and we promised

Chapter 39

OLIVIA

I am holding his hand as the doctor rush with his bed through the many aisles on the hospital.

"You promised, Nathan", I keep telling. "You promised. I love you. You promised."

The phrases play in my head like on a broken radio, trying to keep me from collapsing. A woman stops me at one point, by grabbing my wrist. I turn around to look at her, and her eyes fly to the TV where the news reporter is currently transmitting live from my coronation, I picture with me from the official royal photoshoot occupying half the screen.

"It's you", the woman says. "It's you. You're the queen."

I flash he a polite smile, my eyes not wondering off Nathan.

"But why aren't you there?", the woman asks.

My gaze is still on my boyfriend, and the woman takes a look at my blood-soaked gown, the tears flooding my face, the closed eyes of Nathan's, and at Aria who's running panicked around.

"Oh, honey", the woman says, her voice filled with sadness. "I am so sorry, Your Majesty."

I look at her thankful and continue running with the hospital bed inside the room. The doctors quickly analyze Nathan's state and start putting some needles into him attached to some weird bags with some liquids inside, then connecting him to a machine that starts beeping in the background.

"Is he breathing?", I ask, mostly no one.

However, the doctors turn to look at me once and answer my question. "He is, Your Majesty. His pulse is stable at the moment."

I tried not to let that "at the moment" let me down and try to think optimistic. I walk over to him and continue to take his hand, kneeling next to his bed so I can be closer to him and rest my head on his chest. I can hear his heart beating inside, meaning he's alive.

He's alive.

I start crying of happiness at the sound of his heartbeat. At the feeling of his chest rising and sinking.

He's alive.

"Livie", I can hear a hoarse voice saying.

I look up and see Nathan, his eyes barely open, looking at me. Although his fingers are attached to some cables, he is still trying to brush my hair, the corner of his mouth twitched at the view.

"Nathan", I gasp, wrapping my arms around him, holding him tight. "I thought you left me", I whisper in his chest. "I thought you gone", I continue, not being able to hold back the sobs.

"I'd never leave you", he tells me. "When you go, I go, remember? It's a promise. We promised."

I'm still crying so he lifts my chin with his fingers and starts wiping away the tears from my cheeks. "He had the letters, Livie", he whispers, and I don't understand what he's saying at first.

"What letters?", I ask him.

Nathan tries to stand up, yet he is still too weak to move. I notice and he points with his head to his jacket, to the inner pocket. I do as told and reach inside, finding a stack of envelopes, held together by a ribbon.

"The letters", Nathan whispers. "All this time I thought you didn't want to hear from me. That you didn't want to contact me. Yet he's been holding my letters from you all along." I'm still confused as he reaches for my hand and gives it a kiss. "I am sorry, my love. I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault", I reply. "It's not your fault. Just please keep breathing. I need you to keep breathing."

"I'll keep breathing, princess". The TV in the background gets louder, the journalist's voice being heard even in the room we're in. "And as Princess Olivia Estair Dunn continues to remain absent from her coronation, rumors about who will inherit our kingdom spread between guests. Will Prince Stefan..."

"You have to go", Nathan tells me, his voice shaking as he's trying to keep it steady. "You have to go, my love."

"I don't want to leave you", I tell him, kissing his hand once. "I can't leave you."

"If you don't go, he wins", Nathan whispers to me. "If you don't go, that piece of shit wins. He already stole four years of our lives, Livie. Don't let him steal our future too. Your future."

"But, Nathan..."

"I'll be here, waiting for you. You saved me, princess. And not just today. You saved my life today, but have you saved my soul every time you smiled at me. I'll be here waiting. And I am not going anywhere. Not now, or ever. Because it's you and me, Livie. Always has, always been. I'll be here supporting you, being there for you, loving you, for as long as you'll have me. And I hope that's a long time cause you're not getting rid of me so easily, baby."

I have to chuckle at that. Nathan brushes away a strand from my face and continues. "But your kingdom needs you now. Your people." He flashes me an attempt at a cocky grin as he says: "It's your time to shine."

I take a deep breath, realizing he's right. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll be here watching my girl on TV", he answers with a wink.

Cocky bastard.

"I love you, Nathan", I whisper at him, before I crash my lips onto his.

"I love you too", he counters. He kisses me once more before he adds: "Now go show the world who Olivia Estair Dunn really is."