Page 132 of Hawthorne

“Mr Langford, Ms White…” The same servant from before breaks my reverie and motions for us to follow him. Finally. “The king will receive you. I advise some discretion and understanding of the king’s fragile state. Please don’t rile him up. It’ll only bring him suffering.”

God, the situation must be serious.

“Of course,” I agree.

We both walk side by side, following the man through another long corridor and some doors before we finally stop by a white wooden door.

With a soft knock, the man opens the door and announces, without moving an inch, “Your Majesty, Ms White and Mr Langford are here to see you.”

A barely audible grunt gives him the okay to step through the door and to the side, bowing while extending his arm, permitting us entrance. Once inside, I can barely get a glance at the kingsince we both bow right away, which is the formal and necessary greeting to have before being able to address him.

“I wouldn’t worry with such formalities,” his hoarse voice comes out as an effort. “I had this feeling the first time I saw you–” A rough cough interrupts his words.

My hands itch to go help ease his pain, and my feet still walk forward, only to be stopped by Harry’s hand. It’s attached to my elbow, and as I look back at him, he shakes his head. That’s enough for me to stay put.

I’ve been Aunt Lizzie’s caregiver for quite a while, so it's ingrained in me by now.

“I am sorry for disturbing you, Your Majesty. I wish things hadn’t gone this way. I’ve only recently discovered it myself, and–”

His frail, and yellowed hand raises, cutting me off, too. Then, the unexpected happens...

He laughs. It is a weird and gruesome mix of his ever-present hoarse voice and a cough. But it’s there. It almost sounds sarcastic.

“If those documents I was told you have are certified, and you are my brother’s secret child…” He laughs again. “This will be fun. I am just bummed I won’t be here to witness the circus this will turn into.”

“Believe me, none of that is my intention.”

“Then what is it?” He struggles to move, and the same man who led us here rushes to him, helping him up. “Come here,” he orders me, and I do, begrudgingly.

Once I reach his plush bedside, his hand grabs mine.

“You must wish for something.”

His brown orbs are surrounded by swollen red vessels. He is so frail, and it’s clear the toll that the effort of speaking to me has on his body, but he is determined to get this through until the end. Perseverance.

Even in sickness, his gaze is strong-willed and intense, making me look down to avoid eye contact.Why?

His words cut right through me, bringing shame and embarrassment to the surface. He is right. This wealth...This lifestyle isnotme. This is not what I aimed for in my life and yet here I am. A scorned woman, seeking revenge.

Wanting to see in Vincent’s eyes the same pain I feel every second I breathe in and out. Just to show him that the ugly stone he disposed of has gold on the inside.

“What I wished for has been robbed from me, and after learning my entire life was a lie, I want to make things right.”

“Oh, darling, what you want...is to make them suffer.” He slowly lets out a smirk.

Yes.No.I don’t know anymore.

“Joshua, check those documents, please,” King Charles says, not looking away from me.

From behind, I can hear some shuffling and whispered words. The silence that follows doesn’t last long since the frail man holding my hand squeezes it lightly, bringing my attention back to him.

“I regret not making things right with my brother, you know…” he trails off, looking through me, deep in thought. “This life we live, what it requires from us...it’s like throwing a baby deer into a lion’s den. You either dress up their skin and play the part, or you’re swallowed alive. In the end, we were both poisoned by this lifestyle and mostly byourparents.”

That’s sad.And cruel.

I have no siblings, but I’ve seen from the past few months that it should be something like the bond Vincent and Edgar have. Companionship with a little bit of a sassy attitude—fromEdgar mostly—and some arguments, but in the end, they seemed to be there for each other if needed. It’s subtle, but I’ve seen it...

The king and his brother—myfather—never had that.

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