Sanity

15. The Confrontation

Jaelyn passed the night restlessly in Noah's bed, as he slept like a baby on the floor beside her. She spent most of the morning, despite Noah's pleas, pacing the floor and pulling at her dress and hair. Her thoughts were going crazy, and she couldn't control them. Every possible scenario crossed her mind in the time she spent locked away in that room waiting for Noah; everything from William dying horribly to Korey Matzen taking over his throne. Dread filled her bones the longer she was alone, and she couldn't help but assume everyone was dead and she had failed.

The door to the room swung open and Jaelyn jumped up, ready to swing her fists at the intruder.

"Wait, it's me!"

Jaelyn froze, dropping her arms as a blush stained her cheeks. Noah also dropped his arms from the defensive position they had taken up and sighed.

"What happened?" she demanded quickly, her eyes flying the course of his body for injuries or blood, whether it be his or someone else's. "Is he okay?"

"He is fine," Noah assured her, laughing light-heartedly. He sobered up quickly, however, as though he remembered the real reason he was here. "The coronation went fine; he is the new King of Jaquin."

"And... Korey? Tank?"

"Furious," Noah replied solemnly, his eyes hardening as he spoke. "They seem frantic. They are looking for you. Which means it is time."

Her heart sank in her chest.

"Time to tell the truth."

He nodded, not saying anything as he studied her expressions.

"Okay, let us go, then," she replied with a deep sigh, smoothing down her dress as her heart threatened to leap out of her throat. "Quickly, before I change my mind and kill you so I can run away instead."

Noah led her out of his room, glancing up and down each corridor and hallway as they moved slowly through the palace. It was sweet, how protective of her he had become, and it almost broke her heart when she realised that she might not ever see him again after the day's events unravelled.

They neared the throne room, and so far, they had run into no one. There were two guards standing on either side of the doors, but they opened them swiftly for Jaelyn and Noah, ushering them through. Jaelyn walked in first, glancing around the big empty space she had stepped into nervously, as if expecting Tank to jump out and drive a knife deep into her gut. But all thoughts and fears were erased from her mind when she saw him.

King William Emery sat on the throne that was once his father's, looking tall and proud. A strange look covered his face; one she hadn't seen him sport in a long time. He looked... happy, almost. What was going on?

"William, I-"

"Leave us." His voice boomed across the room, screaming authority. She flinched at the power of it; at first, she thought he was talking to her. But then the guards that were standing beside the base of the throne's platform all moved toward Jaelyn, walking past her and out the doors. They clicked closed behind her, which was when Jaelyn realised Noah had not followed her into the room.

Shit.

She held her hands together nervously, fidgeting as she struggled to make eye contact with him. This was going to be the most difficult thing she would ever do.

"Will, I need to tell you something," she said finally, taking a few slow steps towards the throne. He got up from the chair as soon as her mouth opened to talk, taking the crown off his head and leaving it on the cushion as he walked down the steps. His eyes never left hers.