Royal Bitch

He's the king. He kind of has to keep his word.

"A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don't function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick." - Brenè Brown

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Chapter 42

Fiore was exhausted. She was lying in bed, her eyes barely open when Kenneth knocked.

"Told you it was too much." He grumbled as he brought in food.  "With what happened with Alex today, are you alright?"

Fiore shrugged.  "I'm more at war with what Henry told me."

"What's that?"

"He gave me an ultimatum.  Either I tell my father and Cassie or I'm not to come back until I'm in remission." Fiore answered, her voice void of emotion.

"Are you going to tell them?"

"I haven't decided what I'm going to do."  Fiore ran her fingers through what was left of her hair.  "Henry doesn't bluff, he meant what he said."

"You think he'll enforce it?"

"He's the king.  He kind of has to keep his word.  It's his nature.  It wasn't a threat he'd make idly or without thought." Fiore answered offhandedly.  "And more than that it wasn't something he wanted  to say."  Fiore set her tablet aside.  "I just wish there were a win-win solution for everyone."

"Are you sure telling people is a losing situation?"

"I don't want to be treated like I'm broken or defective. Because I'm not."

"And you have no faith in your family?"

"I was trying to protect them. You were watching with Alex and me. You saw how well that went."

"I saw someone afraid and worried, someone who was hurt because you lied to him." Kenneth countered.  "Had you told him at the beginning, that conversation would have gone better."

"Well at the beginning I was planning on buttoning this up about this time."

"Fiore, you're not invincible and you don't have to be. You're human and there's no shame in that."

"Kenneth, I need to get some sleep."

"Do what you want." Kenneth sighed. These past six months had put a strain on their relationship. Kenneth and Fiore had always had a strange working relationship, but Kenneth seemed to see the situation more of what it was than she did. This was one of Fiore's few blind spots. She wanted to do too much.

Christmas this past year had set Kenneth on edge. Fiore was questioning, somewhere in the back of her mind, if she could beat this. Fiore had mentioned to him before that she was on borrowed time and he wondered if she was trying to check out early. If she was, Kenneth would do everything in his power to stop her.

Fiore curled up in her own bed, a welcome change to the rocking of the yacht. It was strange to be home after so long. Fiore felt like a stranger in her own home. Her father was due back tomorrow for a few hours and she'd make sure she missed him. One look at her and he'd see right through any lies. His fears would be realized. Fiore didn't look much better than her mother had shortly before she passed.

A few hours later Kenneth woke her up. "Two things, first, your favorite stalker is here and wants to see you. Second, you need to eat something."

Fiore nodded, still tired and emotionally drained. "I'm too tired to deal with his games, just send Chuck up. Have the chef make something for the two of us."