6: Darken Flower

21: hungover

the next morning i woke up with a major headache. i got dressed and walked to my sister's room, i could hear yelling from the other side. so naturally i put my ear against the door to listen in.

"why the hell did you get so freaking wasted last night?" Astraea yelled. "and now your freaking hung over!"

"pot calling the kettle black." Robin laughed. "you came back more drunk then me."

"Us ladies did not touch any alcohol dumb ass!" she yelled at her husband. 

"then why are you hung over?" he asked her, still laughing.

"because dear husband." she was defiantly mad. "have you forgotten that i am freaking connected to you and father!!!"

"oh." Robin chuckled. "i forgot about that."

"and the two of you both got drunk last night!" she yelled. "i swear, they two of you are going to be the death of me."

i chuckled thinking about the fact that she probably got double drunk.

"now i have to go yell at my father." she said. "fucking dumb asses."

she opened the door and i fell into her, putting us both on the floor.

"what the hell do you think you are doing?" Astraea glared at me. "it is rude to eavesdrop." 

 i stood to my feet and helped her up. "sorry, i heard yelling and got worried."

"and even after you thought it would be a good idea to listen in?" she stood and crossed her arms. "i dont have time to be yelling at you too, i have to go yell at father, and then go see if mother can heal me." with that she took off down the hall.

i looked into my sisters room and saw Robin standing there. "do you remember anything about last night?"

"no." he laughed. "thats how i know it was a good one."

i rubbed my temples. "i dont suppose you can heal a migraine can you?"

"not when im hung over myself."  he shrugged. "thats what started her verbal attack."

"you might want to avoid drinking in the future." i laughed as i turned to leave, going in the direction of my sister. 

when i got to mothers room, the door was wide open and mother and Astraea had their arms crossed, standing over father who was sitting on the sofa.

"what the hell James." mother sounded just as annoyed. "i told you to take things lightly last night."

"mother had to drag me back to my room last night." Astraea said. 

i knocked and walked in. "sorry to interrupt."

"you." mother glared. "did you really have to let the others get so drunk?"

i shrugged. "theyre grown men."

"apparently your father is not." mother said.

"i dont know what the issue is." father laughed. "im not hung over, blame your husband."

"just because you do not feel the effects father," my sister started. "does not mean that i wont."

i coughed to get their attention. "im sorry mother, but are you able to clear up this migraine?"

"no." she answered. "i will however clear up your sisters hangover." 

she and my sister left the room and i sat next to my father. "theyre mad mad." 

"yup." father chuckled, "come closer, i can heal you."

i did as he said and he put his hand on my forehead, his had glowed a blue light and i started to feel much better. "thank you father."

"it was partially my fault anyways." he laughed. "ready to get married tonight?"

"no." i answered without thinking. "well... yes... but i am honestly terrified."

"thats normal." he laughed.

"when you and mother got married, was it a grand event?" i asked. 

"we eloped." father answered.

"wait, what?" i looked at him in surprise. 

"the council of that time were firmly against me marrying your mother." he explained. "back then i had lost an eye and hand, they saw me as broken and not worthy of marrying the queen. but what they didnt know was, she was just as broken."

"mother was?" i did not believe him. 

"those gold leaves etched into her skin." he mentioned. "they were once hundreds of scars from her fathers whip."

"i never knew that." i looked at my hands. "any of it."

"because it still hurts her to talk about." father nodded. "she did not want any of you to know about her fathers cruelty, she doesnt want to believe it herself. thats why she works so hard on giving you kids a better life, and kingdoms of your own."

"she always seems so put together." i sighed. "and you were missing an eye and hand?"

"her father had ordered my own father to torture me." he explained. "he was being controlled by her father. my father died to protect me in the end once she freed the entire kingdom."

"but her father came back." i knew the basics of mothers story.

"he did." father sighed. "and he forced her to do some really awful things, she died in the end."

"i know that part, the dying part." i told him. "how does mother keep herself together after all of what she has been through?" 

"she does it for you and your siblings." he answered. "the only thing that kept her sane when she was kidnapped after coming back to life, was the knowledge that you and Astraea were waiting for her."

i nodded, now knowing why mother was the way she was. she has always been a great mother, but knowing now what she had gone through for us... my heart felt heavy knowing. "why tell me all of this?"

"because you are old enough to know." father patted my shoulder and stood. "its time to get you to Carlisle to get ready.