My RÕSË

Chapter 40

Hiii💗
This chapter was a little sad but I enjoyed writing it.

I hope you enjoy though
Mwah!

Irene's POV

It rained heavily into the night. It was cold. I sat in front of the fireplace and stared at the movement of flames and listened to its’ cracklings. I tugged a breath of sigh and rubbed my palms on my arms trying to warm myself. I needed a coat but mine was dirty now. I hoped the fire would help keep me warm. I sat there for minutes thinking about Diera, the people, I prayed Darius took care of matters with the Queen. The cold got to me as I buried my head in my hands. It got warm all of a sudden as I could feel woolen clothing wrap around my back. I rose slowly to find Hadrian towering over me smiling.

“Thank you” I smiled back. He nodded and sat down next to me.

Seconds were minutes now as we sat down in silence. I wondered what was going through his mind as he stared at the flames of fire with intensity.

“How was Diera when you were leaving to come here?” he inquires.

“It needed a leader, it was in chaos” I gave a reply.

“Isolde should be planning on taking rule now, that should be good” 

I frowned “You don't mean that, sire, your people need you, your father is dead and trust me if Isolde should take the throne, you can say goodbye to Diera and hello to a life of running from Cedric's men” 

“Of what use Irene, look at me. What kingdom would want a drunk king” he said easily.

“You are not drunk Hadrian, you have no idea what you could become as King, you could change everything your father did, you could bring about a peaceful reign and change,”  I tell him rubbing my hands on his.

“You think that of me?” he says. I hesitated before yanking my hands out of his.

“Everyone does” I gulped “You must be hungry, we should get something to eat” I get up and move to the kitchen to make something.

****************

Food was served, and Hadrian was outside ever since the fireplace. The rain had settled, it was only a cold breeze and frogs croaking, complimenting the weather. I didn't want to go out and disturb him, he was grieving and I know what it is like to mourn a father. The door creaks open interrupting my thoughts, Hadrian walks in sluggish. His eyes lit up when he saw food on the table. He was starving. I giggled under my breath.

His strides grew further to the table and he plopped down a chair opposite me and began to eat the stew in front of him without hesitation.

“You must be starving,” I said trying to start a conversation, he paused to look at me but continued eating. I stole a glance at his eyes, the eyes that were very hard to stop dreaming of. I missed how he made my stomach flutter and how he always managed to make me smile. I missed him.

“You should be leaving soon enough” he commented.

“I won't leave if you don't come with me” I stated clearly showing that I wasn't budging no matter what he said.

“The kingdom is lost, I cannot show my face again” he took the last spoon of stew “Thank you” he glanced at me before leaving the table to his bed.

“The kingdom is not lost yet, they still have their king” I replied moving to where he sat. He rubbed his face with his palms, I could tell he was reminiscing about everything. I was determined not to leave him there, at least, not again.

“Your mother would want you to return” I simply said.

He frowned looking at me “My mother is dead”

I knelt to look at him “Your mother may be dead but she lives inside of you”

He looked at me puzzled “You talk like you know her,” he scoffed.

“She loves you more than you know, Hadrian” I confessed.

“How can you know that for sure?”

I hesitated before replying “Because I met your mother, our mothers were very good friends” I sighed, and his expression changed as his shoulders fell.

“What did she tell you?” He asked, his eyes beaming with hope and filling up with tears.

“She told me to tell you, she loves you and she was always with you” Hadrian shook his head and began to sob, I have never seen him in this state. I rubbed his back and squeezed his hands. He cried for a few minutes before raising his head.

“Tell me, did my father kill her,” he asked with a serious expression. I opened my mouth thinking of how to say it without hurting him further “Please, tell me” he squeezed my hand that held on to his. I blinked a tear back from my eyes.

“He never wanted to, he did it to protect you, Isolde would have killed him. You needed a parent” he shook his head in disbelief “Hadrian...”

“Leave me,” he said once pulling his hands away. I was about to protest when he screamed again “Go” He caught a glance with me and his expression sobered “Please,” I hesitated before nodding and leaving to the backroom.
My heart plummeted on seeing him like that.

***************
Rays of the morning sun brushed through my face waking me up the next morning. My thoughts drifted to Hadrian, I didn't see him again after dinner last night. I walked out of the back room to find him, he wasn't in the hut. I walked out and scanned the compound. He was in the garden close to the waterfall. I almost forgot how beautiful this place was. I walked up to him hesitantly.

“Hadrian” I started. He dropped the hoe he was holding to look over his shoulder, and he turned immediately avoiding any exchange looks. It looked like he was planting seeds, he indeed wanted to be a farmer, I laughed at the thought. “I have been thinking about everything, and I wanted to say I am deeply sorry ” I was apologizing for walking out when he needed me the most.

He sighed and completely dropped all he was doing to pay attention to me. “I should have been there for you, not only as my Prince but as a friend, I was overshadowed by my pain that I overlooked yours. I understand now and I want to make amends” I continued.

He moved a step close to me and I immediately lowered my head.

“Irene, I hold nothing against you” his words softened me, and I felt relaxed “You are brave for coming here which is why the kingdoms would need someone like you, not me,” he said holding my shoulders.

I shook my head quickly knowing where this was getting to “I won't leave” I stated simply.

“Please, if you've ever considered me, then do now, I do not want to keep you here, your brother would be worried, he is your family” 

“So is Eleanor and Frederick to you, they are your family, they are waiting for you. I won't leave, besides, there is no way out, to climb that hill is not an easy thing” I said looking deeply into his eyes and begging him not to push me away.

“There is a way out without the hill, I am sorry, Irene but you had a wasted journey,” he said, dropping his hands from my shoulders. He hesitated before walking past me. All I wanted to do was just break down and cry, I would never see him again.

“Hadrian, wait” I called out as he walked past me, I turned to him “If I go, what would you do” I wiped a tear from my eye.

“I would miss you gravely” he replied and tried to look over but I could see him fight it before walking out of sight. I couldn't prevent the tears now. I felt shattered.

This was all my fault.

A/N

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