The Shadows of Royalty

Shattered

" Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor."

- Sholom Aleichem

"Jamie, stop!" I yell as Jamie chokes father onto the wall. Where the hell did he learn how to fight like this? When i fight back, my father always overpowers me even though i know freaking karate. He is a 14 year old beating his father to death.

"If you ever lay a hand on Rachel, mark my words, you will wake up with soil covering you and notice that your 10 feet underground! " Jamie hissed through his clenched teeth. Father couldn't reply because his airway has been cut off and now his lips were turning blue. He was dying.

"Jamie, let go!" I screamed as i shook Jamie's arm. His eyes were a not hazel anymore, but the green in the hazel was the more dominant color now. Jamie couldn't become a murderer; he was supposed to have a future. A future that I tried to let him experience. All those nights were father would beat us, i made sure to endure most of it, sparring Jamie the pain. NOW, here he was, all grown up, defending me.

He wasn't snapping out of the trance he fell into. Elise had already scurried out the room as I was still in here. "Rachel, go now." Whispered Jamie as his grip didn't ease on my father's throat. Tears sprang from my eyes, as I tried once more." He's not worth it. Don't stain your hands with the blood of someone who is destined to be killed from another, just like him. Jamie, listen to me. I beg you. Do it for me, for mother. What would she think of you now?"

Jamie's brows furrowed as hot tears streamed down his face but his grip onto father's neck tightened. Blood was now oozing out of his nose. I dropped down to my knees as tears betrayed my eyes.

"This scum doesn't deserve to live. Mother would approve of what I'm doing now. He probably beat her to her death."

I shook my head. He didn't know anything. "He used to love her and cherish her into his arms. She used to be his everything, his bright skies and the love of his life, but then she..." I couldn't continue no more, my voice faltered.

"She what?' Croaked Jamie as tears still continued to fall from his eyes. " She left us, Jamie, she left. " I whispered. Now he knew. I had finally revealed the truth I had hid from him all these years.

Jamie's hand that chocked our father was finally released as he hurled my father to the ground. I nodded. Jamie clenched his fist as anger raged though him. He turned to father. "You better get out before I kill you and that rat, Elise." For some odd reason, my father is quick to get out the room. That wasn't normal. I was still on the ground, collapsed with tears. Jamie face reflected pain and betrayal.

"How could you, Rae, I trusted you with ev-everything thing... A-and you lie about this? About her? "

"Jamie, I- "

He turned around to where I couldn't see him. "Rae, don't. After all these years, you creating this wonderful and innocent image in my head, making be believe she was just like an angel, you tell me that she left, left us, for no reason!"

My heart felt like it was shattered into a billion pieces. The feeling of betrayal that he felt, I felt it too. It was like the pain that would never diminish. It was like a scar that remained onto my heart, and in times the wound would reopen again, leaving me with unwanted memories. " She left the night before my 6th birthday, you don't know how it felt, what she told me, my last fading memories of her, Jamie. I didn't want you to endure the pain and burden I left scattered onto my shoulders. " I whisper as hot tears stained my cheeks. The memories burned through my head of her in the maze, kneeling before me with a passenger bag hauled onto her shoulders. Did she not care about me? About the infant that she was leaving behind? About the months she held us inside of her? Her face was becoming sketchy in my memory, nothing less remaining.

Jamie's fists were still clenched as he suddenly grabbed a vase and hurled it into the wall. I winced at the sound of the shattered vase. "Jamie." I whisper as I pick myself up and reach to him. He pulls away from my embrace and looks at me, straight in the eye. He was hurting from the inside.

"Don't," were his last words to me as he stormed out my room revealing Lizzy at the door and someone else. They heard the whole thing. My father beating me, Jamie, and everything. My heart stricken-ed as tears didn't stop streaming down my face. Lizzy stood there, not knowing what to say but suddenly did. "Do you want me to inform the prince?" She knew the close relationship I had with the prince. I needed to talk to Xander and feel safe in his arms. I nod as she runs off, revealing a person that I longed to see. She had heard everything too. Her curly hair reached her waist as her warm caramel eyes held glassiness.

"Ashley." I croaked as she came in running to me, wrapping her arms around me. She held me like that for a while as she rocked me.

"I know, I know." She whispered into my ear. Her voice revealed the pain she had endured before, as well. She was just like me. She knew everything.

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* Grabs a tissue, and stuffs the last bit of popcorn into mouth.* Yesss, i wasn't planning to update, but here is a small depressing chapter giving you some insight of Rachel's and Jamie's past. Vote, Comment and Enjoy. Warning this piece is unedited.

What do you think of Jamie?

Love,

Grace