Lottie woke up to Jamie opening her door, still in his own pyjamas. She smiled half heatedly, still half asleep. "What are you doing in here?" She yawned, stretching out her arms. Jamie smiled, shutting the door behind him. Lottie sighed, pulling her duvet as she sat herself up. Once her eyes had adjusted to the light, she could see his eyes were puffy and red. "Hey?" She said softly "what's wrong?". Jamie looked at her and she could see he was hurt, not physically but emotionally. He sat down on the edge of her bed and buried his head in his hands.
Lottie quickly got up and hugged her arms around him. "Jamie, hey, what's happened?" she whispered, not used to seeing him like this. Jamie shook his head in his hands "he betrayed me, he betrayed everyone" he muttered, a slight crack in his voice. Lottie stayed quite, rubbing circles along his back with her palm. He let out a sigh, scrunching his hair up in his hands. "Jamie, who?" Lottie whispered calmly. Jamie looked up at her, the hurt that was there was how fury. "CLAUDE WOLFSON IS MY FATHER" he yells. Lottie looks at him in shock before quickly rapping her arms around his neck and letting him cry into her shoulder. She held his head with her hand, still rubbing his back "I'm so sorry" she whispers, "Jamie, that doesn't define you, ok? You are the most loyal person I know, don't let this get to you" she continues. "Thank you for coming to me, I'm glad you didn't bottle this up, don't be ashamed ok" she added.
Jamie sits in Lottie's embrace until everyone in the palace is up. "I love you so much" Lottie tells Jamie as he sits silently, looking out the window. Jamie nods as if to say "me to". Just as Lottie looks at Jamie again with a worried and sympathetic expression, their door opens to reveal Ellie. "Morning guys, hey Lottie your mirrors hear" she says, jumping down onto the bed. Lottie smiles at Ellie, quickly taking Jamie's hand into hers. Ellie notices, looking up at Jamie who had his back to her, quietly looking out the window. She looks to Lottie with a puzzled expression and mouths 'is he ok?'. Lottie shakes her head in reply, biting her lip.
Ellie widens her eyes. What the hell had happened? Jamie is never upset, never, he's always kept his feelings to himself. They all sit there in silence, a comfortable silence. "Jamie? I'm so sorry, I wish there was some way I could change this" Lottie whispers, studying Jamie's side profile as she held his hand. Jamie looked at Lottie and squeezed her hand "it's ok" he said.
"Wait so that means me and Jamie are cousins? Woah" Ellie gasped as Jamie finished explaining. "How did you find out?" She continued. "I, I found a diary he kept when I was looking for Lottie the other night and earlier this morning came across the fact he is my biological father. Except he didn't want to be a father and ran away" Jamie replied, fiddling with Lottie's tasseled blanket. "That explains so much, I wonder where he went" Lottie sighed, as if she was thinking out loud. "I don't want to know" Jamie said bitterly. "No, no of course not" Lottie quickly replied. 'If my dad knows you are his brothers son, I'm gonna kill him" Ellie said, leaning against Lottie's headboard as she played with Mr Truffles. "Well, we know one thing, none of us have great fathers" Lottie exclaimed getting a laugh from Ellie and a weak smile from Jamie.
"Let's go get breakfast, I'm starving" Ellie moaned, pulling Lottie's arm. "You coming?" Lottie asked Jamie who shook his head. "Stay here, I'll be back shortly" Lottie replied, planting a kiss on his cheek before rushing to follow Ellie who was already making her way to the kitchens. "Do you think he'll be ok?" Ellie asked Lottie once she had caught up. "Yeah, just a shock I think" Lottie replied, looking around at all the family portraits. "I can't believe it" Ellie exclaimed, looking to Lottie. Just as they reach the entrance of the kitchens, Lottie's stomach lets out a loud rumble. Ellie giggles, skipping over to the cupboards. "Oh my Lottie you must be hungry, no wonder, you're and hour later than usual" the cook says, pulling out two plates for them both. Lottie laughs "oh uh, busy" she says. "Where's Jamie?" The cook continues. "He wasn't hungry, something about a stomach ache" Ellie buts in, chewing on her banana. Lottie nods, joining Ellie with a strawberry smoothie.