EXPLODE

twenty eight

I exit the room, tears burning at the back of my eyes. I couldn't bare the thought of hurting Liam, but what else was I to do? Forfeit the lives of many others just so I could live? God forbid anything happen to Liam, my family, or even Evan.

"Are you alright?" Evan asked, appearing in front of me. Tears blurred the corners of my eyes, but I stood up straighter and wiped my eyes of any stray tears.

I refused to ruin Evan's birthday.

"Of course. I suppose the stress of everything is getting to me is all," I tell him, which is partly true. He hesitates, but let's the subject be. My voice was hoarse from the minutes before of crying and yelling, and I'm sure he could tell.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" He asked, laying a gently hand on my arm, sending a shiver through my body.

"I know, Evan, I just don't want to ruin your birthday." I tell him, though his birthday is the last time he'd most likely see me. He gives a small smile, taking my arm and guiding me towards the ballroom for his birthday ceremony.

"You're not going to ruin my birthday," he says. Yes, I would. "Are you sure you don't have anything you want to tell me?"

"Your majesties!" A guard interrupts, and Evan's mouth pulls into a taut, straight line. Thank goodness for the guard; another minute of our conversation and I would've shattered into a million pieces before him. "The crowd is growing impatient, and I believe it's time to begin the ceremony."

Evan nods his head, though he gives me a pleading look. I answer him by taking his arm and letting the guard guide us to the doors leading into the ballroom.

"Ready, your majesties?" The guard asks, his gloved hands gripping the door handles with excitement. On a day like today, it was easy to understand the joy and excitement of everyone in the castle- it was a break from the impending war. But for me, it was hard to feel anything but dread pitted deep into my stomach.

"Ready as we'll ever be." Evan remarks, filling in the silence to the question he wanted me to answer. He extends his hand and I take it right as the doors swing open and the crowd erupts in cheers and hollers.

"Now welcoming, Queen Dawn and King Evan of Auradon!" A voice announced over the loud chatter of the crowd. The crowd only grew louder, but the voice continued. "To start off the night, the King and Queen will share a dance."

Evan and I take that as our cue to make our way to the center of the ballroom and take position for the traditional dance. Evan's cold hands wrap around my waist at the same time my hands wrap around his neck.

Couples began to join in, and Evan stays quiet, so I take it to studying my dress and thinking about every little thing that made up my life to this point.

The days when I was close to my sister and my mom, traveling around our small country and laughing and giving to the poor. The days we would make our own ice cream instead of leaving it to the workers and the white, creamy fluid got everywhere.

When my dad was still alive, at home safe and sound, and would kiss my head every night and whisper a lullaby until I was lulled into a deep sleep, my sister in the room next to me, my parents in the room after hers, and feeling utterly secure.

The day I met Liam.

He was reading a novel by Charles Dickens and bounding up to me, ceasing to loose that spark in his ocean blue eyes that most of the Third Faction lost before they hit their teens.

His hands, guiding me around the castle those first few days, so nice and warm, except for those spots of cold where his rings were.

The first time he left before we found out what the rebellion was really made of, and feeling a sort of loss I'd never felt before.