The Crown cannot Help You

Chapter 8: The Waterfall

Audelia pushed herself to the water's surface and swept her soaked hair back from her face as she broke free.

The water's calm surface was disturbed by the waterfall gushing next to her, but Audelia didn't mind a single bit. She stuck out her hand and danced her fingers through the sheet of water, closing her eyes to enhance the feeling.

The water beat against her hand whilst random droplets of water that had freed themselves splashed against her face.

The sound was unlike anything she'd heard before. It roared at her as though it was powered by pure anger but at the same time, it seemed to block out every other sound, making the world seem quiet.

Audelia eventually pulled her hand back and allowed her eyes to open. The waterfall was beautiful, but it wasn't the view that made it so magical.

Audelia then sank back under the water. Her body became weightless as she drifted further and further there down. And she just allowed herself to fall as for the first time in what seemed like years, she felt clean.

She didn't know how long she spent just floating, but she at one point pushed herself to re-emerged.

However, this time instead of being greeted by the waterfall's serenity, she was faced with the Flynn's furious yelling.

"Get out now! We have to go!" Flynn commanded, as he frantically looked all around him.

Audelia wrinkled her nose and shrugged him off. "A few more minutes." She gently moved her hands along the water, created ripples across the top.

Flynn clenched his jaw tightly, his teeth trembling against the pressure he placed upon them. "No, we're leaving now."

Audelia gave him a suspicious look as her eyes drifted up and down the length of him. "No." She refused, swimming further back.

"Princess, "Flynn gritted out, slamming her new clothes against the ground, "Now is not the time to be a brat!"

"I just want a few more minutes, is that so much to ask?" Audelia scoffed.

"Get out now." Flynn's voice was venomous which matched his enraged stare.

Audelia didn't find him threatening at all, but rather found his behaviour curious. She watched the way he teetered from foot to foot, and the way his eyes darted to the side at every little noise. "I will get out, but only if you tell me what has got you acting like this."

Flynn's body tensed up completely, every muscle flexing as his body felt ablaze with anger. "I don't tend to enjoy being blackmailed."

"Funny, I do not tend to enjoy being kidnapped." Audelia retorted almost immediately, revelling in his suffering.

Flynn's jaw tightened even more, but finally he gave in. "There is a man currently hunting us down—to kill."

Audelia didn't flinch at the idea. "Why does he want us dead?"

"Well, it's not us that he wants dead." Flynn spat through his clenched teeth.

"He wants me dead?"

"No. He wants me."

Audelia grew increasingly intrigued and involuntarily raised an eyebrow as she edged herself closer to him. "Why?"

Flynn ran his hands through his hair, his fingers on the verge of ripping strands out. "Get out of the f**king water, Audelia."

"No." Audelia said quickly, having not received the answer she wanted. "Tell me why he is coming for you."