Until The Clock Stikes (NACS Remake)

Chapter 14

"Are you firing me?" Thomas asks, voice hitching.
Will hesitated, glancing at me. "Maybe we should talk outside."
With that they both went outside and talked in whispered voices. I sat in my bed, staring up at my engraved, swirling ceiling.
Will stuck his head, flashing a smile at me before making me scoot over in bed.
"What's going on?" I ask, feeling his body heat sweeping into me.
"Thomas made me promise to let him explain to you." Will replied, biting his lips.
I study him, my new fiance. His profile is tight and his blue eyes are more reserved than normal, I feel like there's something he wants to say. "What?"
I watch Will's lips form into a tight line. "The necklace in your sisters hand can't be retrieved." He tells me.
I push back the crushing feeling it brings to think of her stuck like that. "That's not all."
He sighs, smiling ruefully. "You're very perceptive." The muscles in his jaw tense up and he turns to look at me, eyes a little misty. "Mia." He starts, throat thick. "I should've known it wasn't you who killed my mother. The moment you left I knew I was wrong, there's was something so off with the marriage arrangement with Lucy as soon as you were gone and I missed you everyday you were gone."
With that I remember that a week for me was months for them. "Oh, Will."
"Please," he interrupts. "Let me finish." His eyes are so cool, like a refreshing breeze, I gesture him to continue.
"Before that, the way I freaked out on you about Thomas. I now know he would be able to take care of you and I shouldn't have jumped on you for caring about him, I want to do right by you, Mia. I think I love you, you're exactly what I needed."
After his speech he doesn't ask how I feel, or if I love him to, he just pulls me closer and holds me.
"Thomas wants to talk to you at his cottage when you're feeling up to it." He adds, kissing my forehead. There's another knock on the door and Will leaves my bed to answer it. Clara stands impatiently in the frame, the minute she sees that I'm awake she practically pounces on me.
"Mia!" She giggles excitedly, hugging me she whips around to glare at her brother.
"You said you'd tell me when she woke up." She growls, turning her bright eyes on me. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long, really what I should be asking is, how long was I asleep?"
Will sits back in the chair near my bed, resting his hand under his chin. "About two days, our doctor thinks it was the stress of it all."
Clara gets a look at the heavy ring on my hand. "You proposed? What happened to waiting like a normal person?"
Will barks out a laugh, face getting hot. "Shush you."
"Okay." She's replies, seeming unconvinced. "I read somewhere that jumping the gun in proposal serves for a terrible marriage."
He shakes his head, rolling his eyes. "You did not read that anywhere you liar."
"Nope but it sounded smart!" She exclaims, jumping up from my bed. "I've got french now. Bye Mia!" She calls, running out.
Walking the halls of the castle is the same as always as I walk to Thomas' cottage. Will walks behind me, trying to be quiet.
"I remember how to get there." I state, laughing and turning to him.
"Yes I know, my love." He replies, when he says 'my love' it makes me think of home.
"I'll see you later, okay?" I tell him, turning back around toward the entrance of the castle.
I try to avoid the usual trail, really avoiding Lucy. Thomas stands in front of his house and I stop to watch him. He looks distressed. He bends down and buries something in the grass, by the entrance.
I resume walking, calling his name to get his attention, he straitens and spreads a warm smile on his face. It feels like butter in my veins, being near him.
"Mia. I didn't expect you so soon." He says, opening his front door and gesturing grandly inside.
"Sorry, Will told me you needed to talk to me."
Thomas nods, his warm brown eyes seem so reserved. "My mother," he starts, stopping himself. "Did I ever talk about her?"
I nod. "You told me she died."
"Well, she didn't. Because the one who raised me wasn't my mother. She uh- she probably found me and raised me as her own." The hurt in his voice is palpable and we both sit at his kitchen table.
"What do you mean found you?" I ask, trying to be careful.
"I mean, that I was taken by someone from my real family." He says, placing his hands in his shaking hands.
I scoot closer, surrounded by his sunshine and old book smell, placing a hand on his face. "Thomas." I start, softly. His cinnamon irises land on my face, he's so close. He sniffs, breathing heavily.
"Will figured out who I really am. My real name isn't even Thomas." He whispers miserably. "My birthmark, it means something." He says, twisting to really face me. His angular jaw tightens, I don't know why but I lean in and capture his lips with mine, pressing myself against him. He reacts almost immediately pulling me closer, his lips moving with mine.
I groan against him, pulling my lips off his mouth and trail against his jaw, removing the tension as I go. "I love you." I blurt out at the same time he says "I'm moving away."
I pull away from him.
"Damnit. I'm sorry." I cuss, scooting away from him.
He sits there, watching me.
"I'm a prince, Mia." Thomas struggles with the statement. "I belong in the kingdom of Ostevell." He says simply, turning toward the door and opening it.
"And you belong here, with your fiance. I promise you, you're better off without me in your life."
"I'm sorry." I apologize again, staring at the floor, I shuffle out.
I find myself in front of Lucy, she looks so happy.
I sit cross-legged in front of her.
"You remember when we were little and I accidentally dropped a sock into dinner?" I ask her, wiping tears from my eyes. "I think made a mistake way worse than that just now."
"I told Thomas I loved him, Lucy I'm so stupid. He doesn't even remember me and Will and I are supposed to be getting married." I tell her. "It's only been two days and you've missed so much Lucy."
"Sadly, they only miss more as time goes on."
I look up and find King William, he smiles down at me. With a sigh he pulls up his trousers and plops down next to me. "I go to your father's grave every so often to catch him up on what I can." He says, studying Lucy's stone figure. "I didn't tell you the whole truth the day I met you. He was my best friend." He tells me, blue eyes flicking toward my face. "I'm so glad to see you again, Mia."
"King William." I start, not sure what to say.
He lifts a finger, smiling. "Papa Will, please."
"Did you hear what I said?" I ask.
He nods, breathing deeply. "You know, Mia. When I was younger and got engaged I felt lost. There was this girl I cared about deeply, who wasn't my fiance and it came down to asking myself something. Or rather, what I had to ask your father about." He smiles, bumping my shoulder softly. "Your father told me something very important."
I breathe in softly. "You'll find someone that is everything you ever needed before you even knew she was what you were missing." I say, remembering.
He nods, standing up with a grunt.
"Papa Will?" I call, looking back at him. "Who'd you end up marrying?"
"I ended up marrying Ilyssa. My fiance to begin with, I was happy with her for many years." He tells me, turning back toward the castle.