Under The Sea

Chapter Thirty - Secrets

Axel stretched out on the soft mattress, untangling himself from the mess of sheets and comforters that enveloped him. His hand falls beside him on the mattress as he pushes himself up, lifting his upper half up to scan the space. Since the night that they made up, Samuel had asked Axel to stay in his room with him and Axel had agreed. Yet, it wasn't like Samuel to disappear in the mornings without warning.

Axel stood, fixing the bed as best as he could with what the maids had shown him, knowing they would still have to fix it, but seeking to help in any way he could. He turned to head into the washroom when he spotted Samuel on the balcony, leaning against the railing. Smiling at the sight, Axel makes his way over to him, coming up from behind and wrapping his hands around his bare abdomen, placing a kiss against his back.

"Good Morning," Samuel sighs, leaning back into his embrace and bringing his hands to rest above Axel's on his stomach.

"Good Morning, boyfriend," Axel returns. He had made a point of emphasizing the word since that night as well. "What are you doing out here so early?"

"Nothing..." Samuel offers, turning in Axel's embrace to face him, "... just thinking."

"About what?" Axel asks, reaching up to peck his lips.

"I want to introduce you to my mother." Axel tenses at his words, and Samuel can see how his words affect him, bringing his hands up to rub Axel's shoulders. "You don't have to, I just thought-"

"No," Axel cuts him off, "no, it's not that. I'm just excited that you want us to meet."

Samuel smiled as he caught the blush creeping onto Axel's cheeks, "I would have introduced you long ago if it hadn't been for her health. But, she has regained most of her strength, and the doctor says she is strong enough to entertain visitors now."

"Then I can't wait." Axel smiles up at him and they share a brief kiss before Axel pulls away, excusing himself to use the restroom.

🐚 🐚 🐚

Axel had been telling the truth when he insisted he wasn't nervous about meeting the Queen, but as they stood before her bedchamber doors, he felt the slightest bit of nerves surging through him. He had met countless royals before, and he knew what to expect when meeting another monarch, but he had never met a monarch that was also the mother of his boyfriend.

"Remember," Samuel began, "she still may not be all good, so just... let her take the lead."

Samuel reached out to take Axel's hand in his own, and a surge of comfort rushed from Axel's palm through his body, fighting off the nerves that had built. With a reassuring squeeze to Axel's palm, Samuel instructed the guards to open the doors, and they entered the large chamber. The Queen's room was kept in pristine condition, and Axel was in awe as he took in everything within the room.

"Lilith?" a soft voice called from behind them and Axel's entire body ran cold, his grip on Samuel's palm tightening in an instant, "Lilith, is that you?"

"Are you okay?" Samuel whispers, having moved closer to Axel.

Axel couldn't respond as his words caught in his throat, his body refusing to relax. He nodded at Samuel, who stepped around him at the move and led him into the room.

"Axel, this is my mother, Queen Katherine Kristley," Samuel begins, pulling Axel beside him at the foot of the bed, "mother this is Axel... my boyfriend."

"Oh, dear," The Queen sighs, bringing her fingers up to her lips in thought as she turns to face Axel, "my sincerest apologies, my boy, it's just... you're the spitting image of her."