We spent a long week at the True Southern Kingdom and finally we were all heading back to our own kingdoms, except for Bren and Flora who are returning with us.
Today is the day Flora plans to get rid of her situation and she woke up before Bren and came knocking on my chambers door waking Raidyn and I. I promised Flora I would go with her. I tell Raidyn to keep Bren busy as I head downstairs with Flora--we walk hand in hand.
"Are you ready?" I ask her carefully.
"Yeah." Her voice is shaky and her hand follows suit.
I pull her into a tight hug. "You're fine. I'll grab your hand through it all. I won't let go." I pull back and we head to the infirmary for the procedure.
She lays on the table as the healer in white fathers around her with instruments. I grab Flora's hand. "I won't let go." I repeat.
The healer walks towards her with a shiny silver tool. She walks at a slow pace towards Flora and with the closer she gets, Flora's hum turns into a scream. "Get her away from me! No! No! I can't do this." Flora's screams ring out of the infirmary and through the castle.
I put my hand out to stop the healer. I turn my attention to Flora to brush her hair. "You're fine, no one will hurt you." I help her off the table. "Come on." I lead her out of the infirmary.
"Get-get me out of here." Flora nods following me.
"We're going." I say in a hushed tone. I bring her back to her chambers opening the door. Bren stands shirtless and growls at me for barging in, but immediately he notices Flora crying and goes to her. Raidyn, who must've been on his way to get Bren, is now standing in the threshold.
"Of course the entire gang is here." Bren turns to Raidyn. "I'll have to meet up with you a different time. I knew this was a bad idea. I should've came with you, Flora. I should be with you." He holds her close. "I should always be with you. It's where I belong."
"You knew?" I look at Bren.
"For a woman whose power is to know feelings of another, she makes it incredibly obvious to know her own." Bren remarks and Flora chuckles as she cries.
"You knew she was doing this...and you weren't with her? You just let her go?" I say getting angry.
"I wasn't going to do anything that she didn't want me to do, Byrd. I wasn't going to push her. I've already gotten too close to losing her before." Been shoots me a dirty look.
"Flora is hurting. Enough of the fighting between you two." Raidyn snaps.
"Flora, I do hope you'll get some rest and feel better. I will check on you tonight." I look her in the eyes and then storm out.
Raidyn follows out after me. "Don't you get mad at me now. I'm on Flora's side."
"I'm not mad at you." I say to Raidyn. "I'm mad at that piece of shit in there. I was going to go through that mortifying process with Flora, watching it and holding her hand and Bren was just going to be in his chambers waiting for her. I was going to do the hard work and comfort her and he-he just..." I cut myself out in frustration as I rub my forehead.
"I'm sorry. I tried to warn you about him ages go."
"I should've listened to you." I shake my head. "So now I take it the soon to be illegitimate prince of the East will in fact be born." I don't think Flora will be going through with it. She'll probably even have nightmares about that healer coming close to her waiting to kill her baby.
"Well then he probably won't be illegitimate for long. Flora and Bren will be getting married."
"I fear none of this is what Flora wants and there's nothing I can do about it." I rub my temples.
