The Royal Scandal *Book One*

Taking Down a Griffin S1 E5

💚 Edited- -19.6.20 💚

Once the Griffin away, the realisation of what had just happened started to sink in.

"Chelsea?" Arthur whispered, behind me.

Scared, I ran from everyone and ran to the place I knew I wouldn't be seen by a wondering eye:

The forest.

When I was younger and I was upset or angry, I'd always go here. Just me and the animals. It was a place where I felt like I belonged and wasn't an outcast. But every time without fail, my mother would appear after a couple of hours when I'd calmed down.

Not in person, of course, because she was gone. She had been gone most of my life; it was just her presence that I'd felt all those times. But that was all I needed.

That was all I needed now.

Still running, my legs began to burn and I could feel them giving way. Tired of running, I collapsed to the ground and just broke down. Shakily, I pulled my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them tightly.

All the pain of every argument I'd had, every heartbreak and every tear came flooding back to me. I just wanted this pain to go and I fear that not even Merlin could help.

I tugged my hair out of the bun roughly and ran my hands through it. Tears now streaming down my face, I laid my face into my arms and just let it all out.

I had no idea how long I'd been there but after what felt like hours, I heard footsteps approaching.

"He said I'd find you here," the voice of an older man said.

I recognised the voice straight away as the man I had argued with only a few hours ago.

"I'm surprised you'd care," I said harshly, not turning to face my Father.

"I deserve that," he said, walking ever closer before stopping in front of me. "Chelsea, you were right. As much as I hate to admit it, everything you said this morning was 100% true. I haven't treated you as well as I should have but it's because I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if I get too close to you that when you get married off the pain of losing you would be too much."

Seriously? Even in a moment like this he still manages to incorporate marriage into it.

"So you'd rather not know me now and not feel pain than get to know your daughter even if she is shipped off into marriage?" I asked him.

"I've never been good at this, even after 19 years of it. When your mother told me that she was pregnant with you and Arthur, I won't lie to you Chelsea, I'd never been more scared in my life. My Father wasn't the greatest growing up and I feared whether I would ever be able to be a good one. I can see now that I've failed, you more than Arthur. It's because you're so much like her; so brave, funny, loyal, beautiful and might I add stubborn. Looking at you, it just reminds me so much of her and it hurts every time I think of her. I am sorry that I have been such a poor fatherly figure to you, my dear and I was wrong to have ever claimed you as my property," he apologised.

By now, father had sat beside me and was fiddling with his cloak as he told the story.

"As long as I can remember, we've clashed. But I'm guessing that's why. I'd always heard you and mother disagreed often and if I'm as much like her as you say then that's probably why. But I know it's not just that. We believe such different things and your fear of magic doesn't help things. We're never going to have a perfect father-daughter relationship, no matter how much we try," I told him. I looked over at him and was shocked to see he had watery eyes. "But... I'm willing to give it a try. Our lives are too short, too precious to waste on disagreeing over every little thing and to waste relationships with people. So, I'm ready to try and have some form of relationship," I finished, looking at him.