Rise- Norta United

Fifteen

Kamberly

It's been a week since Eadlyn left, and Aryan and the Royal Family of Dufj Khafja. 

And it's been two weeks since Carter died. 

We're approaching Christmas in the palace, and the palace is already being decorated in it's finery and beauty. 

But in one of the meeting rooms, the mood is quite the opposite. 

"Your Majesty, are you sure?" 

I nod. "Positive. What other gang would wear the crimson drop of blood then the Red Tears?" 

The man sighs. "Your Majesty, you don't think the enemies could be misleading us? They want you to think it's the red tears." 

I slammed a hand on the table. "Innocent people died that evening, Lord Urkall. Do you propose we brush off those deaths with a flick of our finger while their families still sob at night realizing the hole in their life that was caused by these rebels?" 

The man looks away. "No.. your majesty." 

Skaran catches my eye and shakes his head slightly. 

I sigh. "Meeting dismissed." 

They all stand and file ou of the room but Skaran walks towards me as I trace the rim of the table. 

"You're being too harsh on yourself, Kam." He whispers softly as I stand and I shake my head. 

"I might not be harsh enough." 

He pulls me close and his lips close over mine. "You're under a lot of pressure. You need to unwind. When was the last time you visited your friends?"

I sigh. I see what he means. 

"Not in the past two weeks..." 

He smiles at me. "Right. In the meantime, you'll hang out with your friends. Me, and Alexander are working together to find the rebels along with Malcolm and West. You've been working so hard to please your parents, to grieve the losses, still moving on from Carter's death, and finding the rebels as well as finding a husband. Kamberly please." 

I smile at him softly. "Okay I will." 

He smiles at me again. "Good. I love you, you know that right?" 

His lips cover mine and I smile as he pulls back. "I know." 

He gives me one last smile, and walks from the room. 

In the last month, things between me and Skaran had progressed very quickly but I couldn't admit I loved him. 

Not yet. 

He's right about me being exhausted. 

Some nights I stay up until dawn without realizing it and collapse in exhaustion to get a few hours of rest before meetings start at 10. 

I should spend some time with Piper and my other friend Adriana. 

And after that, sleep. 

Real sleep. 

But things have also progressed with Ambrose, and Alexander. 

Alexander has helped so much in getting information on who killed Carter, and there have been plenty of broadcasts and photographers. 

After I wake up from few hours rest, I dab concealer on the bags under my eyes to hide the purple bruises. 

That's when I remember. 

It's my brother Ben's birthday.

He's turning 9. 

I run down the hall to get ready for his party in an hour and dress in a black dress with a silver griffin, his favorite creature. 

My maid says nothing as she retouches up my face but I know she wants to say something. 

"Marie, I can hear your thoughts about to pop out of you. You don't need to hide anything from me." 

She relaxes her shoulders. "Your Majesty, have you been sleeping at all?" 

I sigh. "Everyone seems very interested in my hours of sleep recently." 

She places a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I know it's not my place, but you're working yourself to death. You work yourself to the exhaustion where you collapse on your desk, milady. We're worried about you." 

Mom enters and Marie quickly draws her hand back and curtsies. "Your Highness..." 

Mom smiles. "We need a few minutes to ourself Marie." 

Mom touches Marie's cheek, a tradition she began with silver-working maids at the palace. 

I think it has to do with she used to be silver, understands their position, or recognizes them as a part of our family. 

Mom smiles at me in the reflection. "Hi honey." 

I sigh. "Hi Mom." 

She braids my hair slowly, not even looking at the hair as she looks at me. 

"I heard from Skaran that you were a terror in that meeting." She teases but I look away. 

"I didn't mean to be so harsh but its been two weeks and we still haven't found them. But I'm done with excuses. I can think properly when we find them. Actually find them. I don't want potentials, I need answers that need to be corrected." 

Mom nods. "You know the same thing happened to me when you were born." 
I look up at her. "What do you mean?" 

She sighs. "When you were 3, you and your brother were kidnapped by anti-Reveri opposers. Finding you in an hour was the hardest thing I ever had to endure but I knew I would need you back. You don't remember it and neither does your brother, but being pregnant with Alex, I was so terrified. Your dad nearly wanted to burn the country to the ground to find you and.. oh my god it was awful. But we knew we needed answers. Fast. You'll get them, Kamberly. I promise." 

"You never told us." 

She laughed. "Probably because you were gone for less than an hour." 

As we walked into Ben's birthday party, I shook my head.

 "Ridiculous isn't it?" Caleb asked me as he joined my side and I laughed. 

"No, it just screams Ben."

The ballroom was a themed dinosaur party." 

And as I ate cake, and photographers caught photos of me, and i daced with my brothers and the Kingsgame men, I was happy,  I needed this break. 

Around 8, my stomach hurt and I bent over in pain, clutching Alexander's arm. 

"What's going on? Are you okay?" He asks and I hiss through my teeth. 

"Yeah, I think I might be ill or something. I'm fine, I'll be back. Tell my parents I needed some air." 

I walk from the room, heels clacking through the quiet halls.

 It's too quiet. 

I turn into my room. "Marie?" I call and hear nothing. 

"Marie." 

I walk into the bathroom and gasp as the lights click on. 

Marie is lying on the floor, silver blood pooled underneath her. 

I open my mouth to scream when a napkin covers my mouth. 

The last thing I hear is two words in a familiar voice. 

"Goodnight, Princess." 

A/N UHHHH OHHHHHH! sorry it's short, the next one will be longer