Above All

-Fifty-Seven-

Bargain of refuge

Empty bed around my mind

Balloon drifts selfish

Amani:

"Your majesties... Mr. Matthew and Mr. Blake Boucher." The butler announced as my family and I sat waiting for the two to enter Grandma Zenny's office. You would imagine after the text I received from Blake coming from that unknown number, that it was imperative that I had a face to face chat with that demon myself; there was no way in hell I was going to let him get away with this shit. But first...first....

I had to find out just to what extent he was keeping me hostage.

I looked over at my family members who were poised and sitting with neutral expressions on their faces, patiently waiting; unfortunately, Uncle Zyair couldn't make this meeting, he had parliament business to attend to, he was a busy man after all. But I still had my mother, father, and grandmother to help me through this. I hadn't told them why exactly I was allowing this meeting to happen, but I'm sure grandma had her own reasons for wanting to have a sit-down chat with the two.

To warn them.

I looked over to my father who was sitting beside me, without even having to say anything I could see the vein popping out the side of his head, his jaw was already clenched, and the folds between his dark forehead already pleating with frustration. I placed a lone hand on his own and spoke softly, "Daddy... please do no exert yourself, he's not worth it." I reminded him cautiously.

He turned to me slightly, seemingly as if he was calming down. "I know... but nothing beats actually having a face conversation with the man who had the nerve to cheat on my daughter... he will pay for this, surely cutting my businesses from his won't be the only suffering Zyair and I promise will come to them." He finished with a low growl. I sighed deeply, knowing there wasn't anything I could to change his mind about that; not that I wanted to at all, I could care less for Blake at this point in my life. How blind I had been at the beginning of our relationship to not see the signs of someone using me... manipulating me, deceiving me... for what?

It wasn't until I got with Layton that I started to realize the relationship I was in with Blake, was no relationship at all. Just two mutual parties agreeing to be together for name-sake.

Kind of like Madeline and Julius.

That man didn't love her and if Madeline herself had loved him at one point, I could tell at where she was right now, the love had completely diminished and left a bitter and exhausted woman. I never wanted to have that kind of life for myself; that I was simply existing for a "position" or "rank" defining me and my interests. Julius was nothing than a self-absorbed, clout-chaser—for modern terminology. He didn't really care much for his children, only when the Crown was involved, and he certainly had no respect for how he treated the women in his life. It was a huge contrast to my father who was nothing but a man filled with respect and adoration for not only my mother, but Grandma Zenny as well.

But I guess you had to exert qualities like that if someone Grandma Zenaida was determining your future with them. Regardless, I was grateful that he was the one in my life protecting and showing me what it really meant to have someone love and care for you, rather than just a meaningless place holder who only called upon you when needed.

Large and heavy footsteps instantly began filling my ears, leaving me to break out of my thoughts and focus on the present moment. The butler who had moved over to open the door to my grandmother's office step-aside to allow the men to walk through. I frowned deeply.