Happy Ever After

Metawin

I run.

I leave Dara to deal with the car, which could not get past the castle entrance without the 3,000 procedures one had to go through when storming a royal household unannounced.

But I didn't need to be announced.
Bright has long given me the right to come to him whenever I needed.

I have always been welcome.

I had just been too much of an idiot to realize it.

I am not sure exactly where I should go - the royal palace was not exactly small.
The safest bet was to find the helipad but where could that be? I know helipads are on rooftops okay. But which rooftop?

Why couldn't the Royal Family live in like a four room bungalow?

I decide the best thing to is to climb the first flight of stairs I see. I run up and take a turn to the next flight when I almost crash into Mindy.

"My Lord."

"Mindy...Prince...where?" I was huffing my questions at the poor startled woman.

Mindy's face crumples, as if she had terrible news she could not bring herself to say. She wrings her hands but ultimately drops the laundry bag she was carrying and begins to run, she motions for me to follow her and I do.

We run to an empty corridor where she opens a door that's been concealed by wallpaper and a well-placed painting. The staff passage ways, of course. She continues running as some of the other staff give us curious looks. Finally, we come upon a path that forked three ways. She points to the one on the left.

"Take that exit, it will bring you to the East Wing. Go inside the marble hall. There is an elevator immediately to your right and a fire escape beside it. I don't have access to the elevator, only certain guards and pilots do. So you need to use the fire escape stairs. At the very top is the helipad the Prince used."

"Thank you," I say, taking her hands in mine.

She gives me that look. A look I didn't want her to explain just right now. I needed the hope.

"Run," Mindy says as if reading my mind, she pushes me gently. "You need to run."

I head towards the door, run out, keep hightailing it to the hall a meter away from me. I find the elevator and the door right beside it. My body is moving on its own accord now, I don't feel my muscles tighten or my breaths becoming more ragged - all I am consumed with is worry. Worried that once again I let the prince be yanked away from me and this time it was all my fault.

I push the heavy door open and burst into the helipad.

Two surprised royal guards rush towards me, thinking I was an intruder.
They restrain my arms and pull me away from the helipad. Not that it mattered.

It was empty. The helicopter had long flown away.

- - -

I stare at the empty space, not registering the stern warnings of the guards. They were ordering me to do something but my brain just was not working. All I could hear was a small voice taunting me over and over: he's gone, he's gone, he's gone.

It takes me awhile to realize that the guards have let go of me. Longer still to realize Mindy and Chayakorn were right beside me.

I turn to them, still dazed.

"I shouldn't have allowed you to come here alone. They could have shot you," Mindy very worriedly approaches me, rubbing my arms.

"It's okay, they know who he is now. Lord Win, let's go to the kitchen. I can make you some tea," Chayakorn offers, trying to snap me out of my stupor.