Why the Straight One? | Book 1 | bxb

Entry 48 - Silence

I closed the door behind me, and hurried to doors of the palace, where the car should be waiting. It was eerily quiet as I hurried down the halls. Nothing stirred. Time itself seemed to have paused as it waited for today's events to unfold.

And I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.

The ten minutes I spent waiting to go back inside were the longest minutes of my life. Everyone thought I should wait, just in case Jasper stayed in his rooms a little longer than usual. Nothing could be worse thanks coming to get Elliot while Jasper was still there.

I walked back inside, expecting at least some sign of life, or at least some noise, but again I was met by that eerie quite. The door was open,  which frightened me even more than having to knock.

What if Jasper was in there? What if he somehow had gotten the plan from Elliot and was waiting for me to walk right into his trap?

I took a hesitant step forward, the hinges of the door creaking noisily in the silence. I searched the whole room, but the only person I could see was Elliot. He was sitting, just waiting for me.

"Let's go." I whispered. Somehow speaking at a normal volume seemed wrong.

"It's not going to work, Alex."

"Why not? Does he know? Could he tell something was wrong this morning? I knew that—"

"No, he doesn't. But it still won't work." At least he was standing now, walking towards me, and following me out of the room.

He paused, looking back into the room we had just left. I couldn't read his expression, but I knew he thought he would be back in there before long. To him, this wasn't a departure.

He was just trying to protect himself from disappointment. We had to succeed. Elliot was never going to have to walk back through that door.

He was still limping when he walked, and followed me like an obedient puppy. He didn't speak again, and the only sound was that do our feet hitting the floor as we walked. There were a few guards who had followed a few feet behind me, and they kept a close eye on us as we made it to the car, but nothing happened. Elliot got into the car, and sat staring out of the window at nothing.

And then, we waited.

The crunch of the gravel beneath my feet distracted me for a few seconds. Then the sound of a crow in one of the trees. And still we waited.

It was too long. Something must have gone wrong. Terribly wrong. Too wrong for there to be anytime to call the guards who would come to Jonathan's aid.

"I'm going to see what's happening."

"But, your highness, Prince Jonathan—" One of the guards protested, but I cut him off.

"I know what he said. I know what they all said, but I need to make sure they are okay."

"At least let me go with you."

"No. Stay with Elliot. Your job is to protect him, not me." The determination in his eyes faltered. That was his job.

"But, your highness—"

"Why call me that title if you don't give me the respect that should follow? Stay here and protect him."

And with that I ran back into the palace. I had a vague idea where the courtroom was, at least, I'd been through the back door before. Yes, it might be better to go through there.

And still it was too quiet. Something was wrong, or about to be. And I was running right towards it.

Raymond's POV