Behind The Walls

Chapter 38 : In Shining Armour

Arthur's POV
'Yours sincerely, Arthur.'
I finally finished off the letter, I had written to Adelaide, explaining how the prince had discovered the truth.

Hoping, maybe by this time she reads it, she ought to know who her husband really was. After finishing this task, I sent it off to the delivery wagon before returning to the door of Eugenes chamber.

It was still closed; I knocked gently, getting louder gradually. I was getting tired of this. I pulled down the handle in anger, "Eugene open-" when the door jolted open by itself at my push.

It wasn't locked?

My eyes scanned each corner of the chamber only to find no sign of the prince. Only trace left were opened drawers...

what was he searching for and where had he gone?

Adelaides POV
As much as I shouldn't want to, I was hooked to the fact I could read what Eugene wrote. Yes, I still hated him.

Nothing would make me return to him. He never loved me anyways and I would rather not categorise myself as the type that had no self respect...

but something so strong pulled me in that even I couldn't stop myself from reading...

'I was always told to jot down my words at the end the day, that It'd be fun to read back on once time has passed...'
Who'd thought these would be the first words Hugo wrote; I never thought of him to be the poetic type. Though I can understand why. The disposition of circumstances really do mess with one's mindset. Just like with me. I had never considered myself, even once, to be the victim. Still don't. As a prince I find it my duty to fight back to any injustices I'm faced with. My fathers reclamation of Hugo having more power than me because of my condition never actually bothered me. However, my father found his ways to 'make' it bother me. My weak spots were indeed the emotional bonds, relationships and attachments over the overly praised status of power. And so, he took advantage of that very weakness. I had talked about her to Hugo. Talked about her just like I shared everything with my brother and still. Still he decided to marry whom I would have chosen. Never thought a situation like this would occur yet it did. Words I had read about her were convincing enough and so I had chosen. I fell for someone I had not even met or seen. Princess Adelaide of Arcania...

Further pages were ripped out which slightly disappointed me. Though I was still grateful for what I had read.

Eugene did love me...

Or at least like me in some way. Still I couldn't care... well I shouldn't care. I should keep the things I had been through in mind but maybe this was enough to push me in the direction of yet another mistake.

The stillness of the air was ruptured with a crash on floor beneath the one I was on, swallowing the rest of the sentence I was reading, with it.

"Charli?" my voice hoarsely called out, with words in the book still drifting through my mind.

No answer echoed back meaning I would have to go and investigate the sound myself. Hugging the diary, I made my way to the lower floor of the castle.

I was met with a row of guards training in the courtyard, their eyes not catching me yet. It was quite unusual for training lessons to occur after the war had ended.

Taking my unnoticed presence as an opportunity to leave, I was caught in glimpse of one of the guards. They only stood there, seemingly staring back, though it was hard to tell through the cage of heavy metal worn on their head.

I took footsteps in the opposite direction, slowly backing away when I realised the guard had saw me. He seemed an outsider from the rest, not fully following the commands of the trainer. A weird attraction made me stop in my steps as if I recognised this guard even through the thick layer of steel.

Arthur?

The peculiar guard advanced my way as I stood paralysed in the unmovable air. Each step closer quickening my breath, feeling almost as if hell itself was offering to take me in.

The weird nausea-tic feeling in my stomach only grew when he stopped just a couple centimetres away.

My head looked straight, unable to gaze up and meet gate-kept by a fence of metal, eyes. That was until my chin was lifted with the cold element covered fingers to face the phenomenon that was yet to occur.

His hands ventured up to lift the  helmet resting on his face. Only then was my breath completely taken away, a mixture of emotion seething through me.

Everything being unbearable at this very moment as the overwhelming person beneath the helmet was revealed to me. Eugene.

Finally now knowing him for who he actually was... not Hugo but Eugene.