The Kingdoms Arrangement [H.S]

XIV

***** Artemis' POV *****

        Hyacinthus had to carry me back to the castle because of how in shock I was. All I remember is hearing lots of worried tones and my father ordering guards around. Is Leah alive? Where is she? If she is hurt, who could've done this to her? So many questions swarm in my head right now. I just want to know she's okay. Maybe I will wake up and this will all just be a bad dream.

I hear a loud yawn next to me, I open my eyes slightly and see Harry lounging in a chair next to my bed. Nope, not a dream then. He looks exhausted, I cough slowly to get his attention.

"Good morning princess. You gave us quite a fright last night. " Harry moves his arms to the end of my bed and gives me his award winning smile, bags hanging low underneath his eyes in different shades of blue and purple.

"I'm sorry." Is all I can muster out, my voice horse. I cried the whole way back last night, Hyacinthus comforted me as well as he could with the situation.

"What happened out there Art? Your father sent the guards to the scene but they haven't received a word from them yet." Oh god, my dad. Who knows how mad he is at me right now.

"I don't know what happened, I just know what I saw." I whimper, tears filling my eyes. "Blood was everywhere Harry, I c-cannot imagine what horrid things they did to her for there to be that much blood." Harry scoops me up into his arms and sits down on the bed with me.

"Shh, it's okay, you don't have to say anything that will upset you." He strokes my head and runs his fingers through my hair.

"I'm scared," I look up to look into his eyes, "If they're brave enough to kill Leah what do they plan on doing to me?" My father always protected me the best he could, but lately with everything happening in our kingdom he has doubled the security, I am assuming with this happening it'll be tripled. Harry's face turns hard, his jaw clenched tight.

"Whoever it was is not going to touch you. They would have to go through me first. Your father second I suppose. You are well protected, no one is going to hurt you." An idea forms in my mind.

"What if the person or people are in the castle with us? How am I safe then?" I ask, my lip trembles at the thought.

"You are not leaving my sight until we find who did it then. The person who killed her may think she told you something since you were meeting her. Pretty much all of the higher ups know you were out there and we already know one of them must be involved." A dark shadow flows across his face, like he already has a list of suspects.

"Let's stop acting like she's dead, we don't know for sure." Harry gives me a look, and I know exactly what he's thinking. I just don't want to believe it until I hear from my father. After looking into my eyes for a while, he concedes and just says,

"Okay, well then whoever attacked her might be after you next, so again, you are not leaving my sight." A knock on the door interrupts us. Harry yells, "Come in!" My father walks in, his eyes tired.