Watch The Thrones

[20] The Cross We Carry

"Well, Eric called for a meeting."
He coughs then resumes.
"He called me in and I saw no one but him in the room. I walked to where he was and an archer shot me down."

"Oh, Dad, did you see what the archer looked like?"

"No, I didn't. In fact, I didn't see much afterwards. I thought Bischoff was going to help me but he deceived me.

Flashback:
"SOMEBODY HELP! Hellllp!!! The king is down!!!! The king is down!!!!!"
Bischoff yells as his assassin makes a getaway.
"Prepare a room. The king is down."
Stephanie heard an echo.
The king is down.
Stephanie runs to the meeting room and sees her father being rushed out the room.
"What's going on?! What are you guys doing to my father?! Where are you taking him?! Dad! Dad! Dad!!!!"
"He'll be ok, Stephanie. He'll make it through."
Bischoff comforts Stephanie.

Present:
Stephanie puts her head down and thought back to that day. The day she lost her father and half of herself. When she looked up all she saw was a sky full of stars. She turned to her side. Hunter looked at her.

"How did it come to this?"
"You're overreacting, Steph."
"I'm serious, Hunter!"
She playfully hits him and laughs.
"How did it come to this?"
"What happened to all of us, Hunter? Bliss, when we met her, was innocent and radiant and... and now, she's pregnant and miserable."
"Neville's back, remember?"
"Yes but what happened within these past four months will haunt us all. No one is safe from the past."
"But Steph, no one is safe from the future either."
"I know. We've all suffered. Especially Neville and my father. Locked away in some lord forsaken hell. They didn't deserve that. None of us do."
"We all carry baggage but we make it through."
"Easier said than done. Sasha's been battling addiction since... Lord knows when and Roman's been struggling with keeping people close and--- why are you looking at me like that?"
"How do you know them so well?"
"I'm preparing for my throne. As Queen I want to know the people who contribute to my land. I want them to feel at ease when they're around me."
"They won't fear you."
"I don't want them to fear me. I want them to respect me."
"What is respect without fear?"
"Hunter, I don't want to rule with fear. If I did, I'd be just like my father."
"Your father was a good leader."
"He was a dictator."
"But he was fair."
"You have no clue what happened within those gates. Those walls. I was helpless. You don't know how I suffered."
"I do. I was there. Remember when I used to sneak into your room every night? You'd tell me everything that would happen after we mated."

"Stop it, Hunter."

Stephanie blushes.

"You liked it."

"My father's tent is not far away you know."

"I don't care what your father does."

"Well you should. He's still the king."

"Not necessarily. You're the Queen. When we get your throne back, you'll rule."

"I don't think I'm ready."

"You have to be. A queen is always prepared."

"A queen is always prepared."

Someone screams.

POV: Roman and Sasha

Sasha fixes her hair while Roman lies next to her, admiring her.

"So tomorrow we go to war, huh?"

"I don't know, Rome. Finn's bird message was sketchy. He claims he has an army big enough to defend us and to defeat Vickie but I feel like he's not telling us something."

"Hiding something? Like what?"

"Could be anything."

Roman looks at Sasha.