The Pains Of Being A Royal

Broken Seal

My body felt heavy as if I was being pressed down.

I tried to move but for some strange reason, it felt like I had forgotten how to.

My vision was pitch black. Like I was stuck floating around in a dark abyss.

It took me a moment to recollect what had happened but everything came back to me eventually.

The tea party, attack, Nobles...

Dominic.

My eyes flew open.

I breathed out noisily, my throat lodged as if I was being strangled.

I think I may have thrashed around a little due to the shortage of breath.

"...calm down...you need to..."

I weakly turned my face towards the voice, my blurry vision falling upon Christian's pale face.

He looked utterly exhausted, with weary eyes, dishevelled hair and an uneasy face.

His lips were moving but I was having trouble listening.

"Sage....you have to..."

What was he saying?

I blinked, dumbly staring at my elder brother.

Christian's expression crumpled into a frustrated grimace as he stroked my cheeks, still speaking.

There were figures moving behind him but I didn't bother to look anywhere else as another wave of tiredness hit me.

My eyes shut by themselves still too weak to remain open.

What is going on?

I felt myself groan internally when something warm erupted inside.

It wasn't painful but instead rather peaceful.

I gave myself completely up to it too exhausted to fight.

I let myself fall.

Into this new feeling that I seemed to know.

The warmness soon wrapped me in itself like a soft blanket, as images danced around me, clearer than ever before, my body turning light and everything else disappeared.

Only the images remained.

Memories.

Helen's memories.

I felt at peace for once as I watched them, the feeling of sheer solace and familiarity surrounding me.

One by one the events replayed like the scenes from a movie.

I remembered.

My teenage brothers, Little Kai, My father...

My mom. 

Everything was coming back.

Then, something new struck me.

And this time it wasn't pleasant.

Pain hit my head.

Like an arrow piercing me.

One memory faded.

It was like something was physically pushing me away from it. Like a strong gust of wind threatening to blow me away.

I could see something. Something blurred, unclear and misshapen.

A broken memory.

"You must protect yourself Helen!"

I could see my mothers face. Bloodied and fearful.