The Royal Quest of Floravera

🔜 Chapter Twenty Five 🔚

By Arabella:
[December 7th]

"Never trust anyone. There are always 3 sides to a story. His, hers, and the truth." - Rocklynn Valente

I stare out at the trees, they're green. Liam's favorite color. The more I stare, the more I miss him. "Green trees woody bark and green leaves are my favorite cause they're greeeeeen" is the song Liam made up when we were 8.

The compass points us down, so me and kingsland fly down. I have no clue where we are, all I know is where I'm headed. We land near this cabin. Quietly I slide down and make my way over. Kingsland hides in the trees. I hide behind a closer tree to the cabin.

I hold my breath as the cabin door opens. There's no fucking way. Out walks Preston Hillston from the cabin, carrying a bucket. It's empty which means he's heading to fill it.

I follow him. He whistles as he walks to the nearby river. He puts the bucket into the water, it fills fast. He then dumps it back out and fills it again... that's a very time consuming way to fish.

Not to mention Preston, or not preston ? is currently at the medic still in a coma. His mother and dad are fine and healing on the 3rd floor waiting for him to awake so they can move him back to Hillstock. Something tells me, he isn't waking soon. Or ever.

I take a few steps closer. He's in a crouching position. If I take my knee to his back he'll fall in, and I'll drown him. If I miss, he drowns me. 50/50. I wait til he pours the bucket out again. Perfect amount of sound and time to kick.

So I do. I throw my entire foot into his back. He falls forward, and instantly get down to my knees and hold his head underwater. He struggles but I hold with all I can.

I wince as something is thrown at my head, I don't loose my grip. I turn to see but then a foot connects with my face. I'm thrown back. I fall into the water, luckily it's only 3
Feet deep. So i slowly get up. My vision blurry, I can barely see.

I stare at 2 Prestons. I blink a bit trying to get my vision to focus, but it doesn't. Both of them are wearing 2 different shirts, and I can read the writing on the shirts perfectly. What. The. Fuck.

"You idiot. Why are you here!?" The Preston to the left asks Preston on the right.

"I saw her leave so I followed" Preston on the right answers.

"You're supposed to be unconscious dumbass" Preston on the left says.

"Yeah well you're supposed to be dead and I saved you so who's the dumbass here!?" Preston on the right yells at Preston on the left.

"You still are, older is better and I was born 2 minutes before you were!" Preston on the left yells back at Preston on the right. My eyes move back and forth as I watch them just yell at each other.

"Excuse me. I'm still here. You wanna explain what the fuck this is orrrr?" I say. They'll probably kill me but at least I won't die curious.

"You still haven't figured it out? I didn't think someone with our genes would be this stupid." I blink at the audacity. It sounds like my dad... my dad.

"Genes?" I think for a second. My mind reeling all the information in. "Oh my gosh."

Preston on the left rolls his eyes. "Finally catch on? We're your younger brothers."

"It all makes sense now. Dad left because he found out mom was pregnant! That's why I couldn't see who was there that night. Mom put up the spell. And- and that's how there was 2 of you at the Hillston palace and how you used magic to take the book. Why do you need the book anyway? Also why was only one of you left on the doorstep?"

"We were split at birth. I went to Hillston. He went to Bullock. But Bullock palace didn't keep him, he was put into an orphanage." Preston on the right says.

"Quit telling her everything. She doesn't need to know that." Preston on the left argues.

"Why do you need the book? Why not come to me and include me in the sibling circle?" I join in on the arguing. I take a few steps closer to them, to get out of the deep water. Ugh I can feel how soggy the inside of my boots are.

"Why would we? You got to live happily ever after in the palace. We got your freaking bread crumbs." Preston on the left says.

"You're still ignoring my question, and even if you did get the ass end of the deal. It still isn't my fault for that, mom and dad made a choice." I state. Preston on the left scoffs.

"You got what we never could. It wasn't fair!" He seethes.

"Maybe not but you're forgetting. Because you two were conceived, dad left all 3 of us and mom. So you're just as much to blame for my pain as you are for your own." I retort. Both boys are quiet. "Now answer my question. What do you want with the book?"

"Not telling you." Preston on the left says.

"We're using it to make a new wand." Preston on the right blurts out. Preston on the left smacks him.

"A new wand? Cause...?" I question. They want a new one but keep trying to steal mine.

"We want to build a new one for Hillstock. We-" Preston on the right looks down, ashamed. "We were gonna take over Hillstock and Bullock and rule them then take over KettleVille and Floravera."

"Why do you need to do that? Just because one woman didn't want you doesn't give you the right to take that anger out on millions of people." I state

"That's true." Preston on the right agrees.

"Why don't you guys come back to Floravera with me? I found George. He's locked in the basement, we can all decide on a way to punish him as a family. Mom & dad might have rejected you two, but I'm not." I plead

Preston on the right's face lights up as he hears this. Preston on the left just scoffs. "As if Floravera would ever accept us after all we killed."

"They will. Trust me, and what are your guys name? Can't be Preston 1 & 2 right?" I try to joke. Preston on the right smiles. Preston on the left does not.

"Ashton and Preston. See you don't even know who I am. Meanwhile everyone knows who you are." He states

"Well everyone will know. Prince of Floravera. Also I'm pretty sure when the Hillstons step down you two can both be kings or something. They'll take you in. You just have to try. Violence is never the answer." I try to reason with him.

"No, violence is always the answer." He draws a sword from the tree line... where the fuck did he hide that? "We will never be siblings. That's how mom intended it, and everyone including you will pay for that pain."

"We don't have to do this. She's right Ashton!" He steps in front of him to try to stop him. Ashton pushes him to the side. By the time he's in my view again, I already have my swords drawn.

"I don't want to hurt you. Give up and let's go home." I plead.

"No. I will send you home instead. Home with our mother." He then lunged forward, and what happens next will scar me forever.