The Royal Curse

Twenty Four - Engagements and More Engagements

Kace Holland

"He's awake," a male voice said by the foot of my bed. "He may not be able to speak clearly for a while, but after some time, the medicine will fully spread. He had quite the episode."

"Prince Kace," a woman began, and not the woman I wanted to hear, "I am so deeply sorry. I feel as though this is all my fault." Even unable to move, I side-eyed her. The long, black hair, dark eyes. Adonia Wu. "I know you hear me."

I made my best attempt to nod, but my neck was stiffer than a rock. Earlier, the physician spoke about not being able to move for a couple of hours, too. Modern medicine has failed me.

"Prince Thresan did what he could to prevent the Dark Warrior Program, Prince Kace. Prince Nicholyn wanted the program to go forward. The world is still about to break into a full war, and Zian and Celia Austruc are still alive, still building the army..." Her voice broke. Ashe wrote to me telling me that Adonia and Zian had fond feelings for each other at some point... that seemed to be evident now. "I don't know..."

Now Adonia glanced around the room. It was as if she hardly remembered why she came in.

"I..." She braced herself on the rails of my bed.

"Adonia," I rasped out, trying to reach out. Though I felt as if I flexed my fingers, my hand hadn't moved at all. "It'll work itself out. Please calm—"

"Your highness, Prince Nicholyn was my friend at some point. He helped me. He helped Zian."

"My brother," I started, using all of my muscles to form the sentence, "is not an innocent man. I have gathered that much."

"He tried—"

"Do not come to my bedside to try to convince me my brother was a decent man." My hand flexed, my index finger pointing toward the door. "Leave. Bring Princess Senna."

"Please—"

"Senna. Bring her. Don't make me repeat myself."

She whipped herself toward the door and stormed out. I was tired of hearing about Ashe, or Prince Nicholyn, or whatever, or whoever. My brother—the one who grew up with me—was dead. I've heard enough to deduce that much.

The brother who snuck me out my window, who taught me to fence, who comforted me at festivals... He was dead.

Using all the strength I could muster from my left arm, I lifted it, grabbed my right wrist, and pulled off that familiar bracelet, throwing it to the floor. Nicholyn died in the fire. Ashe Knightley, although my brother's spirit, could never understand the things I had done for him—for us. My family was him. He was gone. I was alone.

There was a gentle knock at the door. "It better be Princess Senna at the door, or I swear—"

The door opened, and in came in the sun. Hair disheveled, clothes hardly her taste, and... My chest tightened at her condition. "Good morning, Prince Kace."

"God, you nearly look worse than me." The thought came out abruptly. She laughed, though it was clearly forced. "One might think you cared."

Her beautiful, sunlight face fell as she rounded the bed. Modern medicine could never make my heart warm the way she could. "I'm so sorry." God, I hardly heard her say that, but my guts twisted.