Royal Obligations

Epilogue

Something felt hard beneath my head. Beneath my whole body. Then everything started to hurt. My lungs started to burn with the need for air and my chest felt like it was being ripped open. Like I was imploding.

My eyes snap open as I fill my lungs with the air it craved. I blink rapidly, trying to adjust to the mediocre light. Where the hell was I?

"He's awake." A light female voice says. It sounded oddly familiar. It reminded me a lot of-

"Lila," The name falls easily out of my mouth.

"Wrong twin."

I finally focus enough to see that it's... Felicity.

"Forrest, how are you feeling?" A second person asks me.

I would know that voice anywhere.

"Dad?" I say, watching him look over me with worry. They were both wearing the same white t-shirt and jeans.

"Oh my god," I say, backing up against whatever the wall of the afterlife was made out of. "Am I dead? Am I in heaven with you guys? It exists?"

"What?" Felicity scrunches up her nose. "No, you're not in heaven."

"So... I'm in hell?!" I say, my voice raising an octave in panic.

"No!" My dad laughs softly. "No, you're not dead. You're very much alive."

"You're... Alive?" I ask, making sure it wasn't my messed up mind playing tricks on me. It's not like I took my medication recently. Besides, I have many dreams where my father is still alive. The only person who didn't make sense was Felicity. Why would she be in my dream?

"Yes, Forrest." My dad reaches over and pulls me in for a hug. I hug him back tightly, because the truth was I wanted  to believe he was alive. And even if he wasn't, I found comfort in even a mirage of him. He crushes me with the same force and I know. I know this is real.

And I was so thrilled, I almost wanted to cry. Although I am the one to pull back from our embrace, it's not because of my lack of love for him. I'm just not that big of a hugger. Well, unless it's a hug from Lila. My heart loves her, but so did my body. Her hugs were fucking fantastic.

Once I stopped obsessing over my fiancé's hugs, I finally take the time to admire my surroundings.

I wish I hadn't.

I was in some sort of cell with old metal bars. The cold hardness I felt before I woke up was the dirt ground. It was almost frozen.

"Where are we?" I ask, poking the hard ground. "And how long was I out?"

"Well, you were down here with us, apparently in some sort of weird coma for a week. I'm not sure how long ago you were kidnapped. Dieter hasn't shown us the news in a while." My father says.

"And we're in the Mercenaries' headquarters." Felicity adds. "I mean, that's what Declan told me. It's not like I've had a tour of the place."

I had no clue who Declan even is considering there are only two other people in this cell, but I wasn't about to ask. "So you two have been down here... The entire time?"

My father and Felicity glance at each other.

"Basically." Felicity shrugs.

"Except for when Dieter wants to torture us and bring us up to her office to watch the news. To watch my country fall apart. To watch my wife fall apart." My dad shakes his head. "She's an evil little bitch."

Aggravated screaming startles all three of us.

"Speak of the devil." Felicity smiles sarcastically as she leans against the stone wall.

Lila's maid presents herself on the other side of our cell. A man who looked strangely familiar opens the cell door so she could enter. Out of nowhere, a magazine is thrown at my face.

"What was that for? Haven't you tortured me enough?" I snap, glaring at Daisy. Or Dieter. Whatever the hell her name was, I really didn't care.

"Read. The. Cover." Dieter clips out in a frustrated tone. I had to admit, she looked pretty scary. Scary as in she was about ready to slice open someone's throat.

I didn't want that throat to be mine, so I reluctantly pick up the magazine and read the headline.

"Princess Lillian engaged to King Romeo Schiavo"

I have to read the headline several times over again before I can completely process what it says. The only response I can muster up is a laugh. "This is a joke. Lila can't be engaged to Romeo when she's engaged to me."

Dieter gives me a scornful look. "You're dead, Prince Forrest. To all of Illéa, you are but a sad memory. Just like your father."

I would have thrown up if it wasn't for the lack of food in my stomach. "Lila thinks... I'm dead?"

"She obviously wasn't too torn up about it." Dieter spits.

"Why are you telling me this?" I ask. "Why are you so pissed?"

"More like infuriated." Dieter falls to her knees and grabs my throat with one hand. I see my dad shoot up to try and stop her, but the other man that came with Dieter holds him back.

"Did you know that you got her pregnant?" Dieter squeezes my throat tighter and my air deprived lungs weren't too happy about her actions. "She's claiming that the kid is Romeo's. And on top of that, he was crowned King of Italy. I can't touch her or your family. If I try anything, Italy will launch out a full blown attack. If I mess with the mother carrying the heir to the Italian throne, Germany is gone. Everything I have built... Destroyed."

She finally releases my throat and I can't help but suck in as much air as I possibly could. And that wasn't saying much. I didn't feel like breathing after what she had just told me.

"That stupid girl has ruined all my plans." Dieter clenches her fist and spins around to punch the man she brought with her in the face. He takes it silently.

"All because a handsome prince forgot about the damn condom." She says like it's not real. Like this is just some horrible dream.

That made two of us.

"Oh yeah," She turns to face my father. "You're going to be a daddy too. Congratulations." Her voice dripping with venom.

With nothing else left to say, Dieter storms away while the man locks the cell. I was surprised to see Felicity shoot up from her spot and run to meet him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He says stiffly. "Don't ask about me." Then he just walks off.

"Well alright then." Felicity rolls her eyes.

I pick up the magazine and stare at it again. My Lila, looking gorgeous in a royal blue dress... Arm in arm with my best friend wearing a big ass crown on his head. They were smiling at each other. The flames of jealousy burned within me and I threw the magazine across the cell. All I could do was yell in hopes someone would hear me and get me out of the purgatory.

"Hey!" Felicity snaps. "Calm down."

"How can I be calm?" I ask her then turn to my father. "How are you two not-"

"Broken?" Felicity finishes for me. "Because we have a plan. So if you want to ever be a father and see your child come into this world, you are going to listen to us."

****

[A/N]

I want to first of thank you all for reading! Second, I have a question for you. School is starting up for me in a couple days and I was wondering if you would rather wait a little while for Royal Profanities so I can pre-write some chapters so I don't fall behind on updating OR have me post the first chapter relatively soon but only have one update a week.

Please let me know! And no worries I will post the prologue and trailer if you want me to tomorrow?