The Kingdoms Arrangement [H.S]

XXIX

A Friend

        "NO!" I scream from the audience and I can hear absolutely nothing but my voice, everyone is looking at me like they've seen a ghost. Well...technically I am supposed to be dead. My head swivels around the audience and then I hear a clatter and look back to Harry who dropped his sword on the ground. His hands drop to his sides and he looks like he is going to be sick. I walk towards him and pick the sword up off the ground.

"It will only feel good for a short time until it starts to eat at you. Let me do it." I tell him but he does not answer. I don't think he can speak right now. Heinrich turns back to me and fear and sadness flashes in his eyes. "You will not hurt anyone anymore." I whisper before I lift the sword and swing it down pushing through his flesh, blood squirts onto the sword and his head rolls into the crowd and someone with a sack quickly runs to grab it. I drop the sword and walk to Harry who still hasn't said a word, being gentle to grab his arm, I start leading him off the stage to go inside. I grab Artemis too who is also frozen in shock by my appearance. I hear King Reagan speak to the crowd quickly and then his footsteps behind me.

"Someone better explain something to me, quickly." Reagan orders, obviously bewildered.

"He would have found me to finish the job. I couldn't risk it." I look back at him and his face is pale too, he walks back out to the crowd to dismiss the overwhelmed crowd. I seem to have shocked even the King today. We get to Harry and Artemis's room and I make them sit down. I am honestly still not sure what to say. Harry stands up and starts to walk towards me but starts to stumble and I go to him. He begins to fall and I catch him before he hits the floor, he looks at me with a distraught look in his eyes.

"Kit?" He asks, then passes out in my arms.

"Yes, it's me brother." I choke out and carry him to the bed, I will talk to him when he wakes. I turn to Artemis who seems to be ready to talk.

"How?" She asks and I sigh. I don't even know where to begin, how do I tell her that I left willingly? That I needed to leave.

"It's a long story, Art." Her eyes well up with tears at hearing me say her nickname.

"We have time. Please Kit, tell me." So I sit down next to her and she engulfs me into the tightest hug I've received in a long time. I try to start at the earliest I can remember.

"When you went on your honeymoon, I did take a turn for the worst, I almost did die. Hyacinthus took me to his kingdom so the healers there could help me. When I woke up from being in a coma again, I made him tell everyone I died." Tears start to fall when I reveal Hy knew, we both knew it would hurt her. "Please do not blame him, I forced him to keep it a secret. I knew too much about what my father was doing. I knew about the girls going missing long before your father and I have been gathering evidence for a long time now. I knew if I had enough evidence and showed your father, Heinrich would be stripped of his power and possibly killed."

"But why, Kit?" Artemis asks, her lip quivering looking at me. "Why didn't you just tell us and stay with us? We needed you here." I hold her close to my chest and I hear her softly whimper into my chest.

"To finally stop him from hurting Harry. I grew up seeing him do some of the worst things a person can do to their child. I could not take it anymore. And I knew that as long as Heinrich was alive that Hyacinthus and I wouldn't be able to love each other freely." I whisper, kissing the top of her head gently. She nods obviously trying to absorb everything I'm saying to her.