Their Princess

Chapter 28

I push Kai with all my strength and run out. Kai is on his heels, calling me back. I scream again for help. Tears flowing through my eyes make my vision blurry. I rub my eyes clean when I see a figure approaching me. 

Rey.

Crying in relief, I threw myself over him. He catches me on time, holding me to his chest tight. My ears are ringing, heart pounding, and body shaking. I don't like feeling this weak. A nightmare and now this. 

“ Give her to me.” I hear a voice say.

I panic slightly but relax when a familiar scent hits my nose. “ Shh… you're okay. You're fine. Everything is alright now. I'm here.” He whispers in his soothing voice.

There's some shouting and thumping noises in the background, but I can only focus on his voice. I whine a little but calm down when he starts to rock my body with his.

“ She has calmed, I guess.” Eli says.

“ Keep rubbing her back. It will help her believe that you're still with her.” Daddy says.

Wait. What?

I look around, but he is nowhere to be seen. It's just Eli, Rey, Zed, and a beaten up Kai. 

“ I'm here, baby. On tab.” I look at Eli holding a tab. “ You okay now? Can you tell me what happened? Did he hurt you?”

“ I did no such thing. I was just…..” Kai begins, but Zed quiets him.

“ I will handle you later.” Daddy threatens then softens his voice toward me. “Tell me, baby.” I look at Daddy but whisper in Eli’s ear instead. “ I got scared.”

“ Why?” he whispers back.

“ Bad dream, Eli.” My eyes tear up again with the reminder of my dream or should I say nightmare. 

“ She had a nightmare.”

“ See, I told you I did nothing. And you guys were blaming me for nothing.”

“ What were you doing in her room, by the way?” Zed interrogates. 

“ He what? Eli, what am I hearing? How did he enter her room? And what was he even doing on her floor? I told you to keep him away specifically. How the heck did he get there? And what were you doing?” Daddy looks furious, his voice booming even through the screen.

“ I was…. I….I heard her sniffing noises, so I came to check on her. That's all.” Kai stammer.

“ You could've called us. You know that you  can't comfort her. Still, you thought it was wise to reach her in her most vulnerable state. If she gets upset, then she needs someone familiar to calm her down. Your presence worsened her already distressed state.” Eli argues.

“ That wasn't my intention.” Kai mumbles ashamed.

“ That doesn't matter now. You're leaving. I'm tired of your daily plots.” Rey grumbles.

“ I can't leave. I've got meetings scheduled.”

“ Then live somewhere else. You're leaving now.” Rey concludes.

Do I feel bad about him? No. Not at all. I want my calm back. Kai objects, but Rey leaves no room for further discussion. 

“ Baby?” I hear daddy calling me. I forgot that he was still there, listening. I'm so mad at him that I don't know how to express it without bawling my eyes out. Crying will only harden things for Eli, Rey, and Zed. And I don't want to burden them more than I already have. My whole anger is directed toward Alerix. 

“ Are you mad at Daddy?” My stomach flips, but I stay composed, still avoiding looking at him directly. “ Won't you talk to me?”

Instead of replying to him, I whisper in Eli’s ear. “ I'm not talking to him.”

“ She doesn't want to talk to you.” Eli relays my message, making Alerix sigh heavily.

“ Fine.”

Fine? Just fine. Now, I'm mad at myself for not being able to express my emotions. At least then, he would have known how I'm feeling. Goddess, why am I so confused?

Alerix hung up after that. Did I take it too far? Maybe I did. My family wouldn't have cared if I didn't talk with them. They would have ignored me for throwing tantrums. And here, when I have everything, I'm treating them so badly.

“ Hey, why are you crying?” Eli asks gently, cupping my face.

I sob “ Am I bad, Eli?”

“ Not at all. You're just hurt and don't know how to express it.” That makes sense. Eli hugs me tight to his chest while caressing my scalp. 

He is right. I do need to know what I want exactly. That's what princesses are known for. They know what they want. 

Goal two to become that Princess - Know what I want. 

—------------------------------------------------

I was doing my homework when Kai knocked on my door. He looked really sad and resigned. He didn't enter my room, just stayed at the door, contemplating his next words.

“ I'm sorry about earlier. I never meant to scare you. I just wanted to help, but I guess I ruined things between us…..”

Like there was something between us. I mentally roll my eyes. Looking back at him, I feel slightly guilty. He looks genuinely upset. Maybe I was wrong to judge him. Maybe his intentions were clean. 

“ But you're always welcome at my place. You will love it there.”

“ Thank you for inviting me, but I'm happy here. Really.” 

His face falls with my answer, but then his whole mood changes, smirking at me, he replies. “ We will see that. You're happy here because everyone here wants you. What if they stop wanting you? Then you've got to come to me. You will ask for my attention and time. That day is not too far. I will wait for you to come to me. And when you do, I will never let you go. I promise.”

I take my words back. He is a bad guy, a very bad guy. But what the heck does he mean by the brothers not wanting me anymore? They love me. Right? Yes, they do. But does this Kai know that I don't. 

I don't like it when people know something about me that I don't. It makes me feel powerless. Should I ask him? No, I shouldn't. If I ask him, then he will know that his words have affected me.

But I want to know.

Control your curiosity, girl. 

He leaves after that, looking smug like he has won something that was mine before. I wanted to smack his face, but Zed came to take me for dinner. 

I hope everything falls into place because I don't like surprises. And if something bad happens, then I'm sure I won't be able to handle it.