The Kings of Hearts.

Chapter 23

"Hey. How bad is it?" I asked as Erica and I arrived at the backdoor and Freya and Isla were sitting outside on the stairs, both looking up at me.

"Full on fight at the moment. Rose went to work, Luther and Daniel are doing something else as well." Isla stated. "We thought we'd wait here so you can go inside and we can go into the city with Erica, if that's ok with her?"

I looked at Erica and Erica stared back at me and she gave me a nod and I nodded. "Sounds good. Thank you. You two are too nice." I said giving them both a kiss on their cheek. "Wish me luck."

"May Seglusa bless you today." Freya said with that cheeky mum grin and I rolled my eyes as I walked in and I wanted to ask one of the people working here where they were, but I could already hear mum shouting and I let out a small breath as I arrived at the kitchen and I took in the scene. Father was standing against the kitchen counter, well behind it. His arms on it and his head down as he looked exhausted by what was happening. Dad and papa were seated on the couch observing mum, whom was yelling at father from the other side of the counter like a pitbull. I could hear her saying something along the lines of 'And my children should not be bothered with your side bitch and her bastard children'. I closed my eyes at that as father now looked up and he looked fully pissed off.

"Mom." I said before father would speak. I used my king voice as I was a bit upset by this whole situation as well. Mum turned her head and she looked at me and the look of despair and pain in her eyes, it was heartbreaking to see. "Stop it. It wasn't Heathers fault, nor was it James or Ruby's fault and Father wasn't even there."

"SEE WHAT THAT BITCH DID?" Mum yelled two seconds of silence later. "She's turning my children against me!" Mum said as I could see the pain in her eyes.

"She isn't mum. I'm serious. I'm not bothered by it. Erica isn't bothered by it. She didn't mind. I swear." I said walking up to her and she looked at me with those wide Caroline eyes, and she was full on in pain. "Please believe me when I say that I don't mind seeing Heather. I won't make it a frequent thing, but I'm not bothered by it. I won't visit her, or deliberately look for her. But in this country it is sort of not weird that we bump into them every now and then. It's fine. Genuinly. Don't get all worked up by it, it's not worth your time nor your energy." I said grabbing her face and she looked at me and the pain in her eyes. "And maybe it's time, after 15 years now, to talk to father about it in a calm manner." I suggested. "Not today, because well, you're worked up and I'm not mad at you for that, or annoyed, I understand it. I can understand it. But you have nothing to worry about. You are my mother, you will always be my mother. I love you more than everyone in this world combined, but don't ever let Carrie hear that because then I can't bless you with cute grandchildren ok?" I said and a smile appeared on her face.

"You're so much like your papa." She said as I wiped the tears off of her face.

"It's a blessing and a curse." I joked back and she giggled a bit at that and I smiled very widely. I looked at father whom looked absolutely heartbroken. "Do I have permission to speak frankly?" I asked looking into mums eyes and she stared back at me and nodded. I looked at dad and papa whom were staring at me in total and utter shock, as I had managed to calm mum down. I had this feeling that they had tried as well but failed. "Can I?" I asked and dad and papa nodded. I looked at father whom poured some whiskey for himself in.

"Go ahead." Father said and I wiped more tears from mums face and I let out a small breath.

"I love you all so much, you know how much I love all four of you." I said as mum went and sat down next to dad whom put his arm around her and she held onto it.

"We do." Mum said carefully and I could see she was afraid of what I was going to say now.

"But this can't go on any longer." I said carefully and they all stared at me with a frown. The four of them were sitting on one side, and I on the other. Fuck, this could go wrong. "This can't go on any longer." I added carefully and I grabbed the glass of water from dad and I took a sip. "I'm not pulling an Ana, I don't want to be disowned. But the situation between you and father is much worse compared to years ago." I said carefully looking at mum and mum stared at me with a blank look now. "I don't know what happened in the past year. Maybe because we're all out of the house, but I think- I. I love you two so much father and mum, you know that. I understand both sides of your stories, from what I've heard. I can understand that mum was upset with the surprise of the pregnancy of Heather and father I can understand why you were confused by it because you had spoken about it years before that. You two fight like you hate each other, but the way I see it, is that I see two people whom love each other so fucking much but have both been absolutely heartbroken and hurt by the other persons actions." I said and mum was staring at her hands now and father was staring ahead. "And this can't go on forever. Because we don't know the future. We don't know what is going to happen and if Seglusa forbid dad and papa die before father and you, this- you two need each other just as much as mum needs papa and dad. Or if father dies before you guys had the time to make your peace, it would be horrid.The four of you are a packaged deal. I've watched loads of videos from the four of you when you were- before the war." I stammered nervously at this. "I just-" I shook my head and I looked sideways. "You two love each other so much, he was the person you trusted the most, even though you knew about his plans to marry her while you were kidnapped. That can't be because of trauma or Stockholm syndrome, that's because you love him mum" I said grabbing her hand and she was still staring ahead. "And father, even though you - I know that mum is your whole fucking heart if not more. I see the way you look at her when she doesn't know you're looking. I can see you breathing differently when she isn't in the room. We can all see it. We all see the pain the two of you are in, and paraphrasing what Seglusa's fifth scripture says; a heart in pain, it's no way to live."