The Partizan - Rosewood Chronicles

Princess? - Part 2

A few days pass and as you begin to settle into Rosewood you realise how much you love it. But you still feel distant from Lottie, she is always with Ellie and Jamie, scheming up some strange plan, and when you go up to them they often change topic rapidly.

One day your suspicions rapidly rise when you're talking to a classmate in maths.

"Aren't you Lottie's sister?" He asks.

"Yeah, why?" You respond, confused.

"I thought there was only one Maravish princess... but are you one too?"

You stare at him blankly then laugh, flabbergasted, "What? Is this a joke?"

"Lottie Pumpkin is the Maravish princess. Are you sure you're her sister?" He begins to look impatient and annoyed.

"Yes I am her sister."

"Whatever, I bet you just made it up." He mutters, uninterested.

Upon leaving the classroom you spot Lottie and go to question her,"Lottie why have you been so secretive lately? People keep saying weird stuff about you. And you're always talking to Jamie and Ellie about some weird...I don't know what. I feel like I barely know you anymore."

"Nothing's going on, why would you think tha-"

"-Stop lying to me." you interrupt sharply, "I just want to keep you safe and I can't do that if you won't tell me anything."

"Y/N, I'm fine. Jamie will protect me if anything happens."

"What would he do? He's just a boy!" Lottie opens her mouth to speak but closes it again, obviously not knowing how to respond,"and what's all this about you being a princess? You aren't if you didn't know. Why is Jamie even protecting you in the first place?!"

"Who told you that I was a princess?" Lottie murmured, her voice growing thick with emotion.

Your eyes narrow, "It doesn't matter, just answer the question."

Lottie hesitates, her brow creasing in remorse, "Jamie's a partizan. Ellie's partizan, but I can't tell you anymore...just please be patient!"

You stop yourself from continuing to rant and try to work out more from what you know, Jamie's a partizan for Ellie, but why? Are they in trouble? He has to work all the time? At only 15?

"I'm not stupid," you can't help the anger prominent in your expression, the cutting edge of your tone, "you know that I managed to get into this school because I was worried about you, do you know how hard that was? Leaving all my friends? Studying every night and losing sleep to catch up and achieve the goals required for a scholarship here? I get that you're close with Ellie and Jamie, I get that you've had a year of school without me and with loads of new people, but I'm not going to let you lie to my face, I can read you, you're my sister. You're acting so selfish by pushing me away, you've always been selfish. Yet you were always Mum's favourite, that stupid tiara was given to you, not us."

Guilt tugs at your heart after you realise what you've said, but you force yourself to walk away, not having the courage to even look at Lottie's hurt expression caused by your thoughtless words.

As you turn away you spot Jamie and Ellie watching from afar, he meets your gaze again. Those enchanting golden eyes, they look as if they belong to a fierce lion, not afraid to challenge others.

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By the end of the school day you're curled up in your room working, when there's a sharp knock at your door.

"Lottie?" you question, dropping your pen midway through Maths homework to look up.

The door opens and to your surprise reveals Jamie staring at you intensely.

"Oh. It's you." you pick up the pen and continue writing maths equations in your book, trying to concentrate.

Jamie sits opposite you.

"Do you ever not work?" He asks, gesturing to the exercise books and equipment scattered across the floor.

"Do you?" you respond, not looking up. (You had done some research on Partizans)

He doesn't speak. "I know what you are," you say, "why do you work for them Jamie?" You begin marking your maths answers with no fault.

"Y/n, look at me." He says.

Reluctantly you face him, and there's a moment that seems to play out in slow motion, your eyes lock, and your heart seems to skip a beat as his intense golden irises burn like suns into yours.

He tentatively reaches forward and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, goosebumps prickling your neck as his fingers brush lightly against your cheek. "You need to speak to Lottie."

The captivating moment fades, and your anger at Lottie returns, "Oh terribly sorry did the 'Maravish Princess' ask for me to see her?" Your tone is burning with sarcasm.

He sighs at your stubbornness, but you see a glint in his eyes that wasn't there before.

"Happy Birthday." He says, standing up.

"What?"

"I never said it." Jamie walks out slowly, glancing back once more, "The answer is the square route of 24."

The door swings shut loudly, echoing across the room, your eyes slowly drop to your homework question, and you realise, the answer is in fact...

The square route of 24.

You suddenly feel horribly alone.

You curl up on the floor, regretting your fight with Lottie and wishing you knew more; but most of all, you want your Mum, and you wish she payed more attention to you when she was alive. Tears begin to drip down your cheeks as you think over it again and again, but give up, overcome by the horrible weight of loneliness.

You wish Jamie hadn't left so soon.

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JAMIE'S POV:

I could hear y/n's muffled sobs, it pained me to listen, I knew exactly how she felt. But I couldn't go back, I had to stay loyal to Ellie and Lottie with no one and nothing distracting me. Not even her.