Snagged by the Rogue [COMPLETED]

25.

Anaya.

We hadn't planned to stay the night.

But we didn't have a choice at this point.

Apart from the fact that the Queen insisted that we join her and the King for dinner, I wanted to be here when my mother woke up.

Alex and I were shown to a room by one of the maids.

One room.

As in singular.

As in we would have to share.

Because we're mates.

And mates share a room.

There was absolutely no way we could ask for separate rooms because that would completely defeat the purpose of the ruse we had been putting up for the past few weeks.

So in we went.

It was quite big, bigger than my room at Alex's house

We still had a bit of time before we would have to go down for dinner. Alex muttered something about having to see someone and went out.

I lay down on the bed intending to rest a bit but I found myself thinking about everything. I had found my mother but there were still so many questions unanswered.

The biggest one being, why did she leave?

Did she know we would assume her dead?

Or did she expect us to know she left on her own?

If it was former, why? Why did she fake her own death?

Something about that time traumatised her greatly obviously. Did it have something to do with her leaving?

Then I thought about Tim. Still no clue as to where he was.

Then shame filled me, engulfed me. Truth was, I hadn't been looking.

I'd let myself get caught up in Alex and our act that I had forgotten my brother and I still hadn't mentioned him to Alex for some reason.

What was wrong with me?

I think deep down I feared he was dead. I feared that I would look for him and find his body or some other proof that he was dead.

And then what?

Subconsciously, I think I preferred it this way. This way, I could imagine he was well, that we was alive, even if it was possible that he wasn't.

But then what would I tell my mother? When she became lucid and asked for her son, what would I tell her?

I mean, I would already have to tell her dad was dead, then I would say Tim was missing?

This was assuming that she cared.

The fairytale-reading part of me hopes she wakes up and recognises me and is glad to see me and everything.

But like I said, fairytales don't exist.

I'm finally able to fall asleep at some point and I have dreams that I can't remember when Alex shakes me awake later.

"It's time for dinner," he says.

I get up and go to the full-length mirror in the room and try to smoothen my appearance. My dress in wrinkled from sleeping in it and my hair is a mess.

As I brush my hair, I look at Alex through the mirror. I wonder where he went before I fell asleep. Does he have friends in the Royal Pack? Who did he go to 'see'? He looks troubled now, staring out of the window with a frown on his face.

When my hair is tame again, and I've done my best to smoothen my dress with my hands, I walk over to him.

He doesn't hear me coming and jumps slightly when I touch his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

He looks at me and smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes, "Yeah, yeah I am. You ready?"

I search his face for something to clue me in to how he's feeling but I don't know him as well as I should and find nothing.

I nod instead and take his arm to head to the dining room.

We weave through hallways and I wonder again how Alex knows the way so well, "This place is massive, aren't you afraid we'll get lost?"

He laughs, "Trust me."

Sure enough we arrive at a huge dining room. The table is long and could probably seat at least 35 or 40 guests. The bowls of food have been laid out on the table but there's nobody else in the room.

Just as I'm about to ask Alex if we're too early, Queen Natalie walks in behind us. She wearing a different dress from the one she had on earlier.

"You're right on time," she beams, "Come, sit."

Following her orders, Alex and I head to the seats she pointed at and take our seats while she seats opposite us. We're at the head of the table. The big seat in the centre that's presumably supposed to be occupied by the King remains empty.

"How is your room? Do you find it comfortable?"

I nod, smiling, "It's lovely. Thank you very much for your hospitality."

Alex is silent and I glance at him. He has that faraway look on his face again.

I nudge him gently under the table and he come back to reality, "Yes the room is comfortable, your Majesty."

The queen beams again, "Let's eat."

Seemingly out of thin air, maids appear and start opening the bowls of food laid out on the table.

Mounds of potatoes, greens, meat, fish and so on appear and my stomach growls. There's a lot of food, way too much for just three of us.

I look at the queen questioningly. Her eyes are soft as she answers my unspoken question, "I wasn't sure what you'd like."

I feel my heart squeeze a little and I nod thankfully at her.

Grabbing plates, we dish our food and start eating.

Alex doesn't drift away again and contributes to the conversation when he can. The food is delicious and I've taken seconds before I consider that it might be impolite. I look at the queen but she only smiles at me.

"When do you think my mother will wake up?" I finally ask.

I regret it immediately because the light mood in the room disappears.

"She should be up by tomorrow," the Queen replies.

"Will she... Will she know who I am?"

Her eyes are sad and she opens her mouth to reply but she suddenly snaps her head to the door into the room just as a voice booms.

"What is a Rogue doing at my table?"