A Winter's Tale

Chapter 21:

Chapter 21:
EMERY'S POV:

I'd never been completely heartbroken before. But, this has to be what it feels like. All of the air flew out of my lungs, my entire world crumbled. It took me a moment to even comprehend what he said. The tears came quick and easy when I did. King James. He'd said King James. The man who'd raised me, the King who's wife was the closest thing I had to my mother. The King who'd sent me here to find the man I fell in love with. King James. I reached a hand to my throat because, suddenly, I couldn't breathe.

My heart fell into my stomach. I wanted to ask him so many things. The words wouldn't come out; I couldn't get them out. My vision blurred from my tears, and Kane became hazy. His face was concerned, coming closer to me. I felt his hands on either side of my face. He was saying something, but all I could hear was the pounding of my heart. King James. King James had done this to him, had killed off everyone he'd ever loved. My King James; the only other one at court besides his wife and Lucy who remotely cared about me.

    Had he done this on purpose? Sent me here to get Kane attached, then kill me, make him go through more pain? Was I a pawn in a game that'd been going on for years? I'd never heard King James so much as mention Kane until he told me I was going to marry him. All this time, had he planned to send me away? Was that way he still catered to me after his wife died?  Had he seen early on the type of woman I'd become, and known immediately that Kane would fall in love with me?

     Kane's hands disappeared from my face, and landed on my arms. He was shouting something at me; I still wasn't sure. My breathing was fast. I couldn't get a full breath. How, how, how had this happened? I leaned back, shutting my eyes. The tears were clearing, but the hurt was still there. I opened my eyes slowly, focusing on Kane. His eyes were filled with worry and anguish at the pain and distress in mine. 

        "H-how," I stuttered out, "when?" He took another deep breath, gathering me into his arms. I laid my head on his chest, and listened to his heartbeat. I wasn't prepared to hear this, yet I knew I needed to. This was important, my past was interwoven with Kane's through one, tragic connection. His tormentor had been my savior. "It started with our fathers. His hated mine. He could never break my father though, could never bring him down. So, he went for the next best thing. Me. Started my nightmare young with my parents' deaths, then leave the fear in me. It worked, for so many years. When King James came to power, he felt he needed to continue his father's work, the project he'd dedicated his life to. That, Emery, is why I think you are here. Why after his first wife died, he treated you like a daughter still. I have no doubt he loves you, but he's willing to sacrifice that for the opportunity to ruin me once and for all. He won't succeed. I promise you that. I'll be damned to Hell if I let him take your life too. We will live, my love."

       The tears were coming again. Freely and avid. My throat hurt, and I reached my hands up to wipe at my tears, but my movements were clumsy, and more came to take their place. I looked up at Kane, now almost understanding his feelings about having a parent ripped out right in front of you. My parents were gone, yes; however, I was far too young to remember anything about their deaths. This, though, this was fresh and new. King James had been my father in many ways. Now, he was a broken idol, the pieces of my image of him laying at the bottom of my heart.

"How, how do you know? Are you sure? Could you- could you be mistaken?" My questions came as quickly as my tears; I was unable to stop them. My stomach rolled like I was going to vomit, but it caught in my throat.

       He shook his hand, sadly, "I saw him, Emery. I saw his father the night he killed my parents, and I saw him the night he killed Janine. I'm sure. They've a whole organization. The Order. It was created to keep certain people in power, by any means necessary."