The Broken Partizan - 3

Stag - Part 8

You don't last long on the ice after Haru arrives.

It throws off the whole mood, Lottie, Ellie and Anastacia are distant because they know, Jamie's acting weird because you saw him with Haru, and Raphael's confused because everyone else is put off by Haru.

You skate to the edge of the ice, pull off your skates and return to your boots, shoving your cold hands into your pockets.

Jamie's stood on the edge, watching the skaters, then watching you.

He approaches you. "Cold?"

"No actually, the snow is the weather in which I am most comfortable ." You reply sarcastically, clenching your hands in your pockets as an attempt of warming them up.

"I'm sorry." He states, and those gorgeous eyes of his force you to look back at him.

The look lingers, each of you training your eyes on each other. His hunt your face apprehensively for forgiveness, while your own search his for severity.

"I know." You say finally.

He reaches for your hand and holds it in his, he's so warm, and you want to hold him tighter but you can't.

"Not yet, Jamie- I'm sorry." You pull away and grab your skates, walking away as you force yourself not to look back at him.

You always look back at him.

--------------------------------

Wandering aimlessly around the school, you think of nothing else to do besides wallowing in self-pity, so head to the hideout under the Erwin stature in search of a friend.

You turn the 'w' and make your way down, flicking on the fairy lights upon entry: no one's there which is a shame, and you begin to head out again, when you spot a drawer in the old school desk open.

You walk over to shut it, but something catches your eye, it's a notebook, well, a diary.

A curious, compelling urge overwhelms you, and you lift the diary, nearly convulsing in shock as you read 'Haruki Hinamori'.

Not just any diary, Haru's diary, but, what's it doing there?

You leaf through the pages, eyes skimming the Japanese that you are completely incapable of reading, but what you do look at is the pictures. They drop out suddenly onto the desk, and you frown as you look through them, recognising some familiar faces of royals.

One picture is of a group of staff outside the Maravish palace, you know this because you recognise the gardens. Although, in this photo the plants possess much greater amounts of life and beauty. You wonder what happened.

One member in the photo particularly catches you eye, it's a woman, with dark hair and piercing eyes, it's something about her features that reminds you so clearly of something you can't quite point.

You move off the photo and get distracted by another piece of paper that has the first sign of English written on it.

'The little Prince of Maradova'

Your frown intensifies, and a strange, unnameable feeling wells up inside. You lift the paper, prolonging the time taken to see the other side with slow, elaborate movements.

It's him. A photo of Jamie, stag antlers are drawn onto his head in a golden pen, he looks regal and...royal. It takes your brain a second to process the information, and when you realise, it's as if the world has frozen in its tracks.

Memories rush into your mind like a crashing tidal wave, flashing one after another with everything that's happened relating to the Maravish royal family. Jamie's outburst, Lottie's strange behaviour, 'why is Jamie your Partizan?' Claude's constant repetition of his name. His...son's name. Haru knows, Haru's always known.'You should be free from all this, this, mess!'

It was a punishment. Jamie's punishment for being Claude's son was being made a Partizan for his own cousin.

Ellie and Jamie are related.

You drop the photo, staring into nothing, trying to make sense of the sudden flurry of twisted information.

You run out of the room as quickly as you can, only one thing on your mind, finding Jamie.

You don't notice the rain, it's started to hammer down over your head, mixing with the snow and creating a strange slush on the ground. You nearly slip but maintain your balance, sprinting across the school, it takes you nearly half an hour to find him.

Library: No Jamie.

Common room: No Jamie.

Hall: No Jamie.

Art block: No Jamie

Field: Jamie.

You halt suddenly as you notice someone with him, your feet are soaked through, sinking into the muddy grass on the edge of the field.

It's Haru of course, his shirt is lifted and his scar is visible even where you are.

He drops his shirt and begins to speak, but you can't hear what he's saying because of the relentless pattering rain. Jamie's turned away, you have no idea what he's thinking.

Finally it dawns on you, Haru's a master manipulator, Jamie has figured it out and he is at his most vulnerable state.

You belt it, charging across the field to the two figures, yelling his name.

They start walking, oblivious of you.

You slip in a lump of snow water, and collide into the ground, but when you gather yourself and look up...

They're gone.

"Y/N!" Lottie pulls you up out of the mud and slush, her eyes puffy and red, her hair stuck down to her head.

"What happened?" she pants, wiping the mud off of her hand onto her skirt.

Your words tumble from your mouth in a chaotic flurry, "I tripped. What happened to you? Have you been crying? You know about Jamie don't you? Haru's taken him. They're gone, I-I don't know where they've gone. We need to get him back."

"It's okay." She attempts to comfort you but looks so upset it doesn't work. "Here, come with me."

You and your sister rush back to the Elwin statue and run down to find the horrific conclusion to your worries.

The picture of Jamie with the antlers is slap bang in the middle of the desk, and next to it, a smashed wolf pendant.

Your mouth drops open as the worst flood of anxiety drowns your heart.

You left the diary out.

Jamie found the photo.

You stare at one of the red eye pieces of the pendant that is miraculously still intact. It looks as if it's watching you, glaring at you.

Your eyes drop, nose stinging as the tears start to fall with the acknowledgement and guilt of your actions. "This is all my fault."