♚ Dream On Fire: A Selection Story ♚

♚ chapter 2 - the boy with the world at his hands ♚

Recap: "Yes really. Kaden, I'm going to marry..."

"Actually...Kaden, I'm sorry but I don't think I can tell you yet." Eadlyn said.

"Eadlyn, what the hell is wrong with you? You don't just tell your brother that you're getting married to someone and then proceed to tell him that you're no longer going to tell him who it is!" Kaden protested. 

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving. I'm going to propose and then you'll find out tonight at the Report!" She said whilst pulling herself together and walking out the door.

Kaden had a look of annoyance and amusement on his face. He wasn't mad at Eadlyn, but he was pondering why she would come to talk to him. Eadlyn and Ahren had always been two peas in a pod and they certainly both loved and adored Kaden, but they hadn't been as close since they were children. Everything recently has been kind of unlike Eadlyn.

"Sorry, Kaden! I love you, bud! Eadlyn called softly before shutting the door quietly. 

"Bud?" Kaden muttered questioning the nickname. He could almost hear Sylvia, who taught the young royals manners, scolding them that that wasn't nearly proper for a royal to say. Thinking about it, Ahren had called him that quite frequently. He missed Ahren deeply and decided to go downstairs to talk to America and Maxon to ask if Ahren had called today and check on them. 

He pulled on his suit jacket and adjusted his tie. At that moment his butler, Joseph, walked in the room. 

"Your Highness, anything I can get you? Are you headed somewhere?" Joseph questioned. 

"Oh don't worry about it, Joseph. I'm just heading down to see my mother and father. Do you have an idea on where my parents would be?" He asked. 

"Sir, I believe that the King and Queen Mother are in their suite." Joseph replied.

Kaden nodded and he walked out into the hallway. As he walked he recalled memories from his siblings' and his childhood. He turned the corner and saw the spot where he, Ahren, and Eadlyn received the news of their Aunt Kenna's death. Aunt Kenna was like a second mother to the children growing up and whenever she, James, Astra, and Leo would visit the palace the children got so excited. 

Flashback: 

Kaden, Eadlyn, and Ahren were all walking down to get some food from the kitchen as they had skipped lunch to hang out together. As they had rounded the same corner that present Kaden had just rounded they heard the faint sound of their mother's wails and screams. Immediately, they all tensed up and wondered what had happened. Their first thought was that someone was hurt or she had gotten bad news. 

Thirty seconds later, a guard flanked by two others ran up to the royal children. They stopped a respectable distance from the Princess and the two Princes and stood up taller. 

"Your Highnesses, I'm extremely sorry but your Aunt, Kenna Orders, has had a fatal heart attack and passed away at fourteen hundred hours."  The first guard said. 

Then, the three guards all spoke up. "May we offer our condolences." They said. 

They retreated down the halls and Eadlyn had tears streaming down her face. Kaden was trying hard to stay strong and not cry, Ahren was too but failed as he had tears coming down too. Kaden stood there looking at his sister kneeling on the floor weeping. Ahren and Kaden looked at each other and listened to the sounds of their screaming mother and crying sister. Eadlyn then fell into Ahren's arms and he held her as she cried. 

Present: 

Kaden never thought that his sister would look worse than she did in that moment, but she looked worse when she reached the hospital room directly after receiving the news that Ahren had left and her mother had a heart attack.