𝒯𝐻𝐸 𝐿𝒪𝒩𝐸𝐿𝐼𝐸𝒮𝒯 || a selection roleplay (closed)

🄵🄾🅄🅁

people said he was cursed.

who wouldn't say that? when both of the women you loved died horribly and your father not long after.

the coronation for the prince was shortly after his 24th birthday. his mother was ready to be done. out of the spotlight. she couldn't bear the death of her husband, similar to how the young king couldn't bear his fiancée's. for the past year and a half, the royals have been running the country from behind the scenes. no one has seen them. no one knows what's going on. all they know is that he had been coronated and his mother still helped due to the lack of queen. all that really mattered was that the country stayed afloat, right?

"your majesty, you need to eat." the head maid bustled into the room. since angelina died, she treated the royal family more like her own. she was hurt and angry at first, but the king had lost too much. his mother was on the way to simply not being present. so her and her husband essentially took the royal siblings in. she threw open the curtains. "you're getting as skinny as a twig. i'm starting to see your rib cage."

the king sighed and pushed his papers together. "helen, i barely have time to eat anymore." a lie. he just didn't feel like eating. he didn't feel like anything at all.

"you do. here. eat up. i'm not leaving until i watch you eat that whole bowl." she placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of him and he glared at her. he wouldn't ever dare upset helen, though. so he forced the oatmeal down.

"happy?" he asked, pushing the bowl away. helen picked it up and smiled.

"quite. now, what are your plans for the day? i think it would be best if you at least got out for a walk, if not go back to the training room. you're looking pale, dear. and your eyes are all sunken in now. with dark circles." she grabbed his face and turned it. "like you haven't been drinking water and getting sleep. your majesty i don't want to have to treat you like a child, but i will begin to monitor your water and food intake. along with making sure you take your sleeping pill at night."

the king huffed a sigh and pulled his head back, combing his fingers through his hair as he stood and walked to the window, throwing on a wrinkled, white button up that had been discarded at the foot of his bed. "i've got it, thank you," he responded flatly.

"plans for the day?" helen pushed.

"the usual. papers." that was what he said it was. while he was actually doing his kingly duties, his advisors were able to help take care of most of it. in reality, he spent most of his time trying to solve the murders. when he became king, the second note got turned into him. he knew it was the same person. since then, day and night he'd searched. he'd read countless news articles, watched endless stories on television of recent murders, read anonymous tips from people. still, he couldn't figure anything out.

"jax, it's time to move on."

"she was your daughter, helen. how could you even say that?"

"it destroys me everyday that i lost her. but i can't spend the rest of my life miserable. you and i both know that angelina would have wanted us to be happy. clarissa would too."

right. move on. he did that once. then he had to do it again. then again? he wasn't sure he could. "listen. i know how i'm supposed to run this country. if it's working, then it's working." he didn't understand why it mattered if he was doing well, mentally and physically. he didn't understand why helen wanted him to go out and talk to people and all that. why couldn't he just be?

"you're not the same person anymore."

he knew that.

"the country wants to know their king."

so what?

"your sister misses you."

that hurt. his family was his weak spot, and his breath caught for a moment. his sweet little sister. irene.

she could have visited, too.

"you need a queen."

jaxon scoffed. "for what? me and my advisors do perfectly fine on our own, thank you." besides, chances are the girl would just die.

"are you realizing how much of the work your mother did? how much she still does? there are some things that only a queen can do. let your mother rest, dear. she's gone through it to. find someone. you don't have to be in love with her. just do it for your mom. let her just be your mom, not the queen anymore." after all, the title had already been given up. jaxon remained silent, facing the window. he knew helen was right. he couldn't burden his mother with that work any longer. he sighed and turned around, anger on his face.

"fine. you get to announce that there will be another selection. when another girl dies, though, it's on you." perhaps it was an awful thing to say, but jaxon wasn't the best person anymore. helen gasped, struck in the heart by his words. he'd never spoken to her like that. she swallowed and dipped her head.

"of course, your majesty. i'll do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't happen." she turned on her heel to leave, but jaxon stopped her.

"wait- helen, i'm sorry," he said instantly. he meant it. "i'm... scared. there will be another selection and i would appreciate it if you and others got the applications sent out. but there won't be another death. if there is, it's on me." he wouldn't want her to blame herself. she didn't deserve that. helen only gave him a soft smile and placed her hands on his cheeks.

"i know you're scared. it's been hard for all of us. still, we will not let it happen again, okay? now, i believe i have some letters to send out. i want to hear from my husband today that he saw you in the training room, got it? that's how you makeup what you said to me." jaxon rolled his eyes, a silent laugh through his nose.

"deal."

the next day, the applications were sent out.