Mondo Pastello | girlxgirl | Completed♕

Chapter XXXIV ♕ Day Three of Scandals

And then she felt bad.

I don't know how I felt about everything, truly. I pushed away my feelings in order to gain concertation but now I have become indifferent towards their further fights. This was no time to get out of hand.

The Duchess Hannah, my father's sister, had taken my father off to one side and punched him through the jaw where one large protruding bump was on display for everyone to see. She expressed her proudness in hitting it at such an angle that his chin did jaw did not dislocate. After that, the King no longer had any objections to new plans and began to grow dangerously silent. I truly feared my aunt and her right hook.

"We shall set the border patrol to work. It has almost been thirty-six hours since the child has disappeared," I overheard the Mother Queen speak to my mother and Princess Alice, my back pressed against the wall next to the doors.

"Mother, I cannot keep going like this," my mother admitted and it was then that I realised how terrible this must be for her. This was her own flesh and blood, suddenly gone and who knows in what kind of trouble.

"Do not fear, my child. We will find your son," my grandmother comforted.

"But what if he never returns? I cannot lose him!" it was then that I decided to leave, not wanting to hear the conversation any further. This entire thing was my fault. If I had not stepped in to speak to my father, then maybe the argument would have been resorted between Father and Bartholomew. Except, then there was the other fact: my father had admitted to considering sending Bartholomew off to an institute, his reasoning being that at such an intense disobedience from his own son must not be the doing of someone in their right mind. If not for Cornelius's disappearance, then Bartholomew would not be with us right now.

That still leaves the question: did my father's last statement in the argument three days ago mean that he disowned us? Were we just refugees, clinging onto our mother for dear life? My heart could not handle this stress.

I header to the foyer of the palace and sat on the imperial staircase, my eyes trained on the large double doors that stood massive against the palace's exterior. I wished for Cornelius to step through those doors, completely uninjured. I sat there for an eternity, just wishing and hoping but no one ever came. Jasper came to seat himself on the staircase, a little ways away from me, but we didn't speak. I couldn't speak, not when something like this has happened. He didn't give me any comforts and I respected it. He knew I wouldn't accept any 'it's going to be okay' lies when it has progressed so far down the dark road. My brother was gone, and he might never return.

Suddenly, the doors swung open. I rose my eyes full of hope, although I knew the chance was slim that he would be standing there. As soon as I spotted the violet hair, I sunk my head back into my knees again. I couldn't handle something like this right now, and I guess my actions must have informed her of that because she didn't try to speak. Instead she just moved towards me and I examined her for a second. Her hair looked to be caught full of wind and that was my indication that she had come from gymnastics, if the leotard and the simple pair of trousers didn't give it away.

She walked up the stairs until she stood in front of me and bend onto the step right below mine. She took my face into her hands and gently lifted until I looked straight into her eyes, my tearstained giving away whatever Sarina wanted to know. She brought me closer until my head laid on her chest, holding me tight as a supporting structure. I clung onto her as if I was going to fall to my death, and considering the circumstances, one could never know.

My stayed that way, silently. I was thankful for that as I knew my hoarse voice wouldn't be any help. Jasper had his eyes trained on us only for a second before realization passed over him. He silently left the scene, giving us our privacy. I sniffled, trying not to cry again as I clung onto Sarina even more. She ran her hand down my back, cooing into my ear.