30✨.
So sorry my loves, here's one, I hope you like it.
Irene's POV
I have never in my life perceived such a foul smell and it came from the horses while I gathered their dung"you guys disgust me, just like that self-centered Hadrian" a horse neighed as I talk to myself. It was painful to leave him but it had to be done. It was time I set standards for myself, my heart melted at the audacity of my thoughts" I mean the guy thought he could use me" another horse neighed "you get me, I do not understand why all these royalties parade themselves like gods. I mean anyone could be a god, even you guys, you deserve to be worshipped for carrying those egotistical majesties" I hissed abruptly.
"Not all royalties" a voice crept behind me and I jump off my feet disposing of my broom on the dung. That reminded me of how I felt right at that moment. Broom on horses dung.
"Lady Eleanor? Sorry about that___" I shutter fearing she didn't hear all I said but with how she introduced herself, I'm afraid so. "You didn't hear any of that right?" I inquire as curiously.
"What? That you think of us as egotistical royalties and self-centered? Nah, didn't hear a thing" she blurted and I quivered in fear of being punished.
"In my defense, I only called Hadrian self-centered" I protested. I am very stubborn at these things but I haven't seen or heard from Hadrian in a week and I feel...I shake my head to try to stop thinking about him.
"It's fine Irene, I just want us to talk" she confessed to her main purpose. I sigh and look around the stable with the expression that it wasn't a fine place to talk.
"We'll talk at my house" I smile sheepishly and I lead the way to my house, people choking me on the streets with their eyeballs, this is something I got used to coming back from the stables every day, some will murmur in their vaguest voices why I was not dead and others calling me a witch. This time their eyes were on Eleanor as we both walked the streets, some offered her a bite of meat from their shops, and the children put beads on her arm telling her she's their hero, the people loved her.
I open the door to my house and let her in before closing it behind me.
"Your home is beautiful," she said setting her gaze on the decor of my home. I move to the kitchen which shared my living room, dining and bedroom. I wash my face with the water pouring from the tap to get the dirt from the stables washed off.
"Hadrian didn't like it when he first came here" I scoff a laugh remembering the first time Hadrian was at my house, I smiled at the thought but it was short-lived in my mind.
Eleanor just stood at the door smiling at me as I used a towel to wipe my face.
"What?" I showed an expression touching my face as if there was probably dung on it.
"Nothing, I just love the way you talk about him" she confessed.
I simply scoffed and gestured for her to take a seat in the dining" may I offer you anything, my lady?" I inquire respectfully.
"No, and stop with my lady" she chuckled bringing out her beautiful broad smile on a small curved face with slight makeup, she is a lady to be adored by all. "Irene I'm here to talk about Hadrian" she finally pointed out. I was waiting for it but patiently.
"Then I fear it's a wasted journey," I said submissively.
"Irene I get you are hurt but it wasn't Hadrian's fault" she persisted and I raised a brow looking shocked by her choice of words.
I walk closer to the dining and look her directly in the eye" all this, it's because of Hadrian. Ever since he stepped into my life, I lost everything. My father, my reputation..." I started crying as I recalled everything that happened to me since I saw Hadrian"...you heard the chats out there, they call me a witch and a sorceress, I almost lost my life, and look, I am losing my sanity" my eyes swelling and I could feel the hotness burning in my heart crawling up my puffy cheeks.
"Irene, that does not define what you did, you just kiss him out of nowhere and then walk away?" Eleanor says in Hadrian's defense as she stood up and moved closer to me. I couldn't let them tear me apart again as I stood my ground too.
"You think I don't know that. I have been hurt and I have been put down for too long, everything I did, I did for my family and what I get was hate and everything vile I can think of..." I poured my heart out without noticing how hurt I was but I'm sure she knows because my tears couldn't help my eyes "...and of course, you'd defend him, he cares about you".
"Irene, don't say that. He cares about you too, he didn't mean for you to get hurt. He...he was just trying to protect his..." She trialed.
"Enough! Okay? Please I can't take it anymore!.." I squeal covering my ears and tears had their way freely now.
"Irene I didn't come here to talk to you as a princess, I came here to talk to you as a friend, I mean you no harm and I don't want to hurt you further" she confesses.
"I have__no __friends..." I shook"...Eleanor, I respect you more than I do any other royalty and I don't want to lose that respect, if you are truly my friend, I don't want to ever hear this again, this is my life now and I haven't even forgiven Liam. I just want to be left alone please"I sob looking into her already swelling eyes.
She just nodded and took me into her arms, I hugged her back because I just needed a shoulder to cry on and a warm hug. I thought it would make me feel warm and safe and then I remember I have only felt that in Hadrian's presence.
"I'll always be here if you need me okay?" She sniffed and gave me an assuring smile. I nodded and reassured the smile rubbing her shoulder.
Immediately the door opens and she walked out, I shattered into a thousand pieces and fell slowly to the floor. My head was throbbing and the headaches were back, I shivered and sank into tears. The feeling that Hadrian is gone forever rang in my brain and screamed at it... How could I let this happen?
"Ah!".
********
Third Person's POV
Eleanor walked into the king's chambers to find Hadrian sitting next to him and rubbing his hands.
"How is he?" She inquired coming closer to the king-size bed. Hadrian rubbed his eyes which made Eleanor notice his eye bags and she just laughs"...you haven't slept, Hadrian".
"How can I? Darius says his heart is failing and his pulses are getting weak day by day," He tells her and she just sighs and strokes her hand on his.
"It's going to be fine" she gave him a bright smile and he returned it with his most beautiful smile. "I met Irene today" she scratches her hair and regrets her words as Hadrian gives her a stern look.
"So?" That was all he said.
"I know you miss her Hadrian".
"Enough okay? She made it clear when she said goodbye and walked out of my room. I don't want to talk about her right now" He confesses and buries his face in his hands making Eleanor let out a sigh. "I know you're just trying to help but I lost her and I can't get her back, so, just let it go," He tells her and she nods in consensus but in her head, she was all No!
Hadrian heaved a sigh"I need a drink". Hadrian gets up leaving Eleanor with his father and makes his way to his chambers. The door opens and it went shut behind him. Immediately, he took the wine on his table without using a cup and gulped a whole lot. His mind wasn't his own anymore, it was as if a part of him was missing and he dealt with this for two weeks. His pulse ran as if it were in a marathon race and his headaches came back. He wasn't the Hadrian he knew, he didn't even know who he was or who he is at that moment. Irene left and it was like his heart tore apart. He took the wine and sat on his bed soaking himself in his pains. He wondered why a servant girl could cause so much damage.
He lay there and tried to prevent himself from sleeping because of the faces he sees every time he closes his eyes but the influence of the wine prompted his eyes to shut close and his body lay numb.
*******
Minutes became hours as Hadrian lay on his bed, he knew the only time he could get sleep is if he was drunk and now he was. His first peaceful sleep in a long time went just like that with excessive knocks on his door. Hadrian got up like a slug and made his way to the door "who's there?" He inquired then opens the door and peeped outside still rubbing his eyes.
"Your majesty, it's your father. Come quick, something happened" Louise informed, and with a rush, Hadrian panicked and they both took off to the King's chambers.
Hadrian sped in and everyone else was there. He immediately rushed to his father and sat close to him"hey hey, I'm here father. Darius what's wrong?".
"He asked to see you sire".
"Hadrian?" Triton coughs.
"I'm here" he takes his hands into his and interlocks them. "You'll be fine okay?" He tries reassuring him.
"I am ___so sorry my boy" Triton whimpers and Hadrian is confused.
"For what? you'll be okay" Hadrian tightens his grip.
"I am sorry for your mother".
"You have to rest," Hadrian says showing less interest in his mother"I don't want to talk about her, it's just us" he prompted.
"No, no, she was good my boy__I wasn't," Triton tells his son whose eye bags rode so fast"I was the cause of her death" with this Hadrian lets go of his father's hands and recalls all the fights he had with him and Triton would prove virtue.
"What?".
"She wanted to keep you so bad but she couldn't, she died trying to protect you from forces you do not want to go up against. She was strong..." Tears swiveled down his cheeks and Hadrian became angry, squeezing his hands into fists now.
"You killed her..." Hadrian's eyes swole and he ground his cheekbones so hard" Why?".
"Because I had no choice, I had to protect you" he jerked.
"By killing my mother? Father, I don't believe this okay?" tears swerved his already gnashed cheekbones as Hadrian rubs his father's shoulders.
Triton coughed hard like his lungs were about to be spat out and Hadrian felt like strangling him himself.
"It is true Hadrian, if at all my time has come, I would die knowing that you know the truth. I killed her but she died because of you. You killed your mother___" Triton coughed so hard as his last words struck Hadrian and he watched him suffer. Triton reached for Hadrian's shirt and he pulled up using it.
"Sleep old man, sleep" Hadrian uttered as he took his hand to the back of his father's head and put him down slowly.
Triton coughed louder, Darius rushed to help him but is stopped by Hadrian "let him be..." Hadrian looked into his father's eyes"... I want my face to be the last you see. You lied to me all these years and you made me believe she was a monster, that my mother hated me and I tried so hard to believe you but I couldn't because like you said, she was my mother and you took her from me..." Hadrian smiled amidst his tears "...listen to me father..." Triton coughed that his eyes were blood red and he became very feverish"...you said these last words to me, here's mine..." he smirked "...i hope you burn in Hades" Hadrian finished and laid his father's lifeless body on the bed.
"Now you can check him," Hadrian tells Darius as he stood over his father.
Darius immediately rushed onto the bed and put his hands on Triton's pulse and his shoulders fell.
"The king is dead.......
*******
Hey, I decided to make it up to you all.
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