Eternal Chaos (Sequel to Eternal Bondage)

24

"Oh my gosh Hayden!"

Jayda runs to the young man standing behind her and throws her arms around his neck.  It takes him a moment before he wraps his arms around her waist.

"Thank you Jayda, thank you so much."

"I'm so sorry she did that to you."

"It's alright now, I can talk for myself again."

"So it wasn't you before."

"I don't think so.  It was a voice in my head that kind of took over.  It would usually say the exact opposite of what I was thinking."  Jayda laughed.

"What happened to the compliant slave boy I got for my birthday?"

"Um.  He's gone.  Sorry, you're straight out of luck."

"Hm...good."  Jayda looks up at Hayden and plants a small kiss on his lips.  He, slightly offended at the nature of a kiss, returns it with something a little more passionate.  Jayda smiles against his lips.

"I missed you."

"I'm glad, you know I would do anything you wanted me to, but going back to the way I was before...I don't think I could do it."

"I don't want you to," Jayda shook her head.

"But how can we go on like this?  Your dad never liked the idea of us, your mom obviously likes it much less."

"I don't know.  I think, the tour.  It'll just the two of us."

"I thought your mom was going."

"Not anymore.  I asked dad to keep her here.  I mean, I love my mom, but it's weird having her back.  She's not the same."

"And we only have my parents to blame for that."

"Don't say that.  We don't know that.  Please don't feel guilty for this."

"How can I not?  Your life would be perfect if it weren't for my family."

"That's not true."

"How is it not?  Your mother would have been here from the very beginning, you'd have a much better relationship with her, you probably would have known about being a royal far sooner and you'd know more about your choice."

"Those things are all true."

"Then why do you say it wouldn't be perfect."

"If that rebellion hadn't disrupted Jeffory's plantation where would you be?"

Hayden thought a moment, his mind traveling through his past, the escape, the new plantation, the death of the master, the constant fear of being sold that always came true, until he finally found home. Before he had a chance to answer Jayda spoke again.

"If it weren't for everything that happened I never would have found you."