Rise- Norta United

Three

A/N: Sorry I've been so busy lately. We're approaching the end of the first quarter in Sophomore year and I have nothing below a 80 in any class but in order to maintain that I needed to put my attention on classes. But I'm here now! All the ideas from Chapter One and Two are passing onto Chapter Three and so far, I love this chapter :)

Kamberly

It's exactly 9 when Dorian enters my room and I look up from laughing at Circlette groaning about her boyfriend back in the Lakelands.

Just as we always did, we sat on the bed, Circlette spread on her back or stomach, Eadlyn sitting on one side and me lounging out. 

Eadlyn grins at me before pulling Circlette off the bed and they giggle as they past Dorian before closing the doors and leaving. 

I hear Circlette howl with laughter and Eadlyn shushing her madly. 

I laugh at my friends, and gather the papers I was reading from the bed.

"Dorian." I say softly and I stand, placing them on my desk

He smiles, and I can tell he's uncomfortable being here right now when he touches the corner of his neck, where he has a scar I never learnt the story, but he got it from when he was young. 

"Kamberly, look, I'm sorry about not.. talking about us earlier. It's been a hard couple of months, with Mom's business struggling and Mother trying to support her. But with the cost of tuition at the University, and Mom's business, it's hard." 

I smile sadly. "I understand. If you and your moms ever need anything, please let me know, and my own mom. I know, she's the Queen and all, but you're basically family, you and your family." 

He smiles. "Known. But we would never ask you to step in like that." 

Silence envelopes the entire room and I can't even hear anything outside. 

"So.. I called you here to talk about what we're going to do about each other." I say, sitting back on the corner of my bed. 

He nods. "Yeah, we should probably talk about that. Do you have anything you want to say?" 

I nod slowly, once. "Yes. Look, Dorian, I mean it when I say I think of you as family. I've known you for so long and you're one of my closest friends who lives in Norta. Yes, I love Eadlyn and Circlette but it's hard for them to make the journey to Whitefire. But that's all I think about you." 

Dorian looks shocked, and I wonder why. 

He was avoiding me for months after our kiss, and not even looking at me. 

Like he was ashamed. 

"Dorian, the reason I kissed you on New Year's and Founder's Day was because it would be random and awkward to kiss any other male in the room. At least the guilt from kissing my closest friend wouldn't hurt as much. I don't want to date you, and I know that sounds so selfish because I have an arsenal of suitors but-" 

"Kamberly, are you seriously saying that that kiss was meaningless to you?" He says sharply and I look at him. 

"Dorian-" 

"No. You don't just get to push me away like this after doing something that places our friendship at risk." 

I snap to my feet. "You think I want to do this? The only reason I'm doing this is to be able to be the queen I need to be, and I am under so much stress, from my parents, from the country, from my advisors. Hell, from my own friends. I am the first crown princess to be born into the role, and I need to make sure that that becomes a standard, and a law. I have a large footstep."