Royal Games

Chapter 25

Dreamless sleep. Tranquil sleep.

I wake up well-rested and ready to take on the next day. The next day? Daylight peaking through my cream curtains alerts me to the fact that it's now morning.

"Good. You're awake." I notice Liam sitting at my desk, wooden chair facing me.

"Why did you have to ruin my fun? I have boring work to do now." I moan.

"At least you're thinking about work."

"Were you watching me all night? That's creepy. You should've just joined me in bed."

"I was at the palace all night. I only just got here."

"Oh." I push the duvet aside and get out of bed. Or, at least, I try to. I writhe and wriggle, but I can't seem to lift my butt off the soft mattress. "Hey! Why can't I get up?"

"Magic." Liam answers matter-of-factly.

"Is that how I'm in my pyjamas too?" I can't believe Liam or Isaac would've undressed me while I was unconscious.

"Of course."

"How do I get up?" My voice strains as I attempt to slide myself off the mattress, failing miserably.

"I will allow you to get up when you come back from oblivion."

"You can't do this to me! I'm your princess! Release me at once!" I continue to struggle against the magic holding me hostage.

"You're lucky your new friends have already left the house, screaming about your true identity like that." Liam's tone is slightly patronising.

"As if I care. They don't want to hurt me, unlike you." I spit the last two words.

He looks taken aback. A pained expression crosses his face. Good. He should feel guilty for doing this to me.

"I don't want to hurt you." He says gently. "I'm trying to help you."

"By making me miss my morning seminar? Great plan." I say sarcastically.

"You won't miss it. Because you are going to come back from oblivion."

Reluctantly, I stop moving. Instead putting all my effort into appearing authoritative. "No. As my guard, I command you to free me."

Liam's responding laugh annoys me. "I'm paid to protect you, not serve you. Even if that means disobeying a command to protect you from yourself."

I huff. "You're not paid to protect me anymore. You've sworn loyalty to me."

"And when you come back from oblivion, you will thank me for my loyalty."

I consider everything Liam has said this morning, everything that happened last night. Oblivion is so much fun, and it makes me feel really powerful. But Liam and Isaac won't let me enjoy it. If I stay in oblivion, they're going to make my life extremely difficult.

I sigh. "If I come back from oblivion, do you promise to let me go?"

"Yes. I promise." He looks serious. I believe him.

I take a deep breath in. Then I breathe out. As I do, all my horror and fear from last night comes rushing back to me, so quickly it gives me whiplash. I gasp at the sudden pain in my head. I realise how much of an idiot I was for falling into oblivion.

"Don't lecture me." I say weakly. The void that filled my body last night returns, although, thankfully, not as vast or chilling as before. "I feel bad enough already."

I curl up in a ball, not caring that I sense a tingle, indicating my release from the bed. Wrapped up in the protection of my own body, I allow all my negative emotions to flow through me. Salty water pricks my eyes. I let it roll down my cheeks and pool on the comfy pillow.

"Alyssa." Liam says softly. I feel a shift of pressure on the bed as he sits on one side of it. Slowly, with a feather light touch, he strokes my hair. It's soothing, even though it doesn't ease my tears. "You've got nothing to feel bad about. Seelies sometimes fall into oblivion when overcome with extreme emotion. Anyone could've done it in your situation."

"But you didn't." I say between tears.

"Believe me, I was tempted to. I..." He goes momentarily silent. His hand stops stroking me and simply rests on the back of my head. "Cleaning up in the theatre. Getting you back from oblivion. I've been using them as distractions. Ki... What I did yesterday, I've been avoiding dealing with it. I don't even want to think about it."

My tears slow. He moves his hand away as I roll over to stare up into Liam's brown eyes.

"Then let's talk about something else." I suggest.

"There was actually something I wanted to tell you last night. I brought a few things from the palace for you. Not much, just your birthday presents from me, Nessa, and Helena. I wasn't sure if you would want them or not, but..."

"Thank you." I say sincerely, interrupting him. I continue wryly. "Although I might throw the snow globe at a wall at some point."

Liam chuckles. "I won't stop you."

I groan. "Slight change of subject, but I'm so embarrassed about last night, and this morning. I'm incredibly sorry about trying to come on to you like that."

"You don't need to apologise." He says quietly, looking away from me.

I gaze at him for a few seconds, contemplating his words, his actions. A thought I never considered before crosses my mind, and I'm sure I'm right about it.

"You don't like me as a friend, do you?" I ask.

"No." Liam turns back to face me again. I see longing in his eyes, begging me to tell him what he wants to hear. But I can't lie to him about it.

"I'm sorry, Liam. I don't think of you like that."

The longing in his eyes fades to something hard. How long has he been in love with me? I wonder.

"I didn't think my feelings were returned." His voice is icy, but I don't think the iciness is aimed towards me. I suspect it's aimed at himself.

"I feel awful." I want to continue, but Liam holds up his hand.

"Don't. I'd rather know the truth than have you leading me on."

I reach out and clasp my hand in his. "I'm still your friend. Your very, very good friend who is going to be late for her seminar if she doesn't get ready soon." I smile. He smiles back.

"Are you sure you're okay to go to class? You still look pretty shaken up."

"I'll be okay. I've spent my whole life carefully controlling how I act in public."

"Really? Because you weren't very good at it last night." Liam jokes. I cut him a mock warning glare.

"It will be easy enough for me to pretend that I don't want to throw up or cry or whatever, but I don't want to do it anymore. I left the palace thinking I wouldn't have to put on a performance all the time. I really hope this is the last time I have to do it."

"I won't lie to you by pretending I'm sure it will be. But I know you're strong enough to get through this, and whatever else life throws at you." Liam lets go of my hand and stands up.

I also stand, getting up from the bed with ease. "Thank you." I say as he walks out the door.

I run through the motions of getting ready for by late morning seminar, but my mind is preoccupied. I try to make sense of everything that's transpired since me and Isaac entered the theatre yesterday. That leads me to wonder what Isaac's been up to since I passed out. His poor wings! One thought overwhelms my next, until I have to stop thinking for fear of a panic attack. I spend the rest of the day on auto-drive, but not quite in an emotional void.