Royals of Illéa

Chapter 31-Aftermath

-Josie-

Since the insurgent headquarters are a university campus, there is no jail to keep us in. However, they put us in a room with five guards keeping a watchful eye over us. The last few minutes feel like a blur and my emotions are completely numbed as I sit down in a chair, not trusting my shaky legs.

I feel Kaden take my hand as he sits down next to me, "We're okay." He then puts an arm around my shoulder, drawing me to him.

I give him a small nod and then resume staring at the wall across from me. There's no clock or window in the room so I don't how much time passes but by the time a guard comes to fetch us, my legs are cramped from sitting in the uncomfortable chair and I'm dizzy from lack of sleep.

When we step outside the building, streaks of light are visible across the sky that indicate dawn. Happy new year to us.

We're marched to a neighboring building and into what looks like a lecture auditorium that is packed with the leaders and guards. I find Vivienne in the crowd as we're taken to the front and she simply gulps as she watches us.

Vivienne's grandfather is the one to address us, "We know that you're telling the truth about your identities. However, there's only one way we can truly believe you and that is if you get us an audience with the queen."

-Kaden-

I take a deep breath before responding, "Like I already mentioned, Camille is unaware that we left Illea. She has no clue about the diary nor what's happening."

"Seems that she cares little about us if she's so eager to sweep an entire country under a rug!" A leader shouts.

Before I can form a response, Josie responds, "You think she doesn't care? We had to force her to leave the night of the first attack! She was running herself ragged at the state that the country was in! She was drowning in worry to the extent that Prince Ahren had to step up and take charge! And that's only half of it, she now has a country is shambles and she lost her mother because of you! You think you're all that great? Well, what about all the families you've torn apart by your own violence? What of the people that you killed just because they were on the other side of this conflict? The diary proves that you're no less barbaric than the man who tore apart your families!"

I watch her stunned. She went from scared to furious is a matter of seconds. The others are quiet as her words ring in the room.

Taking advantage of the silence I speak up, "If you don't take into consideration this evidence that proves that one single man was responsible for all your pain then Josephine is right, you are no less cruel that the dead prince consort."

A few guards are starting to look pissed at our accusations but there's something on Vivienne's grandfather's face that makes hope flutter in my heart.

"Can you get us an audience with the queen via a video call?" He asks me.

"I can try." I reply calmly, holding his gaze.

He nods to a man standing off to one side who hurries across the room to me with a laptop in hand. The video call is already going through and the face of a parliament secretary pops up on the screen.

"Prince Kaden!" He exclaims as soon as he realizes who I am.

"Can you please connect me through to the palace, immediately? Preferably, Queen Eadlyn or Prince Ahren." I say, my voice regal and strong, as a prince's should be.

"Of course, sir." The secretary replies and vanishes from the screen.

A second later, Neena appears on the screen looking equally surprised, "Eadlyn and Ahren are on their way from a meeting." She simply says.

I nod and hand the laptop back to the man who carries it off and soon I realize why they chose a lecture auditorium. It was so that they could project the video call onto the projector screen. Now everyone in the room can watch the exchange.

A few minutes later, Eadlyn and Ahren appear on screen making my heartbeat accelerate at the sight of my older siblings.

"Kaden what's-" Eadlyn trails off when she sees the setting that we're in.

"Are you in France?" Ahren frowns, clearly noticing some of the leaders in the room.

"Just listen, please." I urge them and then recount the same story that I told the insurgent leaders last night.

To say the least, my siblings try to reign in their surprise.

"So, what do you want now?" Ahren asks the room.

"We need to talk to the queen." A leader calls out.

"I need to understand what your demands are before she talks to you. You at least owe her that much after you took her mother's life." Ahren replies.

Eadlyn takes over, "We can reschedule a call in a few hours if you convey your grievances now. And I need you to release Prince Kaden and Princess Josephine to the French army, immediately."

"We will share our thoughts but they're not going anywhere until we've talked to the queen of France."

"Just do as they say." I tell Eadlyn and she looks conflicted but in the end obliges.