Checkmate || OUAT Fanfic || DISCONTINUED

Chapter 33; Clarity In Insanity

"Love is beautiful, even when it is breaking you."

~ Bianca Sparacino / / @Twitter

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Alice's P.O.V

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Camelot, Guest tower.
Six weeks ago...

    "I love you, Alice."
    "I love you too, Peter. I always have and always will," I admit. "Not a day goes by when I don't think of you."
    He gives me a sad smile. "You haven't left my mind either."
    "I wish you were here with me. I wish I could hold you again. Even if it's just for awhile." I shake my head. "Maybe I should just take my own life. At least that way I'll be renuited with you."

    "No. No, Alice, don't you dare. You can't. It's not your time. There are too many people who need you."
    "I know." I sob. "I miss you."
    "And I do too, but you have to can't end your life. Think of Cassie. Think of Lewis and Will. Don't do anything I'd do-"

    "-Alice?"
    I shake my head, looking up at the brown-haired girl standing in front of me. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"
    "I said, "do you want me to help you with your hair?"" Tia repeats, holding up a hairbrush in one hand and bag of hair accessories in the other.
    "Um, yeah." I smooth out the wrinkles on my skirt with my hands as she sits on the bed beside me, a hairbrush in her hand.

    "What were you thinking about earlier?" Tia asks as she runs the brush down, untangling my messy curls.
    "Nothing," I reply, not wanting to relive my dark thoughts. "I just I'm just tired. That's all."
    "That's understandable." Tia hums an unfamiliar lulluby, styling my hair as she does so.

    "Understandable." I let out a breathy sigh. "Why's everything have to be understandable? Why can't some things be unacceptable?"
   Like forgetting the person you love and falling for someone else.
    "I'm just saying you've been through a lot. I mean, you're handling all of this a lot better than I would."

    "How are you so calm about this?" I question, trying my best to keep my tone nutural.

    I feel Tia shrug. "I guess having two reckless brothers made me used to strange things like this happening."
    I raise an eyebrow.
    That makes no sense at all but okay...
    Tia clears her throat. "Listen, I'm sorry about Will, I don't know what my brother was thinking."
    "Me too. Will's never done anything like this before. I mean, you've met him. He's as pasifistic as they get."

    "What do you think happened between the two of them?"
     "I don't know," I admit. "Will won't tell me anything."
    "Yeah, Ares is starting to avoid that topic whenever I bring it up."
    "We should keep a close watch on them," I suggest. "I hate to say it, but it might happen again."
    "I doubt it. Ares is already aware that I'm keeping an eye on him so he's probably not going to do anything."

    I bite my bottom lip. "Should we really be going to this ball? I mean, shouldn't Emma and the others be focused on getting Merlin out of that godforsaken tree?"
    "I'm sure that Hook and Emma have already talked about that, they probably decided that it wouldn't hurt to postpone the mission for one day. And it's not like the tree is going to uproot itself and disappear, right?"

    "Well, if you put it that way I suppose one night couldn't hurt."
    "Exactly. I think that's it," Tia says, standing up. "What do you think?"
    I pick up the mirror beside me, admiring at the complicated-looking braid Tia tied for me. "It looks beautiful."
    She smiles at the compliment. "Thank you. My mother used to plait my hair like that when I was a little girl."