Laylah's POV
The aftermath of the kidnapping was... interesting to say the least.
After the Commander took his own life, Brooklyn just broke down. She cried and cried and to be honest, I didn't blame her. What she went through was traumatic, even for her. While I was still in shock at what I witnessed, Brooklyn took it differently than everyone else did. I think maybe it was because she was the closest to him when it happened, so she literally felt the blood hit her and she heard the gunshot louder than anyone else did. That and the fact that she did get kidnapped so anyone would be traumatised by that.
Once we got back out to higher ground, we realised that the tunnels expanded a lot further than any of us imagined. While they started in Kindridas, they led all the way into No Man's Land. The fact that there were so many of them and no one knew about it, was surprising and quite frankly worrying. It meant that you just didn't really know what was going on right under your nose and that made me nervous. I had to remind myself to check over my own kingdom when I eventually returned home.
At the moment, I was still in Kindridas. I didn't feel comfortable leaving Brooklyn here while I went back home. Not only because I still wanted to discuss her coming back with me, but also because she hasn't been in the right frame of mind since everything went down. It had been three days since then, but she hasn't been able to sleep properly. She told me on the first night that she had nightmares about the suicide, and it broke my heart. She was usually so calm, composed and collected and to see her so broken, hurt me.
The sound of Brooklyn moving around in bed snapped me out of my trance. I decided to stay in her room with her, just in case anything happened. That and I just didn't want to leave her alone again, not after everything that went down.
I stood up from the sofa that was in her room and walked over to the bed. I hesitated slightly before moving a strand of hair from her face. It looked like she was having another nightmare. I placed a hand on her shoulder and lightly shook her shoulder,
"Brooklyn, hey, wake up." She continued to thrash around a bit, and I shook her shoulder a bit harder, "Brooklyn!"
She jumped out of her sleep and sat up abruptly, taking in a few deep breaths. Once she had calmed down a bit, she put her head in her hands,
"I'm sorry." She spoke softly.
I gave her a small smile, "You don't have to apologise for anything."
She ran her hands down her face and let out a loud sigh, "You should be back at home running your kingdom. Instead, you're here with me, helping me get over issues that I shouldn't even have."
I placed a hand on the side of her face gently, "Hey, there's nothing wrong with needing help. When Daddy died, you were there for me and now it's my time to be here for you."
She gave me a smile, but I could see that it didn't reach her eyes and I hated that, "I hate this. I'm a General. I shouldn't be like this. I wasn't trained to be like this."
I lowered my hand and opted to take her hand in mine instead, "Just because you're a General, it doesn't make you any less human. You still have feelings and you still respond to trauma a certain way. The way you're responding now is normal and there's nothing wrong with that."
She rubbed the back of my hand gently with her thumb,
"I appreciate you staying here with me. You didn't have to but I'm grateful that you did."
"I wanted to. You're my mate, Brooklyn. I know this might not be the best time to talk about it but I want to be with you. Call me selfish but I want you home with me and if it's your job that's holding you back, I'll make you General of Selestris if you want me to."
She shook her head and I suddenly got nervous about what she was going to say next. If she said she wanted to stay in Kindridas, even after all of this, I would be heartbroken,
"I don't want to be a General in Selestris." She started and I gulped,
"Then what do you want?" I asked, afraid of hearing the answer.
She tightened the grip on my hand, "To be with you, without being a General."
I looked at her shocked. At least that's how I looked on the outside. On the inside I was elated but I didn't want to show that yet because I wanted to confirm what she way saying before I got my hopes up,
"You mean, you'll travel back to Selestris with me? Permanently?"
She nodded, "I'll travel the world if it meant I got to be with you."
I couldn't help but let out a wide smile and I rushed forward to hug her. I couldn't believe it was finally happening. We were finally going to get the chance to be together as mates and I couldn't be any happier right now.
As I leant back, we stayed close enough together so that we were face to face with barely any space between us. Her eyes flickered down to my lips briefly before lifting back up to meet my eyes again,
"May I?" She spoke, ever so formally and I leant forward so that I could lean my forehead against hers,
"For the record, you don't need to ask."
She smiled and leant forward so that our lips could finally meet. I felt the sparks from it and I couldn't help but smile against them. It had been a long time coming but it was definitely worth the wait. It was something I could get used to that's for sure.
After a little while, we pulled apart, but she leaned in one more time to give me a final peck on the lips, making me chuckle a little bit,
"You may be the first mate in history to ask permission to kiss their significant other."
She shrugged, "I just wanted to make sure. It would be rude of me not to ask, especially the first time."
I continued to smile at her and she patted the empty spot next to her on the bed. I manoeuvred my way to the spot and leant my head against her shoulder, allowing her to wrap an arm around mine,
"So, what now?" I asked her as we both stared ahead of us,
"Now, I must go to the King and Queen and give them my verbal resignation, however, I hope you know that it will take a few more days to get everything sorted out. I still need to choose a new Commander and now a General to take my place. That, and I need to inform my Mother."
I had finally got the privilege to meet Gloria Myers on the day we brought Brooklyn back to the castle. The King had called her to inform her of what had happened and when I saw her, I felt guilty. I should've called her as soon as I had my suspicions, but I was so worried about finding Brooklyn that I just forgot. Her mum assured me that it was okay though and she couldn't stop thanking me for bringing her daughter back safely,
"I don't want her to think I'm taking you away from her. She's knows I would never do that right?"
"She does and she won't think that. She only spoke to you for a few hours, but I know she really likes you."
"How do you know for sure?" I questioned,
"Because she told me."
I let out a small sigh of relief. It would've been really upsetting if her mum didn't like me so it was nice to get some form of confirmation. Although, if she didn't like me, I would've done everything in my power to get her to like me although, asking her daughter to come to a whole different kingdom with me, probably wouldn't have been the best place to start.
"How is she going to take it?" I asked curiously and I felt her shrug slightly,
"She'll probably be upset. I mean, she barely sees me as it is with my job and everything but moving to a whole other kingdom is a different story. I do hope she'll be happy though because she wanted me to open up to you more and there's no better way to do that."
I smiled at that. I hoped that this was the start of a new beginning for us. One where she would finally open her heart to me and actually let me in. It was still clear that she was afraid of getting hurt and after what happened to her with Commander Warwick, it wouldn't surprise me if she struggled to trust anyone ever again.
As much as I wanted to stay in her arms and forget about the outside world around us, I knew we needed to get up sooner or later, so I sat up from her arm and she looked at me confused but also slightly worried,
"Are you okay?" She asked and I smiled, nodding my head. This reminded me of when we were back in Equanoras and we were lying down after my Dad died. It felt like déjà vu all of a sudden,
"I'm fine. I just think now is a good time to get everything sorted out. I still need to call home and let Lady Vivienne know I'll be staying a bit longer. That and they need to arrange a few things for your arrival."
She raised an eyebrow at that, "How so?"
"You didn't just think you were going to come back with me, and I wouldn't introduce you as their new Queen, did you?"
Her eyes widened slightly, and she struggled to get her words out. So, instead, I leant forward again and gave her a small peck on the lips to keep from her talking,
"We'll take it slow." I then patted her chest gently, "Now get ready, your majesty."
I didn't give her time to reply before I stood up from the bed and made my way into the bathroom, but I knew from her lack of protest that she didn't mind what I did, which meant we were moving in the right direction.
*Two hours later*
Once we were finally ready, we left the room together and I went to go and take her hand in mine but then decided otherwise. While we had come to an agreement that we were going to try harder with each other, we hadn't really gone over how we would be together in public so I thought it would be better for me to hold off for now and talk to her about it later. I wanted to move forward, not backwards.
Currently, we were in the meeting room with the King and Queen and I noticed Brooklyn stare off into space for a little bit. The Queen looked at her slightly worried and I just gave her a sad smile. This was one of the last places Brooklyn was with Commander Warwick before he kidnapped her, so it was probably bringing a lot back to her right now.
I placed my hand on her thigh under the table and she turned her head to face me, seemingly coming out of her trance,
"You're okay." I whispered. She let out a shaky breath before focusing her attention on the King and Queen again,
"My apologies, your majesties. I'm trying to get over what happened, but it seems to be taking some time."
The Queen gave her a small smile, "It's fine Brooklyn. We understand. What you went through was traumatic and things like that take time to get over and there's also nothing wrong with not being able to get over it at all. Everyone handles trauma differently. We don't see you any differently because of it."
Brooklyn nodded, "Thank you."
"Now, what is it that you wanted to talk to us about?" The King asked, his eyes moving between us both.
Brooklyn cleared her throat and straightened her stance before speaking again,
"I would like to hand in my formal resignation."
Both the King and Queen looked at her in shock. It was probably bad enough that they already had to exile one pair of Generals and now another one was resigning. I could see now why some kingdoms chose not to appoint one in the first place. Kindridas was definitely having bad luck with their Generals,
"I see," The King started, "Is this to do with what happened?"
"Yes and no." She replied, "I have enjoyed being your General ever since I started here and what happened was unfortunate, especially considering what happened with my own sister. While it is not the main reason why I'm deciding to resign, it definitely did sway my decision. For the past two years, I have kept to myself and closed myself off so I could focus on this job and while it has reaped its rewards, I believe it is time for me to move on and start somewhere else... with someone else."
She looked over at me and I gave her a small smile in response before she looked back at the King and Queen, who looked between the both of us,
"I assume that means you've chosen to live in Selestris." The Queen spoke, prompting a nod from Brooklyn,
"I have."
The room stayed silent and I shifted in my chair slightly. I wish I knew what they were thinking right now, it would make me feel way more at ease if I did. Their facial expressions were blank right now so I couldn't even get an idea as to how they were feeling that way.
Not wanting to sit in silence any longer, I cleared my throat, and the King and Queen directed their attention to me,
"I don't want you think that I'm taking Brooklyn away from you because that's not what I'm trying to do. I understand if you're weary about this or you need time to think this over, but I would like to start the rest of my reign and hopefully the rest of my life with my mate by my side."
It might sound weird, seeing as Brooklyn and I have only known each other for over a month, but I wanted what every other royal couple had. A loving relationship that could stand the test of time. King Clarence and Queen Anneliese had been together for over seven decades. They were the couple who had the longest relationship, and it was really something to be admired. That was something that I wanted, and I wasn't sure how Brooklyn and I would be after today, but I was more than willing to try if she was.
The King turned to his wife and she gave him a small nod. He then rubbed his temples slightly before turning back to face us,
"We reluctantly exiled one pair of Generals and now our current one wants to resign." He paused and I looked at him nervously, "But I understand your reasons as to why. You've done amazing things in the short time you've been here Brooklyn and we couldn't be anymore grateful for it. So, as much as it pains us to see you go, if it's what you want, we will accept your resignation."
I let out a sigh of relief and Brooklyn bowed her head, "Thank you your majesty. It has been an absolute honour being your General and rest assured, I will make sure that my successor will be at the highest possible standard, as well as your new Commander."
The Queen smiled at her, "I'm sure you will. Take however long you need. Even though you'll be leaving Kindridas, it will always be your home and you're welcome back here anytime."
Brooklyn gave her a small smile, "Thank you. If it wasn't for my role as General, I never would've met Laylah, so I will be forever grateful."
I couldn't help but smile at that. She could be really sweet when she wanted to be, and I liked that about her. It was a side of her that I rarely got to see but one I definitely wanted to see more of.
Brooklyn's expression then turned a bit more serious, "On the subject of General and Commander, I'd like to suggest bringing in the person who came second after me during the trials as a candidate for General and I'm highly interested in talking to Lieutenant Gutierrez as the successor for Commander."
"I'm all for that but why Lieutenant Gutierrez in particular? I would've thought you'd lean more towards Lieutenant Moores."
"Originally yes, however, Moores has had a lot of ups and downs recently. My main issue with his work ethic is the way he presents himself in front of the Cadets & Soldiers. It's not the kind of image I want as Commander. However, the final decision at the end of the day, is yours."
The Queen nodded, "Indeed. We'll think over it and get back to you."
"May I be dismissed?" Brooklyn asked. They both nodded and she stood up from her chair before looking down at me. I stood up beside her and she bowed to the King and Queen before walking out of the room with me following behind her,
"That was easier than I thought it would be."
She hummed in agreement, "True. Although, they had no real reason to not accept my resignation. It might even be in their best interest to remove the General position all together, all things considered."
"They definitely don't have the best track record; however, I can understand the appeal towards having a General. It may be something I consider myself actually. We've never had one, but I'd like to try it and see how it goes. I'll run it by Lady Vivienne when I return home."
"I'm sure that will go down well with the kingdom. An outsider becoming Queen and an announcement of a new General."
I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm, "One, technically you won't be an outsider. You're my mate. Two, if I want to recruit a General, that's my decision and I won't have anyone question it either. My word is law, and my word is final."
She gave me a small hum and looked me up and down with an expression I couldn't quite comprehend. I didn't question it either as she cleared her throat and continued walking forward beside me,
"Indeed." She replied.
Before I could say my next words, we came face to face with Gloria Myers and my heart rate increased suddenly. Don't ask why, but I was seriously nervous about what she was going to say in response to Brooklyn wanting to leave Kindridas. After losing her youngest daughter to a senseless crime years earlier, I knew it would be hard to lose another daughter to another kingdom. After what happened to Brooklyn, Gloria was staying at the castle until further notice so that she could be closer to her daughter, which was more than understandable.
As she moved closer to us, Brooklyn gently placed her palm on my lower back, seeming to sense my nerves. Her touch did help to ease them a bit, but the nerves didn't disappear completely,
"Hey girls. How are you Laylah?" She asked, once she stopped in front of us. I gave her a small smile,
"Hi Mrs Myers. I'm fine thank you. How are you?"
She waved me off slightly, "I've told you already to call me Gloria. You are my daughters' mate after all."
Brooklyn removed her hand from my back and brought both her arms down by her side,
"Mum, perfect timing. There's something we'd like to talk to you about."
Gloria looked at us confused but nodded, "Go ahead."
Brooklyn ran a hand through her hair and then started to play with her fingers. I brought my hand out and intertwined it with hers, to stop her from fidgeting and to help calm her nerves like she had helped calm mine. She took in a few deep breaths before talking again,
"I've resigned as General. I've made the decision to go home with Laylah to Selestris."
Gloria looked at her wide eyed before she looked at me briefly. She looked between us multiple times before she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment,
"You said resigned. There's no changing your mind, is there?"
Brooklyn shook her head, "I've made my decision and I can't stay in Kindridas while Laylah is her own kingdom. Not anymore."
Gloria nodded, "I've already lost one daughter and now I'm losing another."
"You're not losing me Mum. You can even come with us if you want, right?" She directed the last bit of her sentence to me and I nodded,
"Of course." I responded, "You're more than welcome in Selestris."
She shook her head, "Kindridas is my home and it will always be my home. It hurts me to see you leave but I understand your reason why. Selestris will be a fresh start for you and you deserve it, especially after what you've been through. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you every step of the way but I'm glad you're following your heart."
Brooklyn gently released my hand and moved forward so that she could hug her mum. The moment alone made me want to cry, purely because I knew Brooklyn wasn't usually a hugger and she rarely showed emotion. To see her initiate this, truly meant something and from the expression on Gloria's face, she knew it meant something as well,
"You've always been there for me. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today, and I will be forever grateful. This isn't a goodbye, more of a see you later. Sierra's birthday is in a couple months and you know I would never miss that."
Her Mum smiled, "I know. I'm proud of you Brooke."
I could physically see Brooklyn tighten her grip at those words and I couldn't help but smile. I sort of felt like I was intruding on a family moment, but it was nice to see.
After a few more moments, Brooklyn pulled away from the hug and stepped back to stand next to me, taking my hand in hers again,
"When are you planning to leave?"
Brooklyn looked down at me briefly before looking at her mum, "There are a few things I need to sort out first because I hand over the title of General to my successor but if everything goes well, hopefully in a week or so."
That was news to me but if we managed to leave in a week, I'd be more than happy with that. I assumed it would take a bit longer than that, but I wasn't going to argue with her about it either. The quicker the better,
"Well, if you need my help with anything, you know where to find me and Laylah?" My attention focused on her, sort of afraid of what she was going to say, "Welcome to the family." She finished, making me smile widely,
"Thank you. I'll look after her, I promise."
She smiled at me before she gave Brooklyn a final smile and continued to walk past us. I let out a breath I didn't even realise I was holding, and Brooklyn tightened her grip on my hand slightly,
"That went better than I thought it would."
I nodded in agreement, "I was nervous she would say no."
She shrugged, "Even if she did, I'm twenty-four and old enough to make my own decisions. She knows that better than anyone."
That was true but it didn't make me any less nervous about it. Her Mum wasn't intimidating but she was still her Mum, nonetheless.
After a few more moments of silence, I turned my body so that I was facing her properly, prompting her to do the same. I took her other hand in mine,
"Are we really doing this?"
She smiled and nodded, "We're really doing this. You'll probably have to bear with me while I get over what happened, but we are really doing this."
"Are you sure this is what you want? Not only will you become Queen of Selestris, but you'll be also leaving your career and your home. If this isn't what you want, tell me now."
She raised an eyebrow at me, "After I just handed in my resignation and told my Mum I was leaving, you're still questioning it?"
I sighed, "I know. I just want to make sure."
She released one of my hands so that she could just gently place her hand on my cheek, making me close my eyes at her touch,
"I've never been so sure of anything in my life. I want to be with you and my home will be wherever you are. I won't regret this decision. I promise."
I opened my eyes again to look straight into hers and I knew she was telling the truth. Her voice let me know of that anyway, but her eyes said it all and it just confirmed everything to me.
I leant my head on her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug.
This was the start of new beginnings for the both of us and I couldn't wait to see where we would go from here.