Battlefields to Ball-gowns (A Bridgerton Fanfiction)

Chapter 23

The air was stagnant in the cabins below deck with the smell of salt water and sweat. The ship lulled in a sleepy back-and-forth motion as the royal twins hid away from the harsh summer sun.

The familiar nervousness swirled in Artemis' stomach as they grew closer to land. Closer to England meant closer to Anthony Bridgerton. Doubt consumed her thoughts as she wondered if he'd still be waiting for her. 

The battles may not have lasted long but it was a bloody rebellion. The princess could feel the changes in her soul, she felt that darkness taking hold in the depths of her heart. So many of her loved ones had died. The soil of Illyria was stained red with the traitor's blood but so were her hands. 

Would Anthony still want her? Every broken piece?

Or would she return to find that an Opera singer was far more appealing than a half-mad princess? 

This time, only Apollo and Artemis sat on the ship. There was no laughter at silly British rules, no teasing remarks, no Ares or Aphrodite. 

After she turned seventeen, Aphrodite had been shipped off to Prussia with some guards to marry Prince Friedrick. She was more than pleased with the match, but even the lovely Black princess was haunted by the short-lived rebellion.

Ares was no longer allowed to leave the safety of the capital. He was next in line for the throne after the death of Hephaestus. Athena was striving to find him a wife as soon as possible. The sooner the next generation of heirs was born the better. 

That left Apollo and Artemis to return to England.

A knock echoed through the quiet space, causing both twins to flinch before snapping their attention to the door. 

"We are approaching the Harbour, your Majesties."

That was all that was said before they heard the increasingly distant footsteps returning to work. 

"...What will you say to him?" Apollo asked. 

"...What will you say to her?" Artemis responded. 

"I'm sorry... I'll say I'm sorry for killing the man she knew and coming back someone else. I'll say sorry for leaving. Maybe I'll say sorry for coming back... I'm just sorry I suppose." Apollo's eyes grew distant as his voice grew quieter. 

"Ya... that's probably a good place to start."

A few hours later they had returned to the quiet Chattaeu they had first stayed in the previous season. It felt like a lifetime ago, they walked these halls. 

But it was different now. 

Every shadow held a hidden enemy. Every creaking stair sounded like the clashing of swords. The flicker of each candle illuminating the darkened rooms felt like the infernos of the burning encampments. 

Things were different. 

Apollo made his way up the staircase towards his room only to turn when he realized Artemis wasn't following behind him. "Sister?"

She stood for a moment, thinking to herself before meeting her twin's eyes. "I... I'm going to see him."

"Now? It's the middle of the night."

"I'll be back before morning." With that, she left on foot towards the Bridgerton house. She was still dressed in her Illyrian leathers, having not expected to see anyone. Her feet carried her quickly through the streets of the town, dodging the drunken noblemen as they stumbled their way home. 

It took nearly half an hour before she finally saw it. 

With a harsh knock at the door, the familiar butler opened it slightly startled by the midnight visitor. 

"Your majesty!"

Without invitation, Artemis entered the Bridgerton home once more and walked towards Anthony's office, "Tell Lord Bridgerton he has a guest in his office. Be sure not to tell him the identity of his visitor... It's time for some payback for all those unprompted late-night meetings I endured." 

There it was. 

That familiar golden twinkle of mischief in her eye that seemed to have disappeared so long ago. That teasing smirk that had not graced her face in months, there it was shining brightly as the stars in the heavens. 

A small smile took over the butler's face, "Of course, Princess."  

Anthony had finally fallen asleep after spending the majority of the night in a restless stupor, only to be startled awake once more by a knock on his bedroom door. 

A sleep induced, "What is it?" Resounded through his chambers as the butler entered. 

"There is a guest to see you, my lord. It is most urgent. You shall find them in your office after you dress." Like a ghost in the night, he was gone as quickly as he came. 

Anthony stumbled out of bed, throwing on the same clothes he had on earlier. He briefly ran his fingers through his hair, hoping his guest would understand his disorderly appearance since they decided to wake him in the middle of the night. 

He relied mainly on muscle memory to find his way to his office, sleep still muddling his brain as he lazily stomped down the stairs. He took a moment to wake himself up before opening his office door. 

He didn't see her at first, glancing around wondering if he had dreamt up the interaction with the butler until-

"You cut your hair differently... It looks good."

The thick curl of the accented words washed the sleep from his mind. He felt his heart stop in his chest and he wondered for a moment if he had truly woken up at all or if he was still in his dreams. 

He turned, praying to God that it wasn't a cruel trick.

There she was, sitting in his chair, her dainty feet up on his desk, draped in those scandalous Illyrian leathers that left nothing to the imagination. Her golden eyes glowed in the darkened room and it felt like all life had quieted. 

"Hello, Anthony."

Then all at once the grey, dull word suddenly had color once more. The night was no longer dead quiet but the birth of a new dawn. Because she was alive, she was safe, she was here. The way her intoxicating accent shaped his name into something new filled the air as it had filled his dreams for so many months. 

A smile stretched on his face for the first time since she told him she was leaving. In a moment, he was before her. He lifted her into his arms holding her close to his chest, breathing in the scent that tormented him with its absence. His soul felt whole once more.

She was alive, she was safe, she was home.

"Hello, Princess."