The Wax Pools

Chapter 11: Ambrose

He takes hold of my wrist, not aggressively or harsh just enough to make me pause my exit.

"Please, I do not care if you have others, as long as you will allow me to be one of them" I look at him yet again, really looking this time, at his scraggly facial hair and sharp cheekbones. I swallow hard and turn to face him again, doubt and nerves written all over my face. 

Before I can even open my mouth to speak I feel an arm slip around my waist, 

"Take your fucking hand off of her before I cut it off" Adam growls from beside me, his tone low and threatening. The man releases my wrist and holds his hands up in surrender, causing his sleeves to fall, showcasing the ends of two full sleeves of tattoos in the process. 

"I didn't mean the lady any harm" he offers a small smile. Bear slings his arm across my shoulder from my other side. 

"Did he hurt you, Lily?" He murmurs into my ear, never taking his eyes off the man. 

"He was gentle..." I can't raise my voice above a whisper as my gaze flickers between the three men. I suspect they have seen the trinket in his hair by now, but they are not adorned in the matching ones. A piece of me is irked by this fact now that we are in this situation, what if the stranger thinks they are not my soulmates?

"Lily, a beautiful name" the man breathes out, "my name is Ambrose, please-"

"No," Adam says firmly, "we are leaving"

"Adam," I scold "what happened to me getting to decide?" Adam turns to me, 

"He put his hands on you, he does not deserve you" He grits out. I huff at him but don't protest. Adam has shown he has my best interests at heart and so I trust him, even though I want to get to know the stranger, to know Ambrose. I lower my head to show I'll go where he guides and Adam takes my hand. 

"We have to go catch the train. If you want to," he glares at a very helpless looking Ambrose, "we can come back some time to give him another chance"

Bear takes my forgotten pasty box and takes my hand, I let my boys lead me away from the market towards the bustling train platform, but there is a terrible feeling brewing in my chest, like my heart has splintered, which I suppose it has. I am leaving a piece of myself behind, I may have many soulmates but they each only have me... I hope I can be enough.

I hope I don't have to leave one behind again. It hurts more than I thought it would. 

The train station is so busy as people climb aboard and their loved ones wish them goodbye from the platform. Even more crowded than the market, I've never been around so many people at once and it is a bit intimidating. Bear hands a man in a grey uniform three tickets and we enter a train car. Bear guides me through car after car in a rather narrow hallway already occupied by many other passengers. Eventually, we reach a car that is separated by a door different than the rest. Adam digs a key out of his pocket and unlocks the door, and I am ushered inside. 

The car is set up like a small apartment, with a door to what I assume is a bathroom, a small counter section complete with an icebox, a luxurious-looking couch, and two twin beds on the far side. 

"This is all for us? rather extravagant for travelling no?" 

"We do work for the crown love." Bear replies as he sets my pastry box down on the counter. 

"still... you must be rather high ranking to be given these accommodations" I hadn't even given a moment of thought to either of their ranks or status before now, but seeing these rather lavish surroundings I'm convinced they must be favoured by at least one person on the royal court. Bear and Adam look at each other like they're having a conversation purely through facial expression. The conversation ends with a pointed stare from Adam and a deep sign out of Bear.

"I may have... occluded a tiny detail when I told you of our...dealings with the royal court" Bear admits, rubbing the back of his neck and refusing to meet my eyes.

"Well? What is it?"
I am met with silence
"Why are you keeping things from me, I dropped everything for you, for us! I think I deserve to know important details of your lives at the very least!"

"Love please, we don't mean to trouble you at all, that's why we haven't told you, but now it seems the time has come since now it will be only a day until we reach the capital, and since you asked"Bear pauses again.

 
"Please sit Lily" Bear takes my hand and guides me to sit on the couch which is as comfortable as it looks.

" Please don't think differently of me for this, but I would never lie to you about it, about anything. I happen to be a... relation to the reigning queen, and a blood relation at that... as uninterested in the position as I am, I happen to be next in line to the throne if she should die without an heir."

I Think my heart, which until now has been anxiously thundering against my ribs, has stopped dead in its tracks.