Inexplicable

Chapter Twenty-One

Davina

I shoot out of bed. Fear forcing me to move. He stands between me and the exit. I looked at the window but didn't think I could make it. "Calm down," Zayn says casually. "I only want to talk." He takes a step closer, and I step back. He takes the hint and keeps his distance. "I came to warn you about my brother." He walks over to the table by my bed and looks at Megan's picture of the three of us. "He isn't exactly who you think he is. After all," he flashes a smile that is so similar to Jax's. "He is my twin brother."

I shake my head, knowing the truth. "No. You are nothing alike."

"That's where you are wrong, my dear Princess. We were raised the same way. My father made Jax go to the King as a child, where Jax collected intel on all of the King's plans for Irredesia. He wanted to stop the mission, claiming you had gotten too attached to him. After that, the mission then changed. You see, our father is-"

"Zayn." Jax stands at the doorway. "Stop." Relief floods me, and I only want to run to him, but Zayn stands between us.

"If you're going to marry someone, don't you want them to know all of your secrets? Like who our father is? Or how you tricked her into loving you? Oh! What about how you betrayed her and her father?"

"Just stop," Jax begs through closed teeth. "It wasn't like that, and you know it."

Rage flows through me, clouding my vision. Jax tricked me into loving him? He betrayed me? "It was all an act?"

"Davina, it wasn't-" He began, but I cut him off.

"No!" I yell. "This entire time, you played me! You made me think you cared! I actually thought you loved me!"

"I do! Gods, I do more than anything! He's lying!" Jax yells in an attempt to get his word in. I wasn't listening to what he was saying. All I saw was red. All I could feel was anger. All I knew was how much I hated him. "Davina, please. He's clouding your judgment. He is making you feel angry at me."

"Is he really, Jax?" I demand. "Is he lying about everything?"

Jax seems at a loss for words. "She asked a question, brother," Zayn says in a cocky tone.

Jax closes his eyes, giving in. "No. Not everything."

Zayn smiles. "My work here is done." He vanishes, but I don't care. I was getting angrier by the minute and only cared about getting rid of Jax.

Jax rushes to me, but I shove him back. "You have to let me explain. Not everything was a lie, but the part about me not loving you was the biggest lie of all. You have to believe me. I know it's hard right now. He used his power to make you angry at me."

"Leave Jax! I don't need you or your lies anymore! What was your plan anyway? Did you just want to marry me to become King?"

"No! That is not the reason, and you know it. I agreed to marry you because I love you. My father wanted me to marry to become king. That's why I didn't want to marry you at first."

"How do I even know you're telling the truth? You don't seem to do a lot of that."

He thinks for a moment. "In the memory I showed you when you had asked me to marry you, you felt my emotions. I was scared because then my father would get what he wanted."

"That means nothing! There's lots of reasons you could have been scared!" He's a liar. I can see that now. He never had my best interest at hand, only his. I hated him.

"Then I don't know how to convince you! Nothing I say right now is going to make a difference." He says, looking astonished and tired. "This is what Zayn wanted. For us to fight and argue, and you push me away so that you would trust him. All I can do is tell you the truth, all of it, and hope you believe me."

"How would I believe you after you-"

"Just listen!" He lets out a sigh and sits on the couch. He rests his head in his hands, hiding his face from me. I cross my arms, waiting for his next lie. "My father is King Cerberus."

"The guy that essentially ruined my life? Who has been trying to capture me?" I squeal, eyes going wide.

"Yes! Just listen to the full story!" He snaps. He stares at me, his eyes bright with the tears he's been trying to hide. He looks so fragile right now, so breakable.

The look on his face makes the anger fade almost immediately. How could I have been so mean to him? I blink several times, coming out of Zayn's trance. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm the one about to apologize." He says weakly but looks relieved to have the real me back. He continues with the story. "When my brother and I were old enough, our father began training us in combat and how to use our powers to our advantage. He kept our birth a secret, wanting us to be his secret weapons for when he was ready to make his move against Irredesia. When I was eight, Cerberus sent me to act as an orphan and ask your father for help. King Elrik is a kind King, and Cerberus knows that. If he knew someone was in need, he had to help, so naturally, he let me stay in the castle.

"The first part of the mission was to gain the King's trust. I did that by exposing one of Cerberus' spies who was planning on going rogue and killing you. Learning of my powers, the King immediately began training me to be your bodyguard or protector. After that was accomplished, I was to get close to you.

"Everything I heard at court I reported to Cerberus through a messenger. When I was fourteen, and you were twelve, I was officially made your protector. That's when I got this." He shows the tattoo on his arm. "You didn't like the idea of me being your protector. You despised me, actually." He says with a laugh. "You eventually fell for me." He says, making me smile. "I fell for you the moment I saw you." He pauses to look at me for a long moment before continuing.

"At that point, I tried to end the mission, but my father wouldn't have it. I tried to keep our relationship a secret, along with the ball, but my father had other informants, and he found out about our soon-to-be engagement. This altered his plans. He then wanted me to marry you, but he knew he would have to claim me as his son, or he would have no power once we were engaged. That's why, at the ball, he showed up to announce me as his son. He threatened that if you didn't marry me, he would force you to marry Zayn. So your father sent you away, thinking it would be best, and I was punished for treason. That night, the war started but ended shortly after you went off the radar. I was waiting until the war was completely done to take you back home, where you would be safer. I've been selfish not telling you because I knew when I took you back, I would most likely be executed." He sighs heavily. "I just wanted at least some time with you. I wanted things the way they were. Davina I...I'm so, so sorry."

He keeps his eyes on his hands, not meeting my gaze. His hands fidget with nervousness, clearly waiting for me to explode and force him to leave, but I feel no anger at all. I don't know what to say though. All I want right now is to comfort him and tell him it will all be alright, even if it won't.

Instead of saying anything, I just wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder. He freezes, not expecting this reaction from me. With only a moment longer of hesitation, he wraps his arms around me in a tight hug. We lean back on the couch, both of us exhausted, and I scoot closer to him to get more comfortable.

"I'm glad you were selfish," I say into his chest. He laughs softly, then squeezes me tighter.

"Me too." He says, his breath tickling my ear.

"You don't need to be sorry anymore. I understand now. I forgive you for everything." I say, hoping this will make him feel better.

He lets out a long, shaky breath as if he had been holding it for years and could now finally breathe. "Thank you." His voice is only a whisper. Slowly, we fall asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.