"Family...are those held dearly to heart.
Family...are those who're always there
for one another.
Family never abandon and family never leave.
And to those "family" who do not love and only
hate.
They are not worth mentioning.
They are not family at all."

                                       Created- by me

Rey's POV

Along the way of me being guided to my grandfather... I just couldn't stop thinking about how I truly never wished to meet him.

After all, he did murder my parents.

He was taking everything I ever loved away from me.

—

Oddly enough, before I met my so called 'grandfather' they had me replace my torn and tattered garments with new ones and even fixed my hair.

I now stood before a mirror to see what had become of my appearance.

My brunette hair was combed and left down with a black ribbon placed in my hair.

The dress I now wore was of a dark black hue. Around my waist was a gold like rope.

What I wore was very much out of my element that it made me feel a bit uneasy.

I was very much confused if I was being treated like a prisoner or if I was being treated like a royal guest.

The guards then guided me to a garden just outside my grandfather's castle.

Unlike the castle I grew up in with it's courtyard and greenery outside, the garden here was inside.

The garden here seemed to be protected by some sort of glass structure.

The garden was filled with various different plants that seemed very much foreign, as if they came from another land.

As my eyes marveled at what laid in the garden I had almost forgotten why I was here.

As soon as I spotted a figure much older than I was, I bowed my head.

I did not wish to see his face.

His footsteps became louder the closer he came.

And then he stopped. Right in front of me.

"Look up my child." His words were directed to me...but I acted as though I didn't hear...

I did not wish to.

"I wouldn't want to do this the hard way."

I only kept my head down as I looked toward his feet.

"I guess it's the hard way." He seemed to be very patient with me...although he also seemed to be quite upset.

The staff he held was put to my chin to move my face to see him.

When our eyes met...I couldn't lock my emotions away any longer.

"How dare you." I spoke.

"I did what I had to to bring you home."

"You could not possible know what I had to lose for you to finally have me here...you've taken everything from me."

"And you'll gain it all back."

I looked at him shocked.

How could he possible bring back both my parents and Cordelia...when they were dead.

Was he mocking me? Or was he just mad?

"What are you playing at?" I did not understand what he was inquiring.

"You're my granddaughter, meaning you are the heir to my throne. You are and will be the queen of everything I possess."

"But you could have had anyone else. So why me? Why go out of your way?" I wished to know why, from the source...to why others around me had to suffer.

Why I had to suffer.

Why Ben was suffering even right now.

"Like I said, you're my granddaughter. By blood we are bound as family. And I will never abandon you like your parents did."

How unruly of him.

"They did what they had to to protect me from you."

"As so it goes. But in doing so, where did that put you? Alone, forgotten, deserted."

He was right.

I never really knew much about my parents...and just when I was starting to...they left me...alone...

Just when a deep despair was about to overshadow me a small voice spoke to me.

A memory.

I was smaller then. Just a child when I was brought to the castle.

It was my first time meeting Cordelia who held the sweetest and warmest smile.

"Come my child. I'll be taking care of you from now on."

When I started to cry out of nowhere she held close to me.

"I'm sorry my dear one...don't be afraid now. You must be strong for your parents. They'd want you to be."

I held tight to her...all I could remember was the warmth she gave me as a mother.

Even though she was never my true mother...all my life that she had raised me...if anything...

She was more than just a mother but a friend to me.

And the man in front of me took that away.

Even if I had no parents now, even if they did abandon me...I had Cordelia.

And she had me.

But now....now was different...but that doesn't mean Cordelia didn't live on.

She was still and will always be in my heart.

And that's something my wicked grandfather could never take away from me.

And for Cordelia, for Ben...I will stay strong.

I stayed my ground.

"They may have left me alone but Cordelia was always there for me. She was more than you could ever be!" I started to raise my voice and just as I looked dead at him he slapped me across the face.

"Enough! You will marry the man I have prepared for you to marry and you will take the throne when it is time."

"You can't. You can't do this-" I spoke one last time before he glared at me.

"It's either you accept your birthright or I will have your Captain's head. Now take her to her chambers and keep her there until further notice."

I looked down again as the men led me back inside the castle.

They pushed me into a room and locked the door from the outside.

I got up with a cold item touching my neck.

It was the necklace given to me from Ben.

I held tight to it as I got back up on my feet once more.

Peering out the window I knew I could not escape, not under the weather that was currently brewing outside.

I had to become Queen if I wanted out of all this...if I wanted Ben to be safe...I had to listen to what my grandfather had to say.

But I needed to be two steps in front of him if I were to ever come victorious from all this.

To outwit him.

For now, it would be playing along with his game until I had some leverage.