The Mortal Queen | The Cruel Prince / Wicked King Fanfic

Two

Jude

My mind was reeling. I washed the conditioner from my hair and shut the shower off. Realization, or what I thought was realization, kept echoing in my head as I dried off and combed out my wet hair. "I'd do anything to protect you, Jude."

I could almost hear Cardan's voice as loudly and clearly as if he were standing next to me, his mouth moving against my ear, and his fingers gently caressing my neck.

I felt the heat rise to my face, embarrassed of my own thoughts, and equally just as frustrated. He exiled me, and it's clear this back-and-forth betrayal game we've been playing with each other will never end.

I grabbed my clothes from the towel rack and quickly threw them on. The steam swirled all around me, carrying with it the tropical scent of my shampoo and soap. Vivi will most likely kill me for how much hot water I just used up.

A loud knock sounded on the door, jolting me from my thoughts. "Hey! You done in there? Some of us still need to shower." Vivi yelled from the other side of the door.

"Yeah I'll be right out." I sighed. Vivi mumbled something as she walked away but I couldn't hear what she said. I glanced in the mirror one last time before stepping out into the hallway.

I dropped my dirty clothes in the basket in my bedroom, and grabbed an elastic to tie my hair back into a ponytail.

I made my way back to the kitchen table a few minutes later to hopefully eat whatever was left from breakfast. The others had decided to camp out in the living room to catch some Saturday morning cartoons, something Oak had found he loved very much. I could hear them laughing as I sat down at the table and put some food on my plate.
"Hey, thanks for not eating all the food without me!" I shouted to them. No answer. With a shrug I started nibbling on some bacon.

"Hey, Vivi? I was thinking," I began shouting again, not sure if she was listening. "I want to send a message to someone in Faerie." Silence. And then quick footsteps. Vivi's head appeared from around the corner, with a wicked grin on her face.

"Do you now? So does this mean you've come to your senses and you're ready to scheme against Cardan?"
I chuckled and swallowed some pancake. "Sort of. I want to get a message to someone, but I don't know if I can trust any of them. I just want to know if it's possible to communicate with anyone over there without me stepping foot inside Faerie, and you know—"
"—forfeiting your life?" Vivi finished for me, reminding me what I told her of the conditions of my exile.
I sighed. "Exactly."

Vivi came to the table and plopped herself down in the chair in front of me, her purple hair falling over her shoulders. "Honestly, I don't know. It's too dangerous for any of us to attempt anything because of Oak. Faerie could be a war zone for all we know."
I picked at my food with my fork, trying to think of something, anything. War? That just seems too foreign to me. I couldn't imagine my home destroyed by war. "You're right." I looked Vivi in the eye and gave her a defeated smile. "I guess this is where the scheming starts, then."

Vivi reached across the table to take my hand and gave it a little squeeze. "If anyone can figure it out, it's you. But Jude, you need to be careful. There are some serious people and consequences at play here, not to mention the complex riddle that is Cardan Greenbriar."

I nod. "Of course. I'll be careful." I took a drink of orange juice, then got up to put my dishes in the sink.

Vivi stared at me for a long moment, then got up from the table and announced it was her turn to take a shower.

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The rest of the day was pretty ordinary and uneventful. Heather and Vivi went grocery shopping while I helped Oak study for the spelling bee at school. He's pretty settled into this mortal life and enjoys school and the friends he's made.