The Crown

Chapter Nineteen

A full week had passed since the attack, and the flashbacks and memories of that event each came back with a violent shake.

Tobias ran over to the broken glass table where he stumbled down, facing her.

In the hospital section of the castle, Tobias was sleeping uncomfortably in a chair. His arm was propped up on the armrest, his head rested against the palm of his hand.

He carefully placed his hand under her neck, ignoring the cuts he was receiving.

Across from his chair was a hospital bed, where Beatrice was still unconsciously asleep.

The glass that was caught in her hair fell out, clashing with the other shards.

Tobias still remembered vividly when he stumbled into the hospital wing, and how the doctor on staff had taken Beatrice from his bloody arms. The doctor rushed her to a bed and went to work; taking out the glass before stitching up her cuts.

Tears were running down his cheeks as he slid his other hand under her legs. He lifted her slowly until all the glass had fallen from her clothes before pressing her frail body against his.

Beatrice was still not awake, but her pulse was strong. Her heart was beating, which made falling asleep easier for Tobias every night when he stayed with her.

The same, however, could not be said about Christina.

Christina was unable to sleep – not since the attack. Her nightmares were realistic and gave her physical reactions each night. She woke up sobbing and screaming, until she decided it was better to stop sleeping altogether.

Gunshots filled their senses, along with the painful sound of people screaming at the top of their lungs. Christina found her best friend's hand and squeezed it.

Will tried taking her to see the doctor to ease her pain, but nothing seemed to help. Seeing as she was, for the moment, unfit to do her job, she was granted a paid vacation from the castle.

The ground beneath them shook once more, knocking Christina off her balance. She fell back on her behind, cutting her arm in the process. Her eyes widened as she looked up, her fear rising.

When she left to visit her parents, they were too much for her to handle. She was overwhelmed with feelings she bottled inside.

Christina covered her mouth and cried silently, pushing herself harder into the wall.

Her parents felt she would feel better if they were welcoming and happy, which only made matters even worse.

The soldier stumbled slightly, turning his gun and firing just as Christina did the same. She watched as the soldier fell face down in front of her, dead. She let the gun drop as she quickly rushed over to Tori, shaking her. Christina lifted her hands and noticed the blood all over them, realizing the soldier had effectively shot Tori.

When she came back from her leave of absence, she went to immediately visit Beatrice, who was still not awake.

Christina sobbed at the sight of her best friend in the arms of the prince. Will tried to restrain her as she screamed. Christina stumbled to her feet before dropping down.

When she arrived, she extended her hand and wrapped it with Beatrice's cold one. With a shaky breath, she squeezed it tight.