Royal Pain ~ Slave to the High Royals

Chapter Thirty-Three

Aiden took one last, lingering look at me, my own eyes locked on his face for a little longer than I originally intended. I watched as he backed away, walking the short distance to the others where they had gathered beneath a canopy of trees, a stark contrast of vegetation when compared to the blazing red of the newly started inferno behind us.

Forcing myself to remain upright and focused, I finally took in the astounding sight of my surroundings.

The once towering, natural structure of the cave had crumbled and collapsed in on itself, crushing whoever would have been abandoned inside beneath it. Smoke billowed in dark plumes, stretching up towards the light sky and sparking fiery embers.

I would not allow myself to dwell on the thought of how much death we had just been the cause of. Fortunately for my conscience, most of the rebels seemed to have evacuated the camp prior to the destruction and whilst myself and the others had been too wrapped up in our own plan of escape. That must have also been the reason why it had been so easy for us, with only Lana and a few other rebels as our obstacles and hopefully not my father.

Despite my father's actions, that was no reason for me to want him dead. After all, he was the man who raised me and created such wonderful memories of my childhood.

Thinking about everything brought back the vicious cycle of the thoughts about death.

Shaking myself, I followed Aiden and approached the others, attempting to distract myself from the terrorising memories as I listened, ''What brings you here to us, Mills?'' Josh asked, swinging his arm around the short girl's shoulders casually. Although his side remained coated in crimson blood, the wound itself must have healed as the pain no longer seemed to bother him.

I envied how quickly everything healed for them; emotionally and physically.

''Gertrude, actually.'' She answered, making a disgusted face as she batted his arm away, ''I wanted in on the action, so when she showed me that you were locked in cages in the deep, dark depths at the mercy of the enemy, I thought you could use a hand.'' Millie smiled devilishly, the sweetness of her features as two dimples appeared were a complete contrast to her true nature.

After all, she had just managed to collapse an entire encampment alone. I didn't know if that was impressive or just straight terrifying.

What I did know was that it was slightly disturbing that she had been keen and confident enough to attack them all with no help, much like her brother in that sense. It was easy in that moment to identify them as siblings, the same annoying arrogance that could most definitely get them killed later in life.

''Do Mum and Dad know?'' Aiden inquired, the slightest note of worry in his voice. I realised then that if the King and Queen knew that Aiden had failed, then they would most likely be disappointed in his abilities. If Aiden were anything like myself, then that thought alone would mess with his emotions.

It was unbelievable how far we had come for me to begin comparing us both.

''Well...'' Millie's voice trailed off, her expression twisting into one of concern as Aiden's face fell at the obvious hint of the answer.

Millie then opened her mouth as if she were about to begin speaking again, but was quickly silenced by the snap of a twig nearby, the dry sound almost as loud as a gunshot in the tense situation.

In a flash, Aiden had disappeared, only to appear a moment later before any of us could react.

But, he wasn't alone.

Looking rather uncharacteristically unstable and afraid was none other than Cami, the girl whose face I could have gone without seeing ever again if I was being honest. Despite that, her pale and sunken cheeks betrayed her true fear, an emotion that seemed so genuine that I couldn't help but pity her having been in that same position myself - many times in fact.