17 "PLEASE, STOP."

HALE'S POV

Sometimes, your doom and your boon comes with the same face.

And sometimes, you don't know how to differentiate between them.

I looked at the mirror in front of me, while trying to fight through the thoughts of my father, and reach a place that felt a little less blue.

"Be grateful, you little rascal!"

"The Lormeians are your sworn enemy."

"I would have rather you died in that war. At least this way your brother would get a chance to be the king the Mortales deserved."

"I w-"

"Stop.", I whispered.

"You don't deserve this opportunity. Your mother would have been really disappointed at you. Such a disgrace!"

I moved into the bathing compound and sat down inside the warm water the maids had filled.

"Please, stop."

"If you weren't the only heir to the throne, I would have let you bleed to death, here-"

"Just stop!"

I began to yell but paused when I heard someone knock at the door.

"Your Highness! There were noises, are you alright?"

Damn it.

"Yes, everything is alright."

I had had enough of this rose smelling water. I was going to give whoever had prepared the bath a piece of my messed up mind.

I couldn't understand the need to add a scent to your damn bath. Once dressed I began to make my way to Vina's room.

I had made my decision. I was going to appoint someone along with her as the co-colonel. I needed to take away some responsibilities from her shoulders. It was clearly affecting her health, and I would rather have her hate m-

"I can't believe it, you fucking bastard. The mere fact that you had the nerve to take away half of the duties of a position i had worked so hard for. I get sick for a day, and you think I am weak for this job. God, I can't believe you are my best friend. You know what, you drop me from my position as the ONLY colonel, I drop you as my best friend. For Daeg's sake, or whoever it is you people worship, I can't hate anyone more than you right now. On top of that you chose a man? A man to be my 'co-colonel? Do you even know how that makes me feel? Do you know what the people will think? Of course not. Because you didn't think about anyone other than me. A female appointed just to be accompanied by another man. The Royals probably thought she needed supervision. This is what people will think about me when you and I know know, fully well, that I worked hard for this position. I bled and I tried for you to realize that I was good enough. And this is how you repay me for serving your army? "

I sighed.

I had already expected this.

"Vina, listen to m-"

"I don't want to listen to you, you idio-"

"Davina! I did what I thought was good for you. I am your best friend, and I am your family, but above all, I am your king. And if you can't respect me as your best friend, then I require you to respect me as your king. You think, I hadn't noticed your little things? The dark circles under your eyes? The lessening of your daily meals, and then directly skipping them? The way your skin began to lose its color and right now, it's as pale as a sheet. I noticed every little thing, but I stayed quiet. Thinking, 'it's Davina. My dear Vina. She wouldn't do anything to put herself in danger.' But you did. You pushed yourself until the level your body couldn't take it anymore. Until the time you didn't wake up. Do you think that it was easy for me? To hear that you didn't wake up? The number of thoughts that ran through my head when I was making my way to your room. And waiting for the doctor to come out and say something? You were lying there on the bed, not caring one bit about yourself, while I suffered for something you did. And you don't find me complaining. Because that's what people who love you do. And if you can't accept it as my friend, then accept it as a part of my kingdom!"

I folded my arms, and tilted my head. Waiting for her to respond.

"I will then, your Highness."

My face hardened. I hated how she still decided to stay upset with me.

"I would like to be left alone for a while. It would be great if you took your leave, your Highness."

Fuck.

I nodded and began to move away from her.

"I hope you come into your senses, Vina."

"I would like to be called Davina, which is my name, your Highness."

She was being immature. I knew where she was coming from, but I was sure people wouldn't think that of her. After all, she was the first female colonel and continued to be the only one for almost three years. This partner of her's is only going to be there for a few months until she has gained her health back fully.

It took me a good twenty minutes to walk back to my chamber. Just when I thought that my day couldn't get any worse, I saw that boy outside my chamber.

Benjamin, wasn't it?

"Good Evening, your Highness! Hope you had a good day!"

I nodded. I thought that if I complied to his optimism then he would leave me alone sooner.

"Yes, it was something like that."

I opened the doors to my chamber, and made sure to close it before he could enter too.

I quickly scanned my room, but nothing had changed.

I don't know what it was that I wanted to change, but a part of me just wanted to rip of the blue walls and paint them some other color.

Any other color.

These blue walls reminded me more of the past I desperately wanted to forget, than anything else.

"Guard!"

I waited for that boy to come running inside, and when he didn't I called again.

"Guard!"

Don't tell me he expects me to do that.

I sighed. God was really testing patience today.

"Benjamin!"

And that' when he came running in.

I pursued my lips at him, and he just smiled innocently.

"Do one thing for me, will you. You seem to hear things, right?"

"Well I have been gifted by Daeg with fully functioning ears. So I do hear."

"Boy, I had a really long day. Okay? I just want to know a little about someone. If you can't do that for me, please just leave. I can not, for the love of god put up with your annoying attitude."

He chuckled.

He CHUCKLED.

AT ME.

"Alright then, your highness. Who is this person you want to about?"

I sighed. Finally, he gets on track.

"This someone, is known as Rosabella Agapov.