Actions and Consequences || l.s. au ✔

4. TORN APART

12 YEARS AGO

Royal Palace of Megara, Carnelia

POV: LEANNA

"NO!"

Leanna screamed out. She knew she was scaring Harry. But...No!

She was standing in the corner of her chamber, back in the palace of Megara. Harry was tucked behind her, hidden by her taller frame. She realised she probably looked like a feral wild animal guarding what was hers. But she didn't care. She was willing to sink her claws into anyone daring to get close enough.

Harry stayed here with her!! No one was taking him away for whatever reasons in the world. At that point, even if the whole of Alamain could sink and burn, but her brother stayed with her.

Lord Karhine gave her a sad smile. Leanna had known him all her life. He had been her father's close friend and advisor. He knew how much Harry meant to her. So how could he even suggest to take him away?

"Please Leanna, he needs to come with me." Karhine got down on his knees so that their heights were equal. Another ugly reminder of just how young and unprepared both she and Harry were to face this world.

After their escape, things had not yet gone back to...normal. What was normal anymore? Lord Harley, their uncle, had been named temporary regent until Leanna came of age. The violent protests and the uprising of Raveria had been crushed brutally, or so they say. Leanna didn't know.

Leanna was technically the queen now. She knew she needed to pay attention to these things, but how could she? When all her waking hours, she heard their screams, again and again and again. That horrible scream. And come night, came the nightmares.

Harry was the same. It was almost a common occurrence that both the prince and the princess ended up sharing the same bed at night. Because who else understood what it was like?

No one, except for their uncle knew that they had heard it all, that night. And they were trying to keep the whole thing a secret too. Leanna and Harry weren't in any secret passages. Nope. They had been simply sneaking round in the royal kitchen and had hid there until Lord Harley found them and carried out the extraction.

But it was a lie.

Leanna had even made an anguished confession to her uncle. About how much she wished she hadn't entered the passages that night. Of how much she regretted taking Harry with him. Harley had simply hugged her tightly as she sobbed. He had told her, that he was glad she did. Otherwise, he would have lost his niece and nephew too, along with his sister and best friend.

Seeing how badly the trauma was affecting both the children, uncle Harley had, apart from giving emotional support, put them into rigorous training. Schooling as well as military coaching. All to keep them both distracted and help them cope.

And it was working. Their minds were always preoccupied. Both of them excelled at diplomatic planning and tactics, and all other necessary skills required by a ruler. Leanna and Harry worked good as a team and were sharp as knives. She had even heard that her uncle was planning on allowing them both to start making decisions about their country within a few months. She and Harry had been so happy that day.

But their dreams crashed once more.

These lords, stupid cursed lords, felt it was necessary to stage an intervention. Barring uncle Harley and a few others, everyone had agreed that the rigorous training Harry was going through, was not suitable for an omega prince.

They felt Harry needed to be trained differently, about different arts and etiquettes, like a proper omega.

Leanna felt these lords needed to be stabbed by the sharp pointy end of her sword.

They had got their wish. She didn't.

She had protested vehemently. Begged, cried and pleaded to not take her brother away. But she had been dismissed like a grieving child!

Did they not understand, that she was a sister too?! That Harry and she needed each other to survive? Especially now! And did they not see just how good Harry was strategizing and politics. He was born to lead nations, not dinner parties. And even Harry had told her that he didn't want to go! That he wanted to stay with her! Had their father been there, he would have listened to Harry. They would all have been together!

She didn't care that she was crying. Leanna turned around and wrapped herself protectively over her brother. Harry clung on tightly too. He too was weeping. It felt as both of them had been carved out from a single block of marble. If they wanted to take Harry away, they would have to break them apart!

Lord Karhine continued to coax her. "You have to let go Leanna. It's for his own good! And he'll come back to visit you just within a few months! This is not good-bye after all!"

The council had put this mater to vote. They had won. Leanna had lost. She peeked over Harry's head and saw that her uncle to was looking grim and disappointed. He too was against this. But there was nothing he could do. Would-be queen? Regent? It simply didn't matter. As long as the throne of Carnelia remained unoccupied, the council was the ruling head of the state.

She and Harry weren't even in the council.

But the nine-year-old lioness wouldn't back down. "HARRY STAYS HERE WITH ME!!!" Harry also nodded his head against her chest, where he was trying to hide.

Karhine's gaze grew strained as he sighed. "You are being unreasonable now Leanna. Stop acting like a child! You are going to be the queen one day and you must learn to make sacrifices! So does Harry. And this isn't even a sacrifice. But rather a specialised training for his growth and welfare. And you are trying to take that opportunity away from him because of your selfishness! How is that fair?"

Leanna shook her head stubbornly. "Don't care. Don't know. HARRY STAYS WITH ME!!!"

Lord Karhine huffed out, as if he had lost all his patience dealing with the meddling girl. "Fine, you leave me no choice. We can do this the hard way too. GUARDS!!"

A few guards walked into the room and grabbed them each. Then they literally started pulling Harry and Leanna apart. Both of them cried out, nails clawing at each other's arms to stick together.

"GET YOU HANDS OFF THEM OR I'LL SHRED THEM TO PIECES!!!" Uncle Harley hollered out with fire in his eyes while unsheathing his sword. But it was too late. They had been broken away. Two of the guards held her down as Karhine and the others dragged Harry, their prince, away.

Leanna completely broke down then, and fell to the floor, sobbing. Only a single whisper escaped her. "I am sorry father. I couldn't protect him. I was not strong enough." And it was true. She was no lioness like her mother used remind her repeatedly. She was just a cub! A useless, harmless kitten!

That night, the entire city of Megara cried with its prince and princess, as their pained protests echoed till the stars. Carnelia herself shook from the brutality, as if her very soul had been torn apart into two pieces. And in a way, it truly had.

Fate asked Destiny. "Is it really required?"

Destiny was grim. "Yes. Raw diamonds don'tshine."

You have my heart felt gratitude for  spending time and reading this story. I cannot thank you enough. Hope you are enjoying it.😊

Love

- Lani💙