The Key to Ruling a Broken Kingdom (Girl x Girl)

13: Persephonie

So Megan has realized that she feels weird around Persephonie, but Persephonie has no idea what is going on with Megan. Let's see what this leads to...

Song: House Of Memories by Panic! At The Disco

A little over a year passed and Cedric and I grew closer together, while Megan and I grew farther apart. She didn't visit me as often as she usually did through the colder days, but that was normal. Everytime she did, however, I loaded her with food to eat and take back home, and gave her warm clothing if I could. But every time Megan did visit, she always seemed to be in a hurry to leave. This had never happened before. She used to always try to stay as long as she could, and I tried to keep her with me for as long as I could.

But now, she kept making up strange excuses as to why she had to leave. I mean, once she said, "I have to cook dinner for Pa," right after I gave her a week's worth of food. And after it had warmed up again, Megan rarely came. And when she did, it was always me that we talked about. No matter how hard I tried to figure out what was going on with her, she made me the matter of discussion. She was hiding something, that much was obvious. And I would figure out what. I needed to.

But, I had other matters on mind now. Venus was getting married in a week, and excitement buzzed through the castle. Father and Mother were especially proud. But Venus seemed far from happy.

I knew she didn't want to marry Charles. She didn't love him. She said, "Maybe I can learn to love him" but I doubt she will.

I had also found Athena flirting with a servant boy a couple days ago, and I wouldn't stop teasing her about it. My brother Janus was almost two years old now, and he was quite the handful. Mother had left him with Venus, and no one would tell me what happened, but Father had needed to punish him.

I didn't know how I felt about that. Father had never punished me. I suppose he thought Mother did enough of that, and he would be right. Mother had been getting increasingly stricter, getting angry at the littlest of things, like dripping gravy at the dinner table.

I sat out in the courtyard again, hoping Megan would come today. Although we spent very little time together, I enjoyed being with her very much. Megan hadn't come near the castle since the day I returned from Bruvia after Louis had died, and I missed our late night conversations. I hadn't seen her for the past two weeks.

Autumn had recently started, and I pulled my cloak tighter around my body. I stared at the spot Megan had always come through (the small opening between a bush containing poisonous berries and some trees. The trees bore pomegranates every spring, and the gardener had to tend to it with maneuver that Mother says is brought fresh from Greece every year), for some odd reason thinking that if I stared hard enough, I would make her appear.

I slightly jumped when an arm wrapped around my shoulder. I turned to see Cedric sitting beside me, and smiled. "Why do you care about her so much?" he asked, referring to Megan.

I shrugged and simply replied, "She's my friend."

"But you sit out here at the same time, every. Single. Day. Even though she rarely comes." Cedric gazed at me, waiting for an answer to his statement. He never got one, because Megan had caught my eye.

A huge grin painted itself on my face, and try as I might, I could not suppress it. I raced through the courtyard, my cloak bellowing behind me, as I ran right into Megan's outstretched arms. "I missed you" I whispered.

"I missed you too" she whispered back.

I pulled away and got up on my tiptoes to kiss her forehead. She had gotten awfully taller over the past year. Her dress was a good, couple inches above her ankles. "Where were you?" I asked. "You should have been coming here every day."

A smile lit up her eyes, as she said, "I became a woman."

It took me a minute to realize what she was talking about, and when I finally did, I started jumping up and down, clapping my hands. I couldn't believe it. My best friend. A woman.

Then I frowned. Slowly overcome by jealousy and envy. As though she had read my thoughts, Megan leaned in and pecked my cheek, saying, "You'll be a woman soon, too."

I smiled at her. Maybe Megan had gone back to being how she used to be. I didn't care that she probably still had a secret. I didn't care that she was lying to me. I was just so glad to have her back. I had my best friend back. "Will you leave again, Sweet Meg?" I asked, hoping she'd say no.

"I don't know, Princess" she confessed. "I don't want to but..." her gaze averted from me and went to somewhere behind me. I turned to see Cedric. He was glaring at her. "I would love to stay but..." her brown eyes turned back to me. "I don't think Prince Cedric is too fond of me."

She turned to leave, but I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Give me your bonnet" I demanded.

Megan looked annoyed, frustrated, and confused. "What?"

"Your bonnet" I said, patiently.

"Why-"

"So I know you'll come back" I replied. Megan hesitated, but my gaze at her hardened, and sighing, she untied her bonnet and handed it to me, revealing her thinning, mousy-brown hair in a knot at the top of her head.

"Bye Persephonie" she said, and risked a glance at Cedric, before I dropped her wrist and she walked away, shooting me a smile over her shoulder before the distance swallowed her.

I missed her. I missed her so, so much. But why? What did she have to offer me? Why did her company make me so happy? Cedric placed an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. He placed a kiss on my temple and said, "Let's go inside, Princess. It's getting cold."

"Why don't you like Megan?" I demanded, suddenly. "She hasn't done anything to you."

Cedric hesitated, before saying, "You seem to care about her, more than you do about your own family. That isn't right. You should know caring about a commoner that much isn't right."

"But Megan is my friend!" I insisted, angrily, not liking how he was taller than me, and looking down at me. "Of course I care about her! She's as much a part of my life as you are!"

"And that's the problem!" Cedric yelled, aggressively moving me so I was facing him. "You're putting that whore at the same level as me!"

"Megan is not a whore!" I said, my voice hardening. "I probably know her better than I know you!"

Cedric's face held nothing but rage. He seemed ready to strike me, but he took a deep breath, and looked down at the grass. "If you want to be friends with Megan, fine" he spat, not taking his eyes off the green blades. "But do well, to remember that she is a commoner, and you are a Royal. Commoners and Royals are nothing more than Subject and Ruler." Cedric finally looked at me, his hazel eyes softened. "I love you Persephonie" he whispered. "You and I will rule side by side one day, and to make Bruvia strong again, I need you to remember that it is not our job as Royals to have as close of a relationship with the commoners as you do with Megan."

"Then what is an acceptable relationship I can have with Megan?" I tested.

Cedric sighed. "I don't support your friendship with Megan, but as long as you know your boundaries with her, I will leave the two of you alone."

I allowed him to lead me back to the castle, but I glanced back longingly at the courtyard. I had so many memories there. Nearly all of them with Megan. Of course I knew my boundaries. And I should have stayed behind them. But I would jump off the edge of the world for Megan.

A/N: So... Thoughts on Cedric? Who's your favorite character so far? Comment your answer! And if you're enjoying the book so far, don't forget to tap the star!