L.Q High [Book 2]

Twenty-Two : Love and Hatred

I didn't get much jet lag when we returned home. The nervousness and fear are still inside me, and it's so hard to stay calm during a time like this.

The moment the limo stopped, I ran outside and inside the palace with Darwen. The same powerful aroma when I entered the castle in same as before. Even the guards this time are much heavier than usual, and you can notice it with one glance.

"Kloiro!" I yelled throughout the halls.

"Brendan!" I exclaimed when I saw a familiar person not far from where I was standing.

"Lille! Darwen!" Brendan exclaimed, his face filled with relief.

"Kloiro's this way. Follow me." He started walking, so we followed. My hands are running with cold sweat again.

"Esmeray!" I heard my mother's voice; the moment my gaze went to her, I ran to her and hugged her tight. I miss my mother's embrace.

"How's Kloiro?" I asked, worried and terrified at the same time. Mother's gaze went so somewhere, and I followed it.

I gasped in shock when I saw a Kloiro, full of bruises on the face and all over his body. He was lying there with pain visible on his face. Seeing him in this condition made my blood boil. Who did this to my brother?!

"The Royal Physician said Kloiro had passed the critical stage. He had broken bones, but they were able to heal them. Based on Kloiro's injuries, he fought till the very end."

I scoffed. "How did this happen?! Brendan, you should have stopped him! Why did you let this happen?!" I'm furious!

"Now, now, Lille. Rafael has nothing to do with this." Father fought for Brendan. I can't believe it!

"Tell me everything that happened!" I demanded.

"That's what we plan to do, but first, let's move into the royal study. Nox still needs more rest." I agree, so I waited when we arrived at the royal study.

"There are reports of bandits all over Zion. Knights easily resolved these cases. But... another one occurred, and Nox insisted on joining this time. Little did we know that groups of bandits are alliances against our kingdom. Our troops being unprepared, went for battle; almost nothing they could do. Thankfully, we didn't lose any men, but... it's sad to say some had major injuries; some are still in critical conditions." Father explained. Based on everything he said, I got a tiny glimpse of what he wanted.

"So, in short, you want me to see if I can heal them?" I frankly asked. I don't see why I returned home and why they wanted me to go home so urgently. If there is war, I would be much safer in L.Q High than being stuck in this castle, acting friendly to all those people so they would like me. Does being a princess bring the responsibility to be nice?

"Lille, don't speak to your father that way. Of course, we wanted you to go home. We haven't seen you for a few years; stop making up those notions." I rolled my eyes. I rolled my eyes in front of my parents.

"Can you just please stop acting!" I yelled, especially at my father. "Stop acting as if you care about us; stop acting as if you've done something for this family! You only care about yourself, and stop acting like you love your mother! Are you even worried about what happened to Kloiro?!" I yelled everything I wanted to say in my father's face. The mother seemed shocked.

"Yes. Yes, I know about everything!" I exclaimed and ran off. I know all along with that my father's cheating on my mother. I once caught him kissing some b*tch in some empty room here in the castle. It was when I was in my second year of college, and since then, I have never returned home. If it weren't for Kloiro, I would never return.

The audacity of him kissing another woman inside the castle where the queen and his children could see! I always had great respect for my father, but because of what he did, I know he's just some pathetic jerk.

.

.

I visited Kloiro in his room—they got him to transfer. After running off, I returned to my room, coming here almost daily. It's been two weeks, and he's still unconscious.

Kloiro's room is just as spacious as ours, but he always preferred a 'calm environment'—he says that's why his room is a mixture of gray and white.

"Come in," I exclaimed when I heard a knock on the door. It must be the Royal Physician.

I stood up and curtsied when I saw Bryan; even if I didn't want to, I needed to.

"Ahh, Neveah. How lovely to see you, it'd been so long; how are you doing?" I almost kicked him in his gentle-yet disgusting tone.

"Quite well, Prince Bryan," I emphasized Prince since he doesn't know how to give respect to my title.

"I apologize for intruding. May we visit Prince Kloiro?" An intoxicatingly beautiful lady appeared from Prince Bryan, the frog behind.

"You must be Princess Neveah. I've heard a lot about you from Prince Kloiro and Prince Rafael. I am Princess Blaizelle Psyche Zenobia from the kingdom of Synagogue. Also, Prince Bryan's cousin." She's smiling brightly. She sure talks a lot. But, wait. Rafael? Brendan wouldn't let anybody use his second and third name just by anybody.

I smiled back. "Sure, I'll leave you for a moment," I exclaimed and went out. But before I could go far, I heard someone call my name.

"Neveah!" Bryan called.

"What?"

"Neveah, I just wanted to apologize." My eyebrow creased.

"For what? Being a jerk?" I uttered, but instead of being offended, he laughed. He laughed!

"I admit that I was a jerk. But please, hear me out; throughout the years, I grew, and I'm no longer the jerk I was a few years ago. I don't want any more trouble, and I just wanted to ask—-do you wanna be friends, Princess?" I'm slightly skeptical about his apology, but I could hear sincerity in his voice. True, if he wasn't the person a few years ago, so am I. We grew to learn our differences and flaws---fought our demons within ourselves.

"Sure," I answered.

After that scenario, Princess Blaizelle and Prince Bryan, after a while, went home too. Bryan said they would visit again if Kloiro's back on his feet.

As the night got heavier, I went to lay myself in bed. As the curtains flew, little moonlights peeked into my room.

I miss Sybil. I remembered the night we danced the whole night. I forget how he enveloped me in his arms in Ahava.

I rested my head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat; it was loud as my own. As if our hearts were in sync.

"Can you hear that? It's you and me just like our hearts tell us." I smiled.

I remembered confessing my feeling for him too.

"Sybil, I like you too."

I didn't expect I'd love someone like him. Yes, I love him. He's indulgent, buoyant, and even ludicrous at times. That's just how he is.

"When will I be able to see him again?" I mumbled to sleep.

————————MissKjj07—————-4/2/22