Royal love

Chapter 63

I put my hands in my pockets and realize there's a folded up piece of paper. I know what it is. My brothers letter.

It's been sitting in my pocket ever since I got it, I'm too scared to read it.

I pull it out and stare at it. In small words he wrote, from: Alex, to: Adeline, on one of the folded up sides.

I stare at the letter, knowing he wrote it knowing he was going to die. I have to hold back tears.

I don't think I've ever coped with his death. After he died my parents just threw mountain after mountain of work at me, maybe to distract me from it, maybe they were trying to help.

I take a breath, sit on a nearby rock. I play with the corners of the paper for a while, stalling. Once I feel like I'm ready, I unfold it quickly so I can't change my mind.

Slowly, I begin to read the letter.

Dear Adeline,
When you read this, I'll be dead. You might be the queen but I don't think it'll take you that long to find Seb. I'm sorry for not telling you everything myself but you were too young, you wouldn't understand. I don't have much time so I have to write quickly. You might already know this because I told Seb to tell you but if you don't you will now. I was killed by some form of mafia that's bigger than I can imagine, it's like a hundred groups of mafias all huddled into one huge mafia. They're constantly fighting over power, constantly killing each other. They are under the control of one person. Seb and I have done what we could to find out who it is but all we could figure out is that it's a man, about middle aged, blond hair, green eyes, approximately 6'4, intelligent, extremely strong, and majorly feared by all the people who work for him. We think he has a son who is equally as terrifying and inhumanly strong. Seb and I have attended some of their meetings to learn, I have a suspicion that our father attends these meetings, but that's all we've managed to get. I feel my time is running low so I had to write to you so you could fix everything if I don't make it. I'm trusting you to save the family.
Save yourself.
Sincerely, your brother, Alex.

The note is covered in tears. Some from me, some old ones from him. There's another letter behind the one I just read. I read it over, it's about my childhood, how he loved me so much, our parents, him. By the time I'm done reading it my face is soaked with tears.

I fold the papers up again and put them in my pocket. I put my hand to my mouth as I look over the cliff. I can hardly see the ground because of all the fog. Treetops poke out of the depressing grey cloud.

I sob.

And I can't stop.

I feel my breaths become short and my hands begin to shake. I have to get away from the cliff in fear I might fall over from how much I'm shaking.

"Adeline!?" I hear someone yell. I don't know if I should respond, so I don't. I rest my back against a tree and curl up. Suddenly I'm back in the room with nothing but cement walls and floor. The cold wind reminds me of being stripped of my clothes, forced into ice baths.

"Adeline!?" I hear again.

But it's so distant. I'm in the cement room. I'm in the cement room with the dripping ceiling. With the cold breeze, with the walls that get smaller and smaller everyday. With the people who laughed when I screamed.

I feel someone grab my shoulder and scream.

"Adeline," Hayden says, his voice panicked. "It's me," he says. "It's me," he pulls me into a hug and I open my eyes. Hayden is hugging me, and I'm hugging him back. He pulls away from the hug and stares at me, his eyes coated with worry. "Your shaking," he says holding my hands. "Your shaking like crazy."

I can't talk. There's a huge lump in my throat.

I can't talk. Another scream is trying to escape.

"Come on," hayden says helping me up. He doesn't stand too far away as we walk down the path.

Sebastian meets us at the end.

"I heard screaming," he says. "Is everyone okay?" There's panic in his voice too.

"Does it look like it?" Hayden asks with a glare in Sebastian's direction. I'm too panicked to stop him from being rude.

Hayden leads me to his car, Sebastian gets in the backseat as Hayden helps me into the passenger seat.

Hayden drives home way too fast and Sebastian makes sure to remind him every few seconds what the speed limit is but Hayden doesn't care.

When we get to the house, Hayden brings me to the room he and I are alternating staying in. He puts me on the bed and disappears for a few seconds.

When he comes back, he has a glass of water.

"I don't rally know how to handle this," he says holding the water out to me. "But I have a feeling water might occupy your mind with something else."

I take the water and drink it slowly.

He's right.

I feel a stiffness slowly lifting off my shoulders with every sip.

"Do you need to talk about it?" He asks taking the empty glass from me and placing it on the nightstand.

I shake my head, knowing I defined should talk to him about it. It's too awkward, he doesn't need to know all the horrible things that happened to me. Who knows how he'll react.

"How about if I tell you something, you tell me something?" He asks. "I won't judge if you won't."

I think for a minute. It would make it less awkward...

"Okay," I say, my throat hoarse when I finally do talk.

Hayden let's a sad smile plaster onto his face.

"Okay."

Word count: 1026
7:24 pm
9-27-23
This chapter is kinda bonding but I had to post something 😭😭