It's been four weeks, exactly a month, since Scarlett Solaris took to the throne and has been leading her nation, Goldaria. She and her friends still hurt from the traumatic mental wounds inflicted on them during their captivity weeks prior, but the...
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✰✦✰ Chapter Twenty-Five ✰✦✰ " Scarlett "
AFTER A DAY of rehearsals, motivation for absolutely anything was the last thing on my mind. Today had been a reminder of what the next week was going to be—a week of training and rehearsing for my coronation. My bed was so comfortable. At least I had my bed. At least the others had left to go to Sylva Isle for the evening. They deserved a break after all I'd put them through. It still seemed unreal that we were a group because of something so absurd, something people wouldn't even dream of in their wildest dreams. Truth was, a killer had brought us together. And that same killer was coming back—The Shielder was going to come back at some point. She was merely waiting for the perfect time to strike, the perfect time to surprise us by pouncing on us like a wild animal.
It was all I'd been thinking about throughout rehearsals. It was precisely why Lilia—my PR manager—had winced and cringed so many times, kindly correcting either my posture or telling me to not appear so furious with the world. Now that I thought about it it was quite funny but earlier it hadn't even seemed the slightest bit amusing since all thoughts of mine were clouded by the memory of my sister. She was always going to be there, wasn't she? She was never going to let me go. Ever. Every time I tried to move on, the claw marks she'd left on me stung as if to remind me that I could never escape her.
The gentle breeze of the wind beyond my opened windows brushed against my cheeks, the flames on my candles wavering. Queen. In a week's time, I'd be Queen of Goldaria; I'd be precisely what my younger self had always desperately avoided. In a way, I wanted to go back in time and hide her from all bad things, tell her how terribly sorry I was to be doing this to her. On the other hand, I wanted to go back and tell her everything; from my friendship with Rinne to my sister's betrayal. Being Queen came with a million more responsibilities, responsibilities that I wasn't sure I could take on. At least not on my own. I would need Sarinne and Luna by my side for the rest of my reign.
I would—
Two, hesitant knocks against my door.
I jumped up, elbows propped. As far as I was aware, the others had left for Sylva Isle around fifteen minutes ago. Surely they couldn't be back yet, not when I knew Miles and Darius so well. They would make sure they stayed there until the lights went out. As for my maids, they would knock once and then announce themselves.
"Hello?" I called out.
No reply.
Curious and concerned, I got up and made my way to the door, reluctance taking control of me just as I went to open the door. There was something in me that told me he was behind the door. Darius. Even though I'd just thought that impossible—
But I was right.
The second I'd opened the door, I recognised his astonishingly warm, honey eyes. "Darius," His name slipped from my tongue at once. His jaw relaxed and his shoulders eased from the tension evident in them. He looked helpless; looked like he'd never been more apologetic and yet eager before. "Hi."
