Royal Blood and One Betrayal : Book Two Page 2

  I miss you. I miss having you around. I know it’s only been hours or a day since I saw you. But I do.

  Sending it, I waited. I waited for what he would say. A few minutes passed and soon close to ten minutes passed. Surely he had read it, why didn’t he reply?

  Nothing came. An hour passed and I locked the phone. Tears began to drip from my eyes. I knew it would happen. I had opened my heart to be knifed once again. So now I had to bathe in the pain and the rejection I felt.

  The sunlight of the new day rippled through the curtains and filtered through the room, and for the first time in a long time, I wished I wasn’t witnessing another day beginning.

  Crying I sulked in my bed. How could I lead a country- take control of the throne when I felt as if I was in pieces? I wasn’t fit to be in control of my own life, let alone a country.

  Chapter Two

  CONNOR

  The water washed down my back, as I felt her sadness rip through my heart, clenching every muscle in my body. I had caused the tears I knew she was spilling. This was all because of our kiss. Ever since our kiss, which felt as if it was a lifetime ago. I now have a connection with her. Knowing when she was now experiencing pain. Though I could not feel her happiness, only her sadness. Since we returned home and we were separated.

  The first time I felt her sadness was when she left on the plane. At the beginning, I thought it was just my own pain for missing her. I was getting it confused with grief. But now as her sadness punched a hole through my chest. I was well aware of her pain and our connection.

  A connection which she didn’t feel because she wasn’t of age yet, that, and I hadn’t accepted her as my mate nor had she accepted me because I hadn’t told her. Or let the feelings grow. But I had let us kiss, and our connection was a side effect of it.

  Slamming my head back against the white tiles in the shower. How could I have denied her for so long? I had never wanted a mate. I was lucky to know that the script was saving me time from losing her.

  But now the script was gone, my safety net and time disappeared. Now I had no time to waste before I told her the truth. I no longer had the gift of time. Our time was up and I had failed and now she was left with pain.

  I should have never let us share those kisses. I should have stopped it. Because now she was experiencing pain because of me. I was hurting her.

  I sent a fist through the tiled wall this time. As another wave of her pain soaked my body.

  I should have told her I missed her too. I should have told her how much pain I was feeling being away from her at this moment. But what good would that of caused? That was the debate I had had when I finally realized words were better left unsaid. I slid down the wall of the tiled shower, and sat among the water and broken tiles, with my head in my hands.

  How could I lead a war against the women I loved? How could I send wolves out to hurt the women I would die to protect?

  I had no tears left as I picked a coffin out for Sophia; it was pink. She liked pink; I thought as I ran my hand over the smooth stained wood. I still couldn’t come to terms with the fact my sister was dead. It was as if I had lost an organ, something inside me was missing and I knew it was not just the loss of Sophia I was mourning. I was also mourning the loss of my mate.

  Nodding my head to the man to confirm. This was the coffin my little sister was to rest in, I walked out of the room. My mother would not leave Sophia’s room, I had attempted to get her out but as soon as I stepped in the room; I felt myself curl over from her scent that lingered.

  Storming down the hall, I didn’t acknowledge the people who lined the halls, still mourning the loss of their princess. I couldn’t bring myself to mention her name to them, or to comfort them. They wanted revenge, something I needed to , but it was also something I knew I could never do.

  Isabella’s sadness still lingered within my heart. Something was wrong with her at this very moment. I could feel it. She wasn’t just crying like before, no she was hurting. Something was hurting her and I needed to find out what so I could stop it.

  I knew it was corny of me to wish that I could take her pain away from her, I would rather I experience all her pain. So she was shielded from it. Opening up my father’s doors, I noted the tension between him and Troy, our defence leader.

  Closing the door behind me, I watched my father place his head in his hands.

  “I picked the coffin. It is done.” I said, throwing myself in a chair and nodding to Troy. “We need to pick a day father.”

  My father didn’t look up as he breathed heavily into his hands. Finally he pulled his head up and tears lined his cheeks. I didn’t like seeing my father weak and sad, but I knew how he felt.

  “Troy, inform Connor of what you just told me.” My father said sternly. Shifting his weight in his chair, he would not meet my eye. I turned to Troy as he stood tall.

  “I just got word that it was a freedom fighter who took your sisters life.” Troy informed me. My eyes narrowed and darted between my father and Troy.

  “Who told you this, Troy? How are you sure?” I asked, anger building up inside me.

  “The tale of how a freedom fighter took a princess’s life has roamed the country. It wasn’t confirmed till I interviewed four of them who were at the attack. They told me that Nick, Sophia’s mate, was the one who hunted and killed most of them.” Troy dropped his eyes as he spoke, knowing what this meant.

  Another wave of pain and sadness hit my body. I clenched my fists as I felt Isabella’s pain once again. Growling, I turned my attention to my father. “You have to call them now. You need to make this right.”

  My father glanced at Troy before he turned back to me.

  “I can’t,” he said.

  I gritted my teeth and sent the chair flying back from under me, throwing my fists down on his desk. “WHY NOT! YOU DECLARED THE WAR!”

  My voice was deadly as I spoke with such anger and hate. He had caused Isabella to leave. He had me questioning my right to my mate! He was causing me to cause her pain; pain which was ripping through my body in this moment.

  “Call King Blackmore!” I snarled, sending my fists down on his desk again. “You are putting us back at war for no reason.”

  My father moved in his seat, I saw his jaw tighten before he met my murderous eyes. “I can’t Connor.”

  “You will swallow your pride, old man and set things right!”

  My father rose from his chair, his chest puffed as he narrowed his eyes at me. “It is too late.” He said firmly.

  I closed my eyes as Isabella sent another wave of sadness through my body. What was causing this? I needed to see her, I had to stop her pain — her sadness.

  “What do you mean it is too late? You have only declared war. We have not acted on it.” I said, opening my eyes after regaining control over my body.

  Taking my father’s posture and the way he was looking at Troy and back to me. I knew something else had happened, something they weren’t telling me. In that moment, something clicked inside me. In that moment, I put two and two together. They had done something; and this something that they had done was causing Isabella’s pain. Anger flared through my blood.

  “What have you done?”

  Chapter Three

  Isabella

  Pulling myself up from my bed and wiping my cheeks, which were stained with tears, I had to pull myself together. Walking into my bathroom, I threw a hand full of water over my face. Turning off the tap, I watched the water drain away.

  Maybe this was how it was meant to be? Maybe this was my fate, to experience all this heart ache so I could rule without being blinded by love. A fist slamming on my door made me jump in fright. Walking out of the bathroom and in the direction of the door, they didn’t wait for me to open it.

  The door went slamming back and three guards stormed in, looking around my room before landing their eyes on me. Chase pushed through behind them. His eyes were wide and leaked anger as he strolled towards me, picking up my dre
ssing gown on the way. My arms wrapped around my chest as I noted my close to nothing nightie, I stood in.

  “You have to come with us.” Chase’s voice was serious as he helped thread my arms through the sleeves of the dressing gown, as he stood in front of me, blocking the other men’s view to me.

  “Why? What’s happened?”

  Chase ran his hand across my cheek, wiping away the water droplets that were left. He let out a deep breath before he locked his eyes with me.

  “We’re under attack.”

  Running down the hall. Chase following hot on my heels, with the guards following behind him.

  “Isabella! You have to come with us!” Chase shouted. I continued to run down the hallway. Slamming the front doors open, running down the front steps and running into the courtyard.

  “Isabella, you are not dressed!” Chase yelled in my wake, but my little clothing did not pull me up like it normally would.

  I had to see it for myself. Sliding the door open to the tower, I charged up the steps, taking two at a time. I heard Chase’s heavy steps follow behind me, up the narrow staircase.

  “Isabella, you do not want to see it. STOP!”

  Reaching the top of the tower, I ran to the large window and threw the wooden doors open that covered it. The doors banged against the wall, from the force I used to open them.

  Standing at the top of the tower, looking over the castle gates, I watched in horror at what I saw. My fingers gripped the window ledge. I watched as about fifty plus people approached the castle, slowly walking towards the gates.

  But it wasn’t the large group approaching that had my knuckles turning white as I gripped the ledge with more force. No, it was what they were carrying.

  Stretchers. Stretchers with bodies lying on them, dead bodies. I felt my heart ache as I watched my people approach with sorrow.

  More people followed behind the group, which brought the dead to the castle. I could tell that the groups of people that followed behind them were family members to the deceased. Their tears and sobs were evidence of that.

  “I told you, you wouldn’t want to see it.” Chase said behind me as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

  “How many? How many died?” I asked, while watching the scene below me.

  “We have a confirmed forty-three dead, more injured.”

  Biting my lip and closing my eyes. I should have let my father attack them before they attacked us. I felt anger consume my blood as I remembered crying over Connor all night. I attempt to speak to him. He most likely didn’t reply last night, due to foreseen planned attack.

  Grinding my teeth together, how could I have been so stupid! Wiping away a tear which leaked from my eye and ran down my cheek.

  “Where is everyone?” I turned my head to face Chase. His hand fell off my shoulder as I did so. Chase’s eyes were wide with sadness as he watched me.

  “Your father gathered them in the dining room.”

  Nodding my head and glancing out at the people that approached. They had died because of us, because we had failed to protect them. Justice had to be delivered and my heart cracked open and bled at knowing that this justice would be delivered directly at Connor and his kingdom.

  Threading another royal blue rose around one of the arches in the church. Tears continued to fall down my cheek as I worked. The church would be decorated with them by the time I was done.

  Glancing up at the altar, in a few short hours’, coffins would line the space and like so many times before, a service will commence and we will worship their loss. The only difference about this funeral compared to others was, I was to give the speech of how they had serviced their throne—instead of my father.

  Wiping the tears away, I picked another rose. I had ordered the others to leave, so I could do this on my own. I could mourn the loss of my people on my own. I owed them this.

  My father, brother and our guards were all locked up in the dining room, discussing our next move. I saw no point in going in or being there at all. My opinion had influenced my father’s yesterday and because of that forty-three people were to be laid to rest tonight.

  Closing my eyes. How could Connor do this to us? To me? Had I imagined everything we had experienced? I was beginning to question everything. I was beginning to question my right to rule.

  Shaking as more tears leaked from my eyes, I fell in a pew and continued to feel the sobs rumble through my chest. How could I lead these people, when my own emotions blinded me from providing them safety!

  I heard the church door open, but I did not turn my head, as my view became blurry from tears that lay in my eyes.

  “Isabella, you need not to do this by yourself.” My father’s voice spoke as he I heard him approach.

  “It’s my fault.” I choked, while wiping more tears away. “I stopped you from acting. I left them unprotected.”

  I felt my father sit in the pew beside me. He lifted his arm up and wrapped it around my shoulder, bringing my head into his chest.

  “This Isabella is a result of war. Nothing else.”

  Pulling my head out of his chest and inhaling sharply while clenching my fists.

  “A result of a war, we did not start. All these lives lost cannot be justified so simply.”

  “You did a good job on the Church. It looks beautiful like always.”

  Glaring up at the altar and seeing the sea of blue roses, which I had decorated. I bit my tongue till blood filled my mouth. “Like all the times before, right? It looks just as beautiful as it was for the other funerals.”

  I stood up abruptly from the pew and walked out of it, scooping up a hand full of roses. Ignoring the pain caused by the thorns which pierced my fingers.

  “You are acting Isabella, like I caused this.” My father grunted from the pew, while I placed the roses across the altar stairs.

  “I hate the waste of life and I am starting to. . .” I paused as I considered my words before I spoke them, knowing what my father’s reaction. I closed my eyes, laying the last rose I had on the altar.

  “Starting to what? Isabella?”

  Twisting my body and facing my father, I took in a deep breath. “I am starting to think we should surrender.”

  My father’s face twisted in disgust as he arose from the pew and walked towards me. “How dare you speak such a thing!”

  Grinding my teeth and narrowing my eyes at my father. “How can I not? How can we justify this war? Justify all this death! When all we fight for is for land and control!”

  My cheek stung as my father brought the back of his hand across it. Tears spilled from my eyes as I flung my hand up to comfort my cheek.

  “Never speak that word, again! You disgust me!”

  Anger rolled off my father’s skin as he stormed away from me and down the altar. I had spoken the truth and if his pride stopped him from seeing that it was an option—so be it. He will not be King forever.

  “So you lead more out to die! What is you plan, father! More are to die tonight!” I yelled to his back.

  “The Blackmore throne does not bow. We do what we have always done. We attack.” He roared while walking away from me.

  “I will not let my people die in vain forever and you will not be in control forever,” I yelled behind him, ignoring the tears that leaked down my cheek, as my hand cupped the one that was bruising from my father’s hand. My father stopped at the door and looked back at me from the door.

  “Then I pray that your mate will take the leadership from your hands when you find him. You, Isabella, are weak and do not hold the power to rule this throne. It disgusts me that I am forced to leave it in your hands.”

  I held my head high, letting my hand fall to my side as I met my father’s glare, until he opened the door and slammed it behind him.

  He was right, I was weak and I didn’t have the power to let more people die. Land and control no longer weighed more than my people’s lives.

  “And their loss will never be forgotten.” I paused, looking
up from the microphone and looked out across the sea of crying people that sat in the pews. My family sitting to the side and the coffins lined behind me.

  Taking a deep breath in and closing my eyes for a moment. “We shall never forget.” I spoke into the microphone. Sobs echoed through the large church and my heart, lined with sadness, took in the church. The setting sun filtering the last ray of sunshine for the day across the room.

  Stepping away from the microphone, I returned to my seat which was placed next to my father’s side. We had still not spoken since our argument this morning. I knew that tonight he planned to lead an attack on one of the Griffins towns.

  Bloodshed and death were to be the only result of this planned attack. I folded the piece of paper that I had my speech written on. If only things could be different, I thought as I watched the men stand from the first pew back to the sixth pews, with two men to a side for each coffin; they were lifted and in a slow sadness filled march, they were sent down the alter aisle.

  Liam and I rose to our feet, following our father’s and mother’s lead. The whole church rose to their feet, showing respect. Fixing the tiara on my head, I pushed my free soft blonde curls which lie around my face and tossed them to my back.

  I was forced to watch, with a sorrow filled heart, the coffins leave.

  “NO WE DON’T WANT TOO!” Screamed a child outside the church. Pausing and watching the scene as two young children clung together, ignoring the old lady who was trying to pull them away from the church.

  “Orphans.” Liam whispered in my ear. Turning my head and looking up at him.

  “Both?” I asked him. He nodded his head before someone asked for his attention.

  Looking back at the two children. Who were refusing to move from their positions outside the church. The one thing I had forgotten from all this mess and loss; was the children that were left behind.