The Ever Ater

Ch. 13

Eadlyn POV:

I was awoken by a knock on the door. I looked around my dark room. I don't recall this ever happening to me before and so far I wasn't a fan. I called for whoever to come in.

A guard walked in and bowed, he seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.. "Your highness, His Majesty the King, is requesting your supreme presence in the first floor parlor. I shall escort you." He bowed deeply once more and I was extremely confused about what protocol he was following.

Miss Marlee walked into the room and hit the guard on his arm. "Carter, you weren't supposed to mess with them. Maxon wanted us to get them quickly."

"No, he wanted you to get America downstairs quickly. He said no rush about these two." Mr. Carter smirked at his win over his wife.

Miss Marlee finally seemed to take in his appearance. "How did you change so fast?"

"A man never tells his beauty tips."

Miss Marlee rolled her eyes and led Mr. Carter out of the room. I got up and quickly threw on a robe. Once I got out in the hallway Mr. Carter and Miss Marlee were both still waiting. I asked them if they knew what it was about and they shook their heads.

"Do you think that Dad would mind if I brought Ekkio?"

"He is already down there waiting for you." Miss Marlee smiled, "Maxon sent for him when he sent for you and America."

I wasn't exactly sure what I was expecting, but my mom pacing in the hallway with General Ledger wasn't it. I approached them slowly, noticing that my mom was down here without a robe on. When she turned around I saw her scar. Her nightgown was high enough to cover a lot of it, but about four inches still showed. She seemed to be so much smaller without a dress on and dad by her side. Ekkio came down the stairs with a guard and joined me. We quickly joined my mother with General Ledger.

"Mom, do you know what dad wants?"

"No, but he is on his way from his office. He was heading up there to grab a few papers when I got down here." Mom seemed to shiver from the cold and a pained look came over her face. "He told me to wait here until he got back."

Ekkio looked at General Ledger, "Do you know what the King needs?"

"Yes, but as I was telling America, it is not my place to tell you all." General Ledger looked over at Mom. "If you need to go back to bed I can tell Maxon. He will understand." He paused for a moment, "You don't look good."

"I'm fine." She didn't look fine and by the look on her face she didn't feel fine either.

Dad's raised voice could be heard telling guards orders about safety from the moment he entered the hallway. It reminded me of when he was trying to maintain the country's peace. He was defending something, but I hadn't figured out what yet. Another guard walked up to dad and whispered something to him. Daddy nodded, but it was a forced gesture. He made his way to us. He gave me a hug and Ekkio a pat on the back as a greeting. He finally made it to mom and kissed her on her forehead and wrapped her in a hug. He seemed to be whispering something to her and mom nodded.

I noticed how when dad came to mom she seemed to take on every bit of stress he had without even knowing what it was. I finally realized that Mom had always done that. Anytime anyone had a problem they went to mom. She always listened and understood, but she never judged. I thought of countless times dad and took mom from the women's room and she would come back hours later with a worried expression. I thought about how Miss Marlee was telling me that ever since mom and dad met she was always his confidant. Miss Marlee had said that mom had made it her life mission to be there for dad anyway he needed. I couldn't help but think just how well she had succeeded.