Page 27 of Mated to the Crown
Once the bill was settled we walked together down the road, heading toward Daisy’s bakery. Nicholas and Malik walkin front of Daisy and I, talking about the funeral arrangements. Daisy wraps her arm around mine as we walk.
“Doing okay? It can be a lot. When I first met Nicholas I was scared. I assumed how he would act and was so confused why he would want anything to do with me.” Her happy voice lowers, pulling me closer.
“I definitely feel that. I am a servant. Or was?” I am not sure what I should call myself anymore.
“I was a Doctor’s daughter who didn’t want to be a Doctor.” She giggles and I smile in response. “It will get better. The self doubt will get better. It really is a different world over here from what I have heard when Nicholas gets drunk and tells stories. Will you come back?” Her voice sounds hopeful and as much as I want to say yes, I really don’t know.
“I would love to come back. I can talk to Malik about it. There still is a lot we need to work out.” I give her a smile.
“Of course. I will make sure to push Nicholas to reach out. It has been a while since they have talked.” We slow our walking, watching the two of them talk. She lets out a little sigh as she watches them.
“Does it ever go away?” I whisper.
“What? The longing? The love? No. We have been together for 8 years now.” She speaks quietly. What she says is comforting but I am still scared deep down. A scuffle behind us distracts me and everything seems to move in slow motion.
Palace guards surround us, passing by Daisy and I effortlessly. They converge in front of us, headed straight for the two of them. Daisy pulls her arm from me and shouts but I can’t understand what she is saying. Everything slows, the guards push Nicholas out of the way and then grab Malik. Once they touch him everything changes to high speed. I am battered with emotions both mine and his all at once.
He whirls around, slipping from the first guard's grasp. I watch as he fights, enthralled by the view. I can’t move even if I wanted to, mesmerized by his actions. A guard grabs him and he twists in his grip, stepping away from him. Another guard appears and I realize there must be upwards of 8 of them. He blocks. Steps forward. Twists. Punches. Kicks. Guards fall down around him and I can feel the adrenaline pulsing through the thread.
It should spur me on to help but what kind of help am I? I am a servant. I don’t know anything but watching him I feel confident he knows how to fight. He whips his body around, ducking as another guard tries to catch him. My eyes move and I see Nicholas is trying to help, punching and fighting the guards but Daisy is pulling at him to get him away. My heart beat echoes in my ears, my chest tightens and my hands turn to fists.
“Celeste, run!” Malik’s voice cuts through the fight and everything slams into me back to normal speed. Fear surrounds me, it bites deep into my bones and I realize that he is caught. The guards have gotten control and he is being pulled away. Blood drips down his face as he thrashes against them. His eyebrows furrowed into a deep scowl.
“Run.” He calls again and hands wrap around me. I throw myself back, kicking wildly but it is no use. Tears run down my face as the guards haul Malik away.
“Stop. It’s me. Celeste, we can’t help him right now.” I realize the person holding me is Nicholas. Despite knowing who it is I keep thrashing, watching as Malik gets dragged away. He looks defeated, furious and sad all at the same time. I finally relax against Nicholas, my body feeling weak.
“No.” I whisper, watching as Malik disappears into the crowd. The audience around us slowly dissipates once Malik is gone and I don’t even know what to think. My mind is blank.I whip around, pushing Nicholas’ hands from me. “What will happen to him?” I shout.
“I’m not sure Celeste but I will get some men on it. I have connections. We will figure this out. For now, I need you to come with Daisy and I in case they try to come back.” His voice is solid, there is an air of leadership about him and I realize now he would have been a perfect King. He stayed calm the whole time but wasn’t afraid to fight for his family. I look at Daisy who hides behind him and nod. At least they will keep me safe for now.
I follow behind them like a lost puppy, leaving the valley behind. We climb a small set of stairs near the back of the valley to a large hill where multiple houses sit. I follow as we walk toward a brown house. The windows are huge, much larger than the other houses. They arch on the top and the siding seems to curve around them. The chimney steadily puffs smoke out the top. The front door is a large, dark red wood that I can’t tell if it is naturally that color or stained. Nicholas opens the door and ushers me inside.
Once inside I find a seat and plop down. I need to process. I need to get my mind clear and I need to know if he is okay. I close my eyes and let out a few breaths.
“Let’s give her a minute.” Daisy says quietly, closing and locking the door as she enters. The two of them disappear into the house and I am alone. I focus on my breathing, trying to calm my racing heart. One breath. Two. Three. Focus on what's around me.
I peek open my eyes and scan the area. I am in a small room that opens up into the kitchen, much like a mud room, the palace has many of those. The walls hold many pictures from portraits to dried flowers framed in glass. The lights are a pale yellow, casting a cozy feeling instead of bright harsh lights. I take a step toward the kitchen.
It is small but compared to what I am used to that is probably a normal size. It looks like it fits two people perfectly. A fridge, stove and dishwasher all sit quiet, the stainless steel of them matte against the wooden cabinets and countertop. More flowers sit atop the windowsill in front of the window, bending toward the light coming in.
The other side is some sort of living room. Couches and chairs sit around a large fireplace embedded in the wall. Portraits line the mantel and I see one of Charlotte standing with her three children. They all look so much like her. Isla still looks pissed, like always, but Nicholas and Sandra are beaming with smiles.
“Hey.” Daisy speaks softly and I turn to her, giving her a half smile. “Doing okay?”
“No.” I laugh. “I don’t even know what to think right now. I’m so confused.”
“Maybe you should lay down. That was a lot. Nicholas is working with his contacts to see if he can get some answers. It will take some time and there is no use in you being exhausted when we finally get an answer.” She walks up to me and takes my hands in hers.
I nod, listening to her and realize she is right.
“Okay.” I whisper. She takes my hand and leads me to the hallway off the living room down to a bedroom. I can hear Nicholas talking in the room down the hall. She leads me in and shows me where everything is before stepping out and closing the door behind her. I sit down, sinking into the plush mattress and close my eyes to focus on the bond.
It takes a minute to block out everything else. The tick tock of the clock in the room. The whirring of the ceiling fan blowing air to stir my hair. The drip of the faucet in the bathroom. Slowly I find it, the thread that calls me to Malik. It is far away and takes me a minute to grab hold. When I do I am flooded with emotion.Anger. Fury. Disappointment in himself. I frown, hating that he feels that.
I try to do as he has done for me and send feelings back but I am not sure if they are working. I am safe. I am okay. I miss you. Eventually the negative feelings subside to sadness and worry. I focus, pushing more and more comfort to him to try and help. I hear footsteps in the hall and open my eyes. It must be Nicholas and Daisy. Does he have any answers? I get up and rush to the door, cracking it open to listen.
“I don’t understand. Who would take him?” Daisy speaks.
