Royal On The Run (unedited)

Chapter Fifteen

Naomi

I couldn't tell if it was the cooling night around me or the near death we had just escaped that scared me more. My entire body was shivering, either from fear or the chilled night air. I'd been in Sebastian's arms for the first part of the night but he had since put me back down onto my own two feet, making m walk for myself . Deacon was at my side, I knew he was capable of walking faster and that he was only matching my pace to keep me company.

"You can walk ahead." I spoke quietly, breaking the eerie silence that had fallen around us.

Deacon shook his head with a grin. "Nope." He took a step closer. "One guard in the front, one at her side. Gotta keep the Queen safe from all sides."

I tried to smile but it was no use. I didn't have it in me to smile right now, the night had been too much. I'd been stupid. I'd been stupid and nearly got me and Deacon killed. We'd been saved by the slimmest piece of luck the world had conceived. I'd been stupid trying to save Amara. If I'd just stayed in the bunker like Sebastian had asked, maybe he would have been able to get a jump on them and save Amara but no, I had let Amara get captured by the enemy.

The Red Guard.

They'd found us, found me. And they tried to kill me and very nearly succeeded. I'd gotten lucky tonight, very lucky.

Deacon heaved the backpacks higher up his arms. They had been bouncing against his back with each step he took, it had been the only noise made between the three of them up until this point. I saw him looking at me out of the corner of his eye, before it probably would have been an annoyance but now I found it made me feel safer for some odd reason. He was making sure I was okay without asking. I appreciated that.

"You're blaming yourself."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. A true statement.

Even Sebastian had paused his steps up ahead, only resuming his pace once my silence stretched too long. Still he continued to steal glances back at me over his shoulder.

"I should have listened." My voice very nearly blended into the starry night. Deacon had stepped closer so that our arms were brushing just so he could hear. I didn't try to push him away. "I didn't listen. And look what happened, Deac. How can I not blame myself for what happened?"

All of the footsteps ceased.

Sebastian had turned on his heel. Deacon had grabbed my arm. I wrapped my arms around myself and hunched over with tears trekking down my face.

"Nai..." Deacon trailed off now knowing what to say.

Sebastian didn't either it seemed. He took a deep breath, searching the area around them for any potential danger. He wanted to make sure I was alright but he also had to keep us safe. A breakdown in the middle of the night in a random patch of forest wasn't exactly the safest place to be, especially when the Queen of the country was with you.

"It wasn't your fault." Deacon was saying as gently as possible. When I felt the guilt about to tumble from my mouth he was quick to shut down whatever I was about to say. "No. Don't think it, Naomi. Don't do it. Don't do that to yourself. What happened, happened. You wanted to save Amara, that's noble. It's what you would have done no matter the circumstances. It wasn't your fault."