands trembled under her cover cloth.

She couldn't believe it, she couldn't believe she was looking at him. It was like a page from a fairy tale story, he was like a prince from a perfect fairy tale story and the images from the news and reality Tv shows barely did any justice to meeting him in person.

Her presumed an aura she couldn't explain, perfection laced in every feature of his body and inch of his skin, right from his hair to his feet. He eyes remained the brightest she had ever seen, just like she remembered.

He had changed a whole lot from what she used to know, grown very tall too, the perfect description of Royalty. Anne-Marie reached for the cloth that covered the better part of her body, struggling to pull it over to let herself get out of the bed to stand in ceremony.

"No-" Aiden shook his head, stretching a hand halfway to stop her. Anne-Marie stopped halfway. "You shouldn't."

She slowly raised her head to the nurse beside her bed who smiled warmly at her, wondering if it was okay not to. It was her second time being in the midst of royalty, she wasn't really sure she knew the rules or had the best ideas of how to properly present herself in front of the king, Queen, or Prince.

"It's okay." She assured Anne-Marie, causing her to slowly relax back into the bed in sitting position while Aiden walked closer to her bed, avoiding her gaze as he did.

It looked like he was trying to figure out what to say, or how to even start.

The older lady turned to him and bowed her head slightly to show her respect.

Was she really going to just leave her? Alone with Aiden and his guards?

Anne-Marie's worried gaze followed the nurse as she walked briskly out of the room, it returned back to Aiden, changing completely to one of fear and anxiety the moment she heard him speak again

"How are you?" He asked her, sincerity in the tone of his voice. "The doctors say your health has improved greatly since you woke up."

Anne-Marie held her breath, she wasn't sure she knew what to say or how to even say it. Oliver hadn't practiced any of that yet with her.

She watched Aiden let out a weak exhale, like one of pity and he nodded his head as if he understood her silence.

"You must still be in shock." He said to her. "Of course."

He drew a sharp breath and raised his head to look at her.

"Well, I got you something."

Anne-Marie turned her gaze to find one of the guards that had walked into the room from behind Aiden, clearly visible as he approached her bed, drawing closer with a bouquet of flowers in his hands, daises.

Anne-Marie's eyes widened as she narrowed her gaze back to Aiden who had a large smile on his face, proud of his own thoughtfulness.

"Consider them my way of saying thank you, for what you did." He said to her as the man in a suit got even closer to them. Anne-Marie held her breath as he got to her bed and leaned closer to her, stretching out the flowers to hand them over.

"No!" She yelled, throwing everyone into shock as she jumped out of the bed immediately, like she had seen a ghost. Aiden was most surprised, he had jumped in fright of her reaction too, turning abruptly to find her standing barefoot across them with her hand stretched out while the other reached the bed cloth and held it firm over her nose.

"Stay back!"
She ordered the guard with the flowers like he was pointing a killer weapon at her. Well, if it were flowers, they might as well be just as lethal to her as a gun would.

It was a struggle trying to understand the situation that was playing out in front of her but Anne-Marie knew one thing; the last thing she needed was an allergic reaction to the pollen in front of her. She had barely even started her new job yet, she couldn't afford to be caught already

"Please," she added, taking a step back and holding still like she was going to keep doing so until he did as she asked.

The confused man In a suit turned to Aiden who just stood as he was, not exactly sure how to process or react to how she had taken his gift.

Was it too early? Did she not like it? Was having the flowers pointed at her traumatic? Did it remind her of having a gun pointed at her like before?

Aiden nodded to him, permitting him to stand down and stand back with the flowers.

"Take it away." He instructed,

The man nodded, receiving Aiden's command and turning away with the flowers. He made for the door quickly while Aiden slowly turned to Anne-Marie.

"It's okay," he said stretching a hand to calm her. "It's okay, you don't have to be afraid, he's gone now." He assured her. "No flowers."

Anne-Marie narrowed her gaze on him and then took one look around the room to make sure he was really gone. She looked like she was having a time trusting his words.

"Look, see." Aiden looked around as well and returned his gaze to her. "No flowers."

His hand was still stretched towards her, encouraging her to take it and come to him so he could help her get back in bed. Anne-Marie lowered her gaze to his perfectly manicured hands. His fingers looked really long and protective. They invited her to take them and she wondered if it was okay to.

Was it really okay for her to hold his hand? He was the Prince of Breton and she had never dreamt of ever having her hands in his or any other member of the royal family. For as much as she knew, none of what was happened seemed real. What if he found her out? What if he knew she was only a fake just by touching her hand?

She couldn't explain it but she read somewhere that every palm told a story, and anyone who was good at stories could know one when they looked into your palm.

It might as well be a myth but Anne-Marie wasn't sure she wanted to test that theory.

Elijah approached them, one finger on his ear like he was listening to something from the device that hung over it as he did.

She watched how he quickly approached Aiden and turned to face him once he did. He lowered himself to Aiden's side, targeting his left ear as he whispered some words to him, words that slowly carved a frown on Aiden's face. Anne-Marie watched as worry lines carved themselves on Aiden's forehead as he turned around to the man beside him who had guaranteed the factuality of the information he had shared with him with a nod.

Aiden let out a weak exhale and returned his gaze to Anne-Marie. He lowered his arm from in front of her immediately and raised his gaze to her again, forcing a smile to spread on her face.

"I apologise for being only able to stay this long." He told her. "It looks like there are some urgent business that now requires my attention. But not to worry, I would visit again, and with a better gift next time." He let a sighing smile draw itself on his face.

Anne-Marie took a step forward like she was about to say something but it was too late. Aiden turned around as soon as possible with Elijah doing the same after him. She watched him depart from the room first, the guards clearing his path and joining him after had.

She rushed away from the bed as quickly as possible, hurrying to the door the last guard had closed and peeking through the glass to the find him.

He was fast, like a gush of wind, and then he disappeared like a quick lightning before a storm.

She sighed.