29✨.
Hadrian's POV.
We arrived at the Palace, and Irene and Liam took another route so as not to be seen. My head was throbbing with how to explain to my father and Natasha where I went to. Eleanor took Fred in with Leo for better treatment and I made my way to my father's chambers.
"Where have you been, Hadrian?" Natasha bursts out immediately after I entered the chambers.
I look over her shoulders to see my father lying on the bed while Darius sits close to him.
"Darius? what is this?" I began"...you said he was going to be fine".
"I know sire but all of a sudden, he fell seriously ill. I cannot explain it" he tells me.
"Will he be fine?" I implore.
"Unfailingly, it's in the hands of the gods," he says but I could sense the doubt in his low voice tone.
"Thank you, when he wakes...".
"I'll call you sire" he cuts me in and I nod and made my way out of the chambers with Natasha trailing behind me.
"What you are doing is absurd" she began.
"Oh really, what am I doing if I may ask?" I follow up.
"You leave the palace a day before my wedding, you walk away just like that" she continues, all this talk happening as we both walked through the halls.
"Do I need permission before I go out of my palace now?" I query as we arrived at the stairs and I take some steps down.
"Your father's palace you mean? Hadrian stop!" She stops at her heels which made me halt also. I was beginning to wonder why I had to always stop, Natasha is like a sister to me, no matter what she did, I couldn't see myself not availing for her.
"C'mon, I was enjoying the walk" I joked as she frowns at me. I sigh and lean on the wall to pay more attention.
"Hadrian what are we doing? this is our future we're talking about here," she says.
"Sister please, I..." I try to explain but I'm cut off as she moves closer to me that our faces breathed inches away.
"I don't want to be your sister anymore, Hadrian, I want to be your wife," She tells me as she drew closer and closer, I could feel her breath just under my nose, immediately my thoughts drifted to Irene, I couldn't get what was happens to me, Natasha's lips met mine but it didn't last a second as I pushed her back.
"I need rest," I say and dash out of her presence immediately. I walk through the halls heading to Frederick's room and all I could feel was Irene's presence but she was never there. All I could feel was warmth. It was confusing, one minute I think I don't need Irene, the other it's like she can't leave my thoughts. I arrive at Frederick's doorstep and knock on the door. Standing for a few seconds then the door opens unhurriedly as Eleanor reveals her face.
"Hadrian, come in" she is pleased to see me.
I smile at her and walk in to meet Frederick on the bed sleeping.
"How is he?" I ask.
"Well, Leo performed surgery, it seemed he was bleeding internally," she tells me as she shuts the door behind her locked.
"So is this a bad time?" I joked and she just smiles.
I sigh heavily as I drag a chair tucked into the table and sit.
"Are you okay?" She asks.
I scoff a laugh "my father is ill".
"Oh my, is he okay? was it the draught? I never meant to Hadrian" She says dragging a chair to join me.
"No, it wasn't you," I tell her and heave a sigh"I'm just so tired".
"Irene?" Eleanor smiles.
"She hates me," I say.
"Don't think like that, she is going through so much, the loss of her father, her brother, and his return, it's too much, okay brother? Stop working yourself up, she'll come around" Eleanor rubs my shoulder which made me use all my strength and let out a deep sigh.
"Easy brother" she chuckles and I smiled at her, simply.
*********
Six days since I last saw Irene and since my father woke up. I haven't spoken to Irene, I wanted to give her as much time as possible. I rub my temples as I sat in my room looking at some city affairs Louise showed me.
I'm interrupted by knocks on my door.
"Come in," I say almost immediately. The door opens and I was amazed, it was Irene.
"Irene?" I smile and swallow the lump in my throat.
"Hey, um I came to drop these sheets, and I thought of telling you that...I have been demoted to the royal shed for the horses," She went straight to the point.
"It's good of you to tell me" I stand up from where I sat and walked up to her, she still looked very much beautiful, her beautiful eyes which were now swollen from all the tears, her pointy nose which accompanied her curved face.
"I've missed you" I start as I slowly approach her but she moves back almost immediately.
"Hadrian this isn't a reunion, I came to say goodbye, whatever this is..." She sobs "I can't do it anymore".
"Irene, I..." I shutter as I listened to what she had to say.
"The pain, everything else, I can't take it, I'm sorry" she cries as she turns to leave but stopped on her heels or sandals, she turns back to me and I was shocked as she wrapped her hands around my neck and her lips net mine once more, she didn't let go but it was short-lived as she breaks the kiss and stood inches away from me, her hands still around me.
"I'm sorry" I whimper.
She shakes her head"this doesn't change a thing".
My heart melted at that point as she turns her back and walks out of the door hurriedly. It didn't feel like a normal goodbye, it felt like farewell.
*********
Do vote🥺.
Comment.
Share✨.