Nolan.

That was the first word that came to me when I felt the arms around me when I woke up. 

“I'm so sorry.” I whispered.

He pressed closer to me until I could feel his breath on the nape of my neck.

“I didn't mean what I said at that time. I don't care whether it was true or not. I just want to be with you like we used to. I love you too.” I sobbed.

“It's alright. I understand,” came the voice behind me. Stunned, the waterworks stopped in an instant. That did not sound like Nolan. That is Henry's voice. I turned to face him and true to my hearing, it was Henry. I sat up and scooted away from him. He sat up too with his upper half bare.

“Hey, I'm sorry for what I said too. That was mean of me. You are not selfish, you are the sweetest person I have ever known. I don't want to let you go ever. I want to be with you and make you smile all day long. I just need you to trust me once more.”

Those words were not for you. They were meant for Nolan, not you. I was confessing to Nolan, not you.

“What are you talking about? Where is your shirt?” I asked.

“Remember when you said you wanted to leave this place? Well, I have everything prepared. On graduation day, after the ceremony, we can leave. I've prepared the flight tickets and false IDs. You can enroll in that Arts school you wanted.”

Jaw slacked, I ran his words in my head three times before processing it. “We are... leaving?”

He nodded smiling. “You can live your life the way you want. Just you and me.” He caressed my face and leaned in to kiss me.

The bedroom door snapped open and in walked Grandma Penelope and Nolan.

“What is the meaning of this?” The Queen Dowager turned a new shade of red taking in our intimate position. Nolan was shocked and angry but he quickly hid it with a passive glare. It broke me inside.

I pulled away from Henry and stood up. “It isn't what it looks like.” I look to Nolan for help but he only looked away.

“It sure looked like you two were kissing. Henry, she is your cousin's wife. Don't you two have any dignity?” She glared at me making me hold my breath, terrified.

“She should have been mine.” Henry stated coming to his feet and glaring at Nolan. “She should have been my wife. Yes, we were kissing.”

“No!” I yelled. Why is he lying?

“Anna and I liked each other before you made her marry him. We have been in a relationship just like Nolan has been with Aubrey.”

“Henry, stop it.” I yelled again and balled my fists.

“I can't believe this.” Grandma Penelope moaned, “I trusted you, Anna. How could you? You were supposed to change things not repeat the same mistakes my sons made.”

“Grandma Penelope, I can explain.”

“No, I don't want to hear it. How am I supposed to trust you now?”

I felt hit in the face by Dejá Vu. I had said something similar to Nolan. “Nolan, please. You know everything,” I begged to take a step towards him.

He regarded me with cold eyes, “Do I?”

Henry wrapped his arms around me even as I struggled against his grip on me, “I love her, Grandma Penelope. You really would not let history repeat itself as it did with my late father, would you?”

“King Richard wants everyone in the throne room. We will deal with this nonsense after. Perhaps, I should take it up to him to let him judge himself.” With one last cold, she left with Nolan in tow.

I broke down, my heart shattering. “What have you done?”

“I staked my claim. I won't stand by any more.”

“Let me go.” I pushed his arms away and entered the bathroom locking the door behind me. I washed my face and hands, hearing my heart pound so hard. I'm surprised it didn't rip out of my chest. I'm ruined. Why do I keep making things worse?

Henry and I entered the throne room and were met with glares from Grandma Penelope and Nolan, a bored look from King Richard and a frown from Queen Gabrielle.

“Finally, you two are here.” Queen Gabrielle said. “Except for Genevieve.”

I mumbled good morning and hid my shaking hands behind me.

“What is taking her so long?” Queen Gabrielle groaned, “I've got a flight in an hour.”

“Relax.” King Richard said, patient.

Five minutes later, Genevieve walked in with Mara and Aubrey.

Why is Aubrey here?

Genevieve closed the door to the throne room and faced us all. “Hello, my favorite royal family. Sorry we are late but then I'm not sorry.”

“Aubrey, Mara, what are-” I started to ask.

“Run!” She spat out before getting hit by Mara. Mara had had a gun to her back and then she brought it to her head.

“One more word from you, I will blow your brains.” Mara said in a menacing voice and cruel sneer. She was almost unrecognizable. Why does she have a gun to Aubrey's head?

What is going on? I took a step forward but Henry pulled me back.

“The entire royal family in one room. I'm so happy.” She pulled out two guns from her pockets.

“Oh my God!” Grandma Penelope exclaimed.

“Guards?” Queen Gabrielle yelled.

There should be guards here. What happened to them?

“You shouldn't bother. I got rid of them, well some of them. The rest work for me,” She had a maniac grin on her face, “Nobody move. Nobody says a word or else I'm going to make use of these babies.”

“Mom, that's enough. I thought you said the fixed date for all this was next week Wednesday.” Henry stepped forward putting his hand to his back pocket. My eyes widened as he drew a gun out and pointed it at his mom.

He is involved in all this?

“Well yes but then I received the news that Gabrielle is not going to be here by then. Do you know furious I am? Oh for fuck's sake, put that gun away.”

He didn't put it away. He remained in his stance and grabbed my hand.

“Hey, Princess,” Genevieve laughed when she saw our interlaced fingers. She glanced at Aubrey who groaned in pain, “you must be wondering why Mara and Aubrey are in that position, don't you? You see, Mara works for me. For the last three years, she has been giving me information about all of you. I know all about you and my son and Nolan, thanks to her.”

“Aubrey? Well she worked for me too until she decided to be a blabbermouth and tell you the truth about everything.”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked afraid of the gun pointed in my direction.

“I am doing this because they all deserve to be dead. I had someone I loved. His name is Richard but they made me marry his brother, the Crown Prince. I must admit he was the best husband anyone could ask for, I fell in love all over again but then Richard killed him staging an accident.”

“Liar!” Nolan yelled and a shot rang out. I gasped shocked, Grandma Penelope screamed as Nolan fell.

“I said, nobody talks except me. One more word from that side and a beautiful hole blooms in the head. So where was I? Instead of punishing him, they sent me away instead with Henry with no food, no money, nothing. My family was disgraced, harassed and went bankrupt within a week. I had to claw my way back.” She cackled. 

“However, they didn't realize that the joke is on them. They did not realize that Henry is in fact Richard's son.”

Henry's hand fell as he stared mouth agape.

“And of course, the true Crown Prince. Richard knows, of course. Why do you think he let us back in? Why do you think he always pairs Henry with Nolan? Richard was waiting for the right moment to remove Nolan and place Henry there instead. Isn't that right, honey?”

Everyone glanced up at Richard who looked as though he wanted to crawl away and hide. His face was red and beads of sweat trailed his forehead.

“Genevieve, please. Leave my family out of this.” He said.

“I fucking said not a word.” she yelled and pulled the trigger twice. The chandelier fell and rain of glasses fell around us. Shards tore at my arms as I covered myself. “Don't tell me you loved me because you know what you did. You pushed me away to your brother so you could be with Gabrielle and then you killed him because I loved him and he found out the truth about Henry.”

Queen Gabrielle held her chest fidgeting. She looked so pale, tiny beads of glass on her hair and clothes. Small scratches marred her face, “No. None of that happened. I was the one who told him about Henry paternity. You did not love your husband, you never cared at all! You were always hanging on Richard. I was furious, we were both furious. Eric was not supposed to die, he had a little too much to drink. I was the one who came up with those lies of fraudulent activities against your family.”

“Why?” King Richard asked.

She wailed, tears rolling in streams down her cheeks. “Because I was jealous. You had only eyes for each other. You had a child with her. You still love her after all these years and you wouldn't sleep with me unless Queen Dowager made you to. I had to get rid of her to have you to myself. I did not know it would cost Eric his life and the plan never did work out because you still love her.”

My head swam with the revelations. These really explained a lot. Now that I look at it, Henry did look like King Richard and Nolan.

“I still don't care what you say because I'm going to kill you all. I did not plan my revenge to just back down because of some stupid story you spun, Gabrielle. Once you are all dead, Henry will be King.” Genevieve flared up again.

“Even the innocent ones?” I yelled, “It was your mistakes. Why do we, the children, have to suffer for it?” I glanced at Nolan who clenched his side wincing in pain. The clothing was soaked in blood that continued to spread.

“I never did like you, Anna. You were just a pawn that I just have got rid of a long time ago. Henry never loved you, he was using you to get rid of Nolan. 'An affair with the Crown Prince's cousin' was to get rid of you and Nolan. Then Aubrey came along, I just had to make use of her too. Killing three birds with one stone.” She cocked the gun at me.

“Mom, stop it right now.” Henry raised the gun again. “Don't believe anything she says. It is all a lie.” He said to me.

“Is it? How come it was after you were married that Henry paid any attention to you? You were the one nursing a crush on him, darling. When he saw he was losing you, he used force. Didn't he?” Genevieve asked.

In a way, it was true. Most of it was true. I backed away from Henry scared of him for the first time.

Be careful and not trust anyone.

I trusted him.

“Anna, please. I love you.”

“You monster!” Grandma Penelope growled weeping.

“Penelope, how sad. It seems you didn't play your cards right,” Genevieve glanced at me again, “Get this. Anna, did you know she tried to use you to get rid of me? They all used you for their own purposes. While the rest were basking in ignorance, Penelope played her cards well. Do you doubt me? Why then would she bring a eighteen year old to be married so early? She could have waited till you were 25 or something but no. Let me tell you why, she knew all I was doing. She knew I wanted the throne and Richard's head. That's why she arranged for an early marriage and made for Nolan's coronation as King in two years.”

I looked to Grandma Penelope but she stared me down. She turned to the villainess in the room. “Say whatever you want, Genevieve. I don't care.”

“Any last words people?” Genevieve asked.

“Why are you so bent on ruining them?” I asked unable to keep my mouth shut. “They weren't the only one who did wrong. You are part of the ones who made this all happen. It is true I hate this Palace but I learnt a lot too. Accept responsibility. You could have confronted one another but instead you spin lies and caused pain to one another. You never loved anyone but yourself and power. That is why you don't have either man.”

“Nice one, Princess. Looks like you're the first to go.” she pulled the trigger and a loud bang sounded. I closed my eyes waiting for the immense pain afterward but none came.

“No!” A cry came instead.

I opened my eyes to see Henry on his knees in front of me clutching his chest. I let out a cry and held him as he crumpled in my arms.

“I told you not to touch her, Mom.” He said spitting out blood.

Genevieve ran to Henry pushing me away from him. “Henry, look at me. Don't close your eyes.”

With Genevieve distracted, King Richard disarmed her and Queen Gabrielle ran to her son. I grazed my knees and hand on the glasses. Shaking, I got to my feet and looked from the mess beside me to the captive I never really liked and the captor I thought was a sister to me.

I take a step towards them and Mara pointed the gun at me still trapping Aubrey in her steel arms. “One more move and I'm going to shoot.”

“Mara, please.” I begged. For a minute, she looked sorry but was quickly covered up with her newfound glare. Aubrey stepped on Mara's foot and elbowed her stomach. Momentarily free from her grasp, Aubrey grabbed the nearest ornamental vase while I ran at Mara and tackled her to the ground.

Mara punched my face and pushed me away. Wincing, I held my jaw and sat up. She got up and cocked the gun at me. “I'm sorry it had to end this way.”

I saw the vase raise and crash on Mara's head. Mara fell in a heap and Aubrey stood to shake.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Hurt but I'll live. You?”

“Same,” I gently touched my bruised jaw, “I'll go get the guards.”

“Be careful.”

I nodded and run out. I didn't see a guard who was alive for miles until I met some at the Security house. Bodies laid in front of the throne room, I had to keep from puking. When I asked for help, they followed and when asked why they were so few, they said they were told to wait at the Queen Dowager's home. That was where they were told we all were.

I ran into the throne room to see Genevieve still wailing, King Richard with the guns, Queen Gabrielle and Grandma Penelope holding Nolan who moaned in pain; Mara standing over Aubrey who laid on the floor blood pooling from her head. The guards arrested Mara and Genevieve dragging them away.

“Aubrey!” I exclaimed crying “No! No!” I ran to her side to hold her but got the full view of the hole the bullet made. My stomach churned.

I turned away and vomited.

Tap on that star please.