The Stars of My Heart [Completed]

Chapter Nineteen

   "What are you doing down here?"

I stand from the slouching position I have adopted, my muscles retaliating against any movement. "What do you think?"

"How... I didn't..."

I correct him. "You did. But I am not in here because of your mouth. I am in here because of mine. I turned myself in."

He looks at me with distress, his ocean blue eyes turning into storms. "Why?" Now his voice is pleading. A plead to know what I have done and why.

"Why? Do you not remember your own words?" I shoot back. "I am just a manipulator. A liar. I will be nothing but a criminal."

He puts his hands against my bars. "You can't be serious."

"I am very serious. And if you are going to be King one day, I would suggest keeping better memory of what comes out of your mouth."

His lips are in a thin line listening to me. Letting out a sigh he starts.

"I wanted to talk to you." He tries to stay calm, but his nerves take over. "Then I am told that you are down here in the dungeon. What were you thinking?"

I step towards the door, now right in front of him. "It is too late to talk. As for what I was thinking, I decided to make things right. A criminal I am, so a criminal's price I shall pay."

He doesn't say anything. All he does is just stare into my eyes. His grip loosens on the bars, his shoulders falling from their harsh square. "I'm sorry..." he trails off.

Feeding his words back at him, I spit. "I don't need your apology. You got what you wanted right? Why should you be sorry?"

He throws his hands up, "This is not what I wanted."

I look at him blankly. "And what exactly did you want?"

Again, he does not answer. His breath hitches as he inhales, water coming to his eyes. He examines me, my wet hair and clothes from the splash just a few moments before he came down. He looks under my eyes. Dark circles must be there. Hollow and empty like they were when I first got here.

Seeing him in front of me, separated by bars, makes the reality of the situation quite clear. I will always be a prisoner. A criminal who deserves pain. And he will always be a prince. Despite his flaws, he will carry a crown on his head, with smiling faces adoring him.

He stammers off as he had last time. But this time is a bit different. I can hear soft murmurs as he walks down the hall.

Sniffles echoing off the stone. I try to convince myself that the air pressure has just made him develop a sniffle, but as I look to the ground there are drops of liquid that paint the dry dirt that covers the ground. Once again, the right thing feels like a stab in the chest.

***

I hope my mother is happy. She will be with her best friend and Crista. I pray that they can take care of her. When Axil came down, he said that he was told I was down here. Did he need to ask, or does everyone know? It's not like life can get that much more embarrassing.

***

What I've learned, is that it gets pretty boring, really fast. That's the whole point of prison. For one to reflect on the crimes they have done. Do they really expect us to do that, though? I for sure am not thinking of all the crimes I have committed, but instead thinking about all the things that I didn't do. I don't know how long I will be down here. Years? Decades? If I even get out at all, it might be too late.