Jameson
Iris and I studied the book that we were left to. The forbidden, magical book of secrets. Only the hierarchy had laid eyes on it, until today, and now we had to decide what to do with it. "Do we let the free use of magic back into the Isle?" I questioned, at Iris awkwardly. I was trying to assert myself as wise and knowledgeable, but making decisions together was foreign. We had only been married for a week, but already so much had been thrust upon us as the new leaders of the Hierarchy. My mother was still ruling by our side and had a lot of input and (an abundance of her own) ideas that she wanted to see come to fruition. As annoying as having your mother hang off your shoulder when you were a newly wed couple, trying to rule a nation, Iris and I had the final say, so that was something.
"Of course." Iris sighed impatiently, tucking a dark strand of hair behind her ear. "I always said that when I came into ruling that magic would be back. I don't know why my mother banned it in the first place." She was shaking her head in confusion.
"Okay. Magic is back." I stated matter of factly, turning back to the pages in front of us. We both shuffled awkwardly as our wandering fingers touched by accident. I cleared my throat. "What's next?"
"How about giving me some grandchildren." My mother interrupted unexpectedly, walking into the throne room. Her shoes sounded loudly on the marble flooring as both Iris and I moved away from one another swiftly to avoid my mothers unwelcome assumptions. The closer together we were, the more of a chance my mother had to push us together or do something else equally as irritating.
"Hannah, we are going through the royal books and trying to make important decisions. All this talk about children is taking away the focus from something more important." Iris snapped sharply. I personally would never have the nerve to speak to my mother that way but I was secretly pleased when others put her in her place.
My mother folded her arms across her chest, "What is more important than children?" She snapped back, equally as clipped.
"I don't think I even want children." Iris said, not looking up from the book she was reading. If she had met my mothers eyes, she would have tried to take back her words as quickly as she had said them.
"You don't want children..." My mother said slowly. I quickly escorted her out of the building, "Mother. Please. We are trying to go through some very important dealings."
"Part of ruling this kingdom is to bring a new line of royalty into it, Jameson. You need to stop being so passive and ensure you bring new Heirs into this kingdom."
"Yes mother." I soothed her nerves, but really, I knew that if children were to come from Iris and I, it would be up to Iris.
My mother's shoes clicked on the floor as she left, her breath annoyed and clipped. Iris looked at me in frustration, her eyebrows narrowed, a little line appearing between them. Her hair fell across the pages of the book, long and dark. I enjoyed pulling it when I was a child and watching her cry out in frustration, but now, I had the strange urge to tuck it behind her ear. She shook her head, "What are you looking at?"
I mirrored her action, pulling away my gaze. "What else do you want to change?" I countered her question with another. She glared at me, "How about you come up with something you would like to change?"
"Fair enough." I sucked in a breath, turning the pages.
That night I pulled back the cover of the bed that we shared. It felt awkward. Wrong. Iris had her back turned to me. I was going to talk to her tonight... try to make some sense of the book... of our life, but she had gone to sleep before I had even gotten the chance to come to bed. So, I decided to mirror her actions and shut my eyes until darkness engulfed me, dragging me into its never ending orbit.
I dreamed of Violet that night, and of what could have been. I dreamt of our last moment together and even in sleep, wondered what she could be up to now. Was she a good ruler? Was she alone, or did she have company? How was she coping with the loss of her father?
I felt sick and out of place in this kingdom that had been thrust upon me. I wished I could talk to her about it. I wished I could hold her and not be laying here next to someone that hated me. I should have held onto Violet when I had the chance. I should have given her an answer - because the truth was, I did have strong feelings for her, as much as I tried to deny it. I just wasn't ready to run away from my home forever. Maybe now I was.
