The Fourteen of Majestia [Including my BTS Ships]

Chapter 63

He didn't notice the stiffness in her tone and sauntered in her direction, embracing her frame in his taller and muscular arms.

"God, I've missed you," He breathed into her hair. She awkwardly hugged him back yet he remained oblivious to her poor efforts at seeming natural.

"I didn't think you would come." She said instead, changing the subject.

He pulled away, taking a few steps back as he stared at her.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other and... and I wanted to know your side of the story." He clarified.

Emerald glanced at him, uncomfortable. She didn't expect this at all. Even after all her family had put him through... after they had killed his father so brutally in front of him like that. How could he still manage to hug her like this? To act as if everything was okay between them? To act as if there wasn't a war going on and that people weren't dying?

Even though his father had passed away a month ago, those 30 days felt like yesterday to her. She couldn't get the horrid thought out of her mind. What their love had done to his family, what she had done to his life...

"I-I'm so sorry for your father's loss," she started not sure where to begin.

He nodded his head, the memory still burning fresh in his mind. He didn't want to speak about it further, unwilling to relive those dreadful moments.

"Isn't much I can do about it, I'm all alone now anyway." He didn't expect those utterances to come out so sadly, so he tried to lift the now indented frown on her lips. "At least I finally get to hear from you. I've been meaning to talk to you about all of this." He shifted the topic.

"Yes, I know. We have a lot to talk about."

Despite those words being spoken, the silence lingered on for a bit. Emerald nibbled her lip, glancing at the floor due to the awkwardness.

"Rina passed away last week."

She looked up at him, shock evident in her expression.

"I know that's probably not where we should start this chat, I mean my sister dying isn't some type of conversation starter but I just wanted you to know," Henry explained, fumbling a bit with his words.

Something had lingered in Emerald's chest, like a heavyweight. She couldn't form any words, she was speechless.

"I buried her in our home, she'll be safe. I made sure to cover her body decently. I've been on the run since, not a lot places to go to." He sadly muttered, memories of his cold night in the woods, of knocking on doors and getting shut out by every single one, of being forced to steal food from local markets just to survive, of feeling so alone and worthless... they all came flooding back.

He wanted to tell her everything. What he had gone through this past week was horrible. The sadness he felt, the feelings of loneliness and worthlessness. It was unbearable. How he would get scared at night, unable to sleep sometimes. How the cold was so freezing that he would camp inside large dumpsters to stay warm. How he hated the feeling of being so unclean and dirty, how he wished for someone to come and save him.

But he didn't want to bother her with that.

She was a princess. She wouldn't be able to understand and even if she did, there was nothing she could do about it. Not without her parents knowing.

"I don't know what to say," she had spoken after a bit. "Where have you been the last week?"

Henry hesitated for a while.