The Ever Ater

Chapter 6

I woke up to the sound of thunder and rolled over to see that Maxon wasn’t in bed. He must still be in his office. Lightning lit up the room and thunder shook the palace. I heard Osten start crying through the monitor. I got up and put my robe and slippers on and started toward Osten’s room. When I got there Osten was walking out the door with his pajama shirt riding up and his blanket in his hand. I reached down and picked him up and took him back into his room. 

“Mama the thunder-” he waved his hands around the whole room. “Made my room shake. It scared me Mama and then I was comin’ to find you and Daddy, but you found me.”

I put Osten in his bed and tucked him back under the sheets. “Baby, go back to sleep. I’ll wait right here till you go to sleep and I will make sure your room is safe, okay?”

He nodded his head and I sat down on the floor holding his hand. Within thirty minutes Osten was back asleep and I was leaving. I went back to mine and Maxon’s room and he still wasn’t there. I started going to his office and decided to check on Eadlyn, Ahren, and Kaden on my way. All still asleep despite the raging thunderstorm outside. I saw the guard standing at the door with light flooding from beneath it. 

The guard, Lett, bowed, “Your Majesty, it has been a long night for the king and general.”

He went to open the door and stopped to look back at me. “Are you sure you want to go in there, because the king has been-”

“Rather irritable lately.” I finished for him. “That is what two hours of sleep does to a person. That’s why I came, to drag him to bed so he can get a decent amount of sleep tonight.”

Lett bowed and opened the door. The light was so bright compared to the dimly lit hallway that I had to squint for a minute to allow my eyes to adjust. I saw Maxon sitting alone at his desk staring at a report squinting trying to read.

“Lett I said not to bother me unless it was an emergency. So get out and let me work in peace.” Maxon yelled in anger that I hadn’t seen in a long time. I was thankful no one else was here to see. The door shut and I walked across the room to my husband and put my arms around his shoulders. He tensed as I bent down to his face and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“I don’t think I look like Lett do you?” I laughed and took the report out of his hands. He relaxed as I rubbed his eyes and sighed. At that moment I noticed how old my husband looked at just thirty-three. He was worn down and tired. He needed a break desperately. I pulled him to his feet and started toward the door, but he stopped. 

“America.” Maxon left me there and went back to his desk and sat down. “I have to work. I need to get this done and this and this and this.” He threw papers up and ran his hands through his hair. 

I went back over and closed all the folders and took all the papers out of his hands. I gently pulled him back up and hugged him. “I know you're stressed, but you have to sleep to function and you need an eye appointment. That, Maxon, is why you have so many headaches, because you can’t see the paper you are reading anymore.”

We walked out of the office and Maxon just leaned on me all the way to our room. We walked through the doors and Maxon sat down on the bed while I grabbed his pajama shirt and sweatpants. He grabbed my hand as I handed it to him. “Thank you. Not just for the pajamas, but for rescuing me from that office.” He got dressed and climbed back into the bed. 

“I love you, Maxon”

“Darling, I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

I curled up in Maxon’s arms and we both went to sleep in peace. 

I woke up with the sunrise later that morning. I looked over to see that Maxon was still asleep. Just as I was about to go to sleep a knock sounded at the door. Maxon groaned and rolled over on the bed.

I leaned down to kiss his head. “I’ll get it. You sleep.” I got up and walked over to the door grabbing my robe along the way. When I opened the door a guard, who I didn’t recognize, was standing there. 

He bowed and started speaking. “Your Majesty, is the king awake?”

“No, but I can answer any question you have.”

“Your family is here for Prince Osten’s fifth birthday party.”

“Why does that concern my husband?”

“Your whole family.” The guard looked at me, seeing my confusion. “Even your brother Kota.”

I was shocked I couldn’t move. I hadn’t talked to Kota in years. I pulled myself together. “Thank you, just take them all to guest rooms on the second floor.”

Maxon and I were making our way down to breakfast and I was telling him what the guard had told me this morning. Maxon had suggested that my mom invited Kota and I didn’t doubt it. My mom was always trying to get us to be civil with each other, which isn’t easy. Maxon stopped abruptly and looked at me “If you want him to go I’ll make him leave before he can even see you.”

“No, it will be fine. Plus you'll be by my side no one can hurt me.”

“That’s right.” He kissed me as we kept walking. 

When we finally reached the dining hall we walked in and everybody stood. Maxon waved the all off. “Please sit, your family.” Maxon pulled my chair out as I sat down and he quickly moved to sit as well. The doors opened again and in ran all the children. Ahren and Osten took their seats down from me and Eady and Ahren sat on the other side across from me with MAxon at the head of the table. Once they settled in everything was quiet as Maxon took my hand. 

“Sister.” Kota’s voice rang in the silent dining room